Trevor Rabin's 'Rio' - Album Review

It is not too often that I review an album by a band or artist which I am not all that familiar with. It happens occasionally, but generally I cover bands which I am extremely familiar with - but the quest for new sounds often takes me down many untrodden paths. Whilst I would be lying if I said that I was totally unfamiliar with the work of the South African multi-instrumentalist Trevor Rabin, I am certainly no expert on his work. Prior to this month, I had heard precisely two albums which he had significant involvement in: his 1979 solo album Face to Face and the smash-hit Yes album 90125 from 1983. Whilst Rabin has been more prolific outside of Yes, it is likely his 'controversial' 12 year stint in the British progressive rock band for which he is most known. I think it is fair to say that by the end of the 1970s Yes were faltering. Their genre-defining albums were behind them, and the prog scene had nosedived overall. Following the well-received but commercially unsuccessful Drama in 1980, which was the first Yes album without their talismanic frontman Jon Anderson, Yes split up. It seemed that the band had run its course, and bassist Chris Squire looked to start something new. He started working with Rabin - but the band which was originally known as Cinema soon morphed into a new-look Yes for the 1980s, with Anderson returning alongside Yes alumni Tony Kaye and Alan White. The rest, as they say, is history - and Rabin stuck around until 1995 when he was replaced by a returning Steve Howe and Yes returned to their progressive rock roots. During Rabin's time in the band Yes released four studio albums. 90125 was easily the most successful, and rebranded Yes was a more pop-orientated band for the new decade, but 1987's Big Generator also sold well - and Rabin was also a part of the monolithic all-star Yes album Union from 1991 which produced mixed results. During his time in Yes, Rabin also maintained a sporadic solo career. He released Wolf not long before joining the band in 1981, and followed it up with Can't Look Away in 1989 - his final vocal-led album until earlier this month. Following his departure from Yes, though, Rabin has generally kept out of the spotlight - instead focusing on writing music for film. His music has been featured in many films including 1998's Armageddon, 2004's National Treasure, and 2006's Snakes on a Plane - but he also found time in 2012 to release the instrumental album Jacaranda. Yes, of sorts, came calling again, though, and between 2016 and 2018 Rabin toured with Anderson and another Yes alumnus Rick Wakeman as a version of Yes - which led to well-received shows but no new material. That version of Yes is no more, though, and Rabin instead turned his attention to his solo career once again - and released Rio earlier this month, his first solo album since Jacaranda and his first with vocals since Can't Look Away. Despite not being hugely familiar with Rabin's work, I have been enjoying Rio - and it essentially sounds how I imagined it would. It is a pop rock album first and foremost, but there is a lot going on throughout its 10 songs. There are strong prog influences throughout, as well as some jazz and country vibes, too. It is an accessible listen despite the variety, and Rabin was essentially responsible for everything heard on the album - with the exception of some of the drums. Rabin played a lot of the drums, but the other drummers here include his regular collaborator Lou Molino III (Cock Robin; Yoso) and jazz session king Vinnie Colaiuta.

Whilst there is more complex stuff to come, the album kicks off with its lead single Big Mistakes - which is one of its catchiest tracks. A short drum barrage from Molino opens things up, but a strident, mid-paced guitar riff soon kicks in - and this surprisingly muscular riff forms the basis of the rest of the song. The verses are based around this harder rock feel, with Rabin singing in something of a call-and-response manner with his guitar. Vocally, Rabin sounds virtually unchanged. His voice still sounds strong, and his higher register remains - and he channels his time harmonising with Anderson during the riffy verses. Synths swirl around, adding depth, whilst his busy bass playing makes a brief pre-chorus pop. The chorus is similarly riffy, but it sounds bigger overall. There is certainly a strident vibe during the anthemic chorus - and Rabin's vocal hooks are excellent, with co-writer Dante Marchi adding some subtle vocal harmonies. A brief guitar-led instrumental section adds some additional weight, but in general this is a track which focuses more on Rabin's vocals and its overall melodic nature - until a closing guitar solo changes tack slightly. It certainly reminds me of the pop rock of Rabin's past - but the album is only just getting started. Push is instantly different, and it opens with some busy acoustic guitars which remind me a little of Lindsey Buckingham's distinctive style - before stabbing electric guitars and some extremely fast-paced piano playing join the fray. This opening is quite frenetic, then, but when Rabin starts to sing his soothing melodies bring all of the instruments together - and Colaiuta's drums soon kick in, giving the song a bit more purpose. The track is not as riffy as the previous number, but there is a lot more going instrumentally. The bass really drives everything, bringing Yes to mind, whilst occasional bursts of bluesy lead guitar break up the verses to provide additional hooks. The song is not one which stays in one place for too long, either, and the chorus section goes for a more symphonic approach - with cinematic vocal melodies and plenty of pulsing pomp rock synths. Again, there are shades of Rabin's era of Yes, but it also feels a bit weightier - with some driving harder rock riffs kicking in during the extended chorus section, too, alongside some jazzy instrumental flourishes. Despite all of this chopping and changing, though, the song still contains plenty of hooks. Rabin's vocal melodies are well-crafted, and all of the instrumental leads are extremely tuneful - with his keyboard playing as good as his guitar playing. Folkiness is added by some violin courtesy of Charlie Bisharat which expands the song's scope further - but everything hangs together really well. Oklahoma also opens with acoustic guitars, but this time Rabin's playing sits somewhere between country, classical, and jazz - with his busy finger picking flying out of the speakers as the song grows around it. Dense synths and other keyboards add counter-melodies, before a more traditional guitar lead takes over and Rabin starts to sing against a sparse backing of distant bluesy guitar and percussion. It is not as busy as the previous song, then, and it perhaps feels a bit more atmospheric overall - and the country vibe of the song shines through as the chorus is approached. Rabin's vocals are less high-pitched here, and his full-bodied approach suits the overall bluesiess of the piece. Despite there still being some busier parts, much of it is given over to this more atmospheric sound - which gradually builds up around the subtle percussion previously mentioned. Rabin has clearly used his years of soundtrack composing to help craft this piece - as it certainly feels quite film score-like at times, even if the growling guitar leads that join the fray later on feel more organic overall. The guitar playing suits the song's grandeur, though, and the overall arrangement works really well.

Paradise gets back to something similar to the album's opening, with Rabin and Molino locking in together early on to create a mid-paced guitar and drum groove - whipping up an organic hard rock vibe that still feels quite expansive thanks to a mix which includes plenty of synths and acoustic guitars. Like the opening cut, too, this is a song which really focuses on vocal hooks. The chorus here might well be the album's best. The hooks lodge in the brain from the off, and the vocal harmonies throughout really elevate Rabin's voice. He sounds great throughout the album, but this chorus really seems him shine - whilst he takes a more restrained approach during the verses which are more acoustic-based. Banjo and mandolin are throw in to add depth and develop the album's country side - but the song overall is still a pretty strident rocker. It does not feel as weighty as the opening cut, but it is still a guitar-driven piece; and Rabin's solo is excellent at adding some business to what is generally quite precise and groovy. It is one of my favourite songs here thanks to its excellent chorus and it shows that Rabin has lost of none of his pop knack over the years. Thandi opens with some strange noises which soon morph into some extremely busy guitar melodies - and the opening instrumental section of the song really showcases Rabin's prog credentials. The guitar playing early on is extremely high-octane, whilst retaining a country edge, whilst there are also Yes-esque sections which are a bit more 'full band' in style with lots of retro organ stabs and driving bass playing. Once Rabin starts singing, though, the song slows down and it becomes another quite precise rocker. I like the mix of styles used here, with chaotic instrumental sections sitting nicely side-by-side with poppier vocal hooks. Even the vocal sections often have plenty going on, though, with the chorus here featuring some really busy guitar playing - but the best comes during the guitar solo section which contains some of Rabin's most frantic playing on the album, and it is perfectly backed by some fuzzy keyboard riffing. Those who like the country side of Rabin's playing will enjoy Goodbye, which really leans into that style. It is perhaps a bit too old-school country for me, but it is an upbeat piece with plenty of excellent acoustic guitar playing - with the banjos and mandolins previously featured making a reappearance. I would not say that the song is pure country, with the chorus feeling a bit more poppy and expansive overall, but the verses are very traditional country - and this style works with Rabin's smooth vocal delivery. There are certainly shades of the first couple of Eagles albums here, but the playing throughout is still blistering - with a fast-paced guitar solo and barroom piano section sounding very southern rock in style. Tumbleweed then changes things again, and opens with some Queen/ELO-esque treated vocal harmonies. These vocals dominate the early part of the song, essentially singing a cappella with a subtle synth backing for around a minute before some piano rolls in and the track becomes more of a ballad. Jangly guitars and dense synths add depth whilst Rabin sings over this surprisingly dark arrangement - but this vibe is broken by the occasional 1970s synth lead and some off-kilter percussion. The guitars take on a more prominent role towards the end, too, and the song closes after a brief solo and a melodic chord sequence.

These Tears is another slower piece, and the song opens simply with some shimmering keyboards - which Rabin sings over in a lower-than-usual register. Occasional percussion and the odd treated guitar stab add depth, but arrangement-wise this is possibly the simplest song here. There is little of the usual frantic shifting in tone which has been found elsewhere, and the song is a pretty typical ballad - but Rabin's excellent vocal delivery really sells it. The piece does grow in stature somewhat as it moves along, but only slightly. Some gentle drumming adds further depth, but generally the keyboards from the opening and the occasional rhythmic groove remain the overall focal point. Given how varied the album is, having a more traditional ballad here is welcome - and it acts as a nice change of pace from the frenetic arrangements heard up to this point. Some aching guitar leads are added to the piece as it comes towards a close - but the overall tone remains downbeat as it fades out. Egoli instantly feels more poppy and upbeat, then, and some knotty synth and guitar melodies set the tone from the off. A simple drum backing allows these busy melodies to shine - and Rabin's vocals are sung surprisingly straight given what is going on beneath him. The chorus feels a bit more tribal and rhythmic, though, which is a bit different - and perhaps a bit of a nod to some of the culture of his native South Africa. Given the business of the melodies, though, this chanting chorus fits in nicely and it helps the song to be effortlessly catchy despite the rather repetitive arrangement. The song does not really ever develop that much, but given it is pretty short this does not matter too much as the overall vibe is strong. The album then comes to a close with Toxic, which is another somewhat more organic and harder rocking piece. Based around a swinging drum groove, the opening guitar flourish has a strong progressive rock vibe - and there are more nods back to Rabin's time with Yes here. The verse vocal hooks sound very Anderson-inspired, but the fuzzy bass and heavier guitars provide a point of difference. There is certainly a bluesy edge to the piece throughout, and the use of wah-drenched guitars during parts of the song help to bed in that more organic vibe - and Rabin's lengthy guitar solo is suitably off-kilter whilst still retaining enough traditional bluesy bite to work. The song is perhaps not as busy as some of the others here, but it still feels pretty proggy throughout - and it showcases Rabin's way of making pop songs that bit more interesting. Occasional jazzy keyboard stabs and the varied vocal approach keep the song from being just another guitar-driven rocker - but that is what the song remains at its core, and in some ways Toxic closes the album in a similar manner to how it started, albeit with more of a jazzy flair. Overall, then, Rio is an album that has a lot going on within it, but its reliance on strong hooks draw the listener in despite the amount of ground covered. I am certainly no expert on Rabin's work but I have been enjoying this album a lot over the past few weeks, and I will be checking out his other solo albums in due course. Those who love his varied songwriting will be drawn in from the off, though, but anyone who like complex music with plenty of hooks should dive in.

The album was released on 6th October 2023 via InsideOut Music. Below is Rabin's promotional video for Big Mistakes.