In an era when rock legends often fade into the nostalgia of yesteryears, Trevor Rabin emerges as a phoenix with his new album ‘Rio’ — his first solo album of vocal material in 34 years. The Johannesburg-born artist, best known for his 12-year stint with the iconic prog-rock band Yes and the hit single “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” demonstrates that an artist’s journey needs not have a single path, but can be an ever-evolving odyssey.
A multi-faceted musician, Rabin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 with Yes and more recently collaborated with former Yes members Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman in the trio ARW. But what triggered this foray back into vocal rock?
“I could say I’ve been procrastinating for 34 years,” Rabin confesses. “After doing the ‘Talk’
album with Yes, I thought, I’ve given everything I can to that. I think it’s time to move on.” Rabin decided to pivot to film, a realm he’d always wanted to explore. “I loved working with the orchestra, and I did that, and I thought I’d do four or five films and then do another rock album. And here I am years later, still looking at ‘Armageddon,’ one of the first movies I did, like it was yesterday.”
A sense of urgency began to manifest a couple of years ago with Rabin. “It’s so in my bones to do that, and I should just get the hell on and do it,” he recounts. “I disciplined myself to do it and get on with it.”
The album includes a standout track called “Oklahoma,” which, astoundingly, took almost
three decades to fully realize. “Initially, when the idea came, it was just a germ,” says Rabin. “But when I saw the news about the Oklahoma bombing, my stomach disappeared.” Rabin had become an American citizen in the early ‘90s and felt deeply impacted by the event. He thought the timing for the song was too sensitive then, so he let it linger. “But it all came to fruition when I started doing the album,” Rabin adds. “Now, I can do it as a tribute to the people who were sadly involved.”
Moving on to the visual components of ‘Rio,’ Rabin opts for animated videos for most tracks. “Our time was limited, and I got some footage of what Christian had done on ‘Push,’ and I was kind of blown away,” he shares. “I just don’t want to be in it,” he says about “Oklahoma,” citing the song’s gravitas.
Adding another layer to his creative artistry, Rabin designed the album cover himself. “My mother was an artist, and she got me into oil painting at an early age,” he notes. Though he initially struggled with the transition to digital art, he eventually found it liberating. “Once I got into it, it becomes really quite quick compared to doing it the other way.”
When it comes to art, Rabin’s true art is the song. “When I write a song, I always hear the whole thing,” said Rabin, discussing his unique approach to music composition. “It’s like when I’m writing a film score or an orchestral piece; I’m not just writing a melody. I’m writing all the layers.”
The multi-instrumentalist described his solo projects as an extension of this layered creative philosophy. In a departure from a traditional band setup, Rabin played almost all the instruments on ‘Rio,’ a method he has honed over the years. “Sometimes I just thought to myself, well, I could get in a bass player to do this, but I’m just going to want him to do what I’ve just done, so why bother?” he explained.
While the album is mostly a one-man show, it’s not entirely a solitary endeavor. “My son Ryan was a sounding board for certain percussion elements,” Rabin said. “Instead of a tablet, I use my finger hitting an acoustic guitar. And it’s such a great sound, and I use that quite a lot.” Rabin’s long-term collaborator Lou Molino and drumming maestro Vinnie Colaiuta also contributed to the project, which shows Rabin’s willingness to invite in other
talents while preserving his vision.
Unraveling the personal aspects behind the album, Rabin disclosed that ‘Rio’ is named after his granddaughter. The title also evokes the memory of a momentous concert in Rio de Janeiro in 1985, witnessed by half a million people. It was an event so impactful that it led to the conception of his son Ryan. “My son was conceived that night,” he said, laughing. “Years later, Ryan named his daughter Rio.”
For audiophiles, the album brings an additional treat—a 5.1 surround sound master. “It was actually the record company’s idea. But the main thing for me is it wasn’t a new format to me with film. I’ve been working in 5.1 for the last 50 films, so it was just a natural thing for me, as natural as working in stereo,” Rabin shared.
The album also marks a significant shift for Rabin, who described how he managed external pressures to return to vocal music. “I just got to a point where, with the film thing, there’s always scripts to read, there’s people to meet. It’s just a constant thing,” he said. It was his son Ryan, who encouraged him to take the plunge back into the world of vocal albums. “He was the one who said to me, you need to do another album.”
For Rabin, ‘Rio’ serves as both a refreshing return and a moment of reckoning. “It was a whole new, fresh experience, but something I hadn’t forgotten, which was also useful,” he said. Through its intricate layers of sound, deeply personal backstories, and a subtle blend of past and present, ‘Rio’ stands as a testament to an artist who has found a harmonious
balance between evolving and staying true to his roots.
Rabin’s influence on music is undeniable, evident in Yes’s crossover hit “Owner Of A Lonely
Heart,” which topped America’s Billboard charts in 1983. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Yes in 2017 and more recently, formed the trio ARW with former Yes members Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman.
However, Rabin’s reach goes beyond rock music. “I’ve been in some really comedic situations. After all, I played in Yes for 15 years,” he humorously recounted during a discussion about his film scoring career, which includes action hits like ‘Con Air’ and inspirational gems like ‘Remember the Titans.’
When asked about his favorite film genre to score for, Rabin elaborated, “You do get typecast, and you’re always worried about that because it’s always good to go across genres. But I would have to say, my favorite would be the inspirational ones. ‘Remember the Titans’ was, I think, my finest score.”
Rabin’s collaborations read like a who’s-who list of music legends. When probed about his experience working with Michael Jackson, Rabin described the setting as akin to a near-spiritual experience.
“With Michael, I went into the studio and noticed there was every possible format of recording equipment,” Rabin recalled. “And then the lights came down, and Michael walked in as if God had walked in. But he was a fantastic guy to work with. I’ll never forget the sound of him monitoring music so loud, louder than any live show I’d ever done.”
His admiration for Tina Turner was equally effusive. “She’s just the nicest person in the world. When I finally heard her voice on the tracks we worked on, I think she became my favorite singer,” he shared.
These illustrious partnerships extend to his collaborations with other rock legends. “Out of
the blue, I got a call from Roger Hodgson,” Rabin explained. “A couple of weeks later, he arrived here in his RV, plugged into the house, and stayed here for two weeks. We had almost two-thirds of an album ready to go before life intervened.”
With ‘Rio’ finally out, there’s a sense of excitement about what’s next for Rabin, including
a possible tour. “A good friend of mine, Larry Magid, who’s promoted the last tour I was on, had recommended I go on the road and do my music and then have a screen behind me with a full orchestra to perform film scores as well,” Rabin revealed. “It’s all stuff to be talked about.”
At 68, Rabin is no closer to slowing down, carving his unique place in musical history with
each string he plucks and each note he scores. And if ‘Rio’ is any indication, the future seems to be a composition he’s just getting started on.
As seen in the October 2023 issue:
Print and Digital copies can be purchased at MagCloud.
