Review: Trevor Rabin – Rio

Inside Out Music (October 6^th 2023)

Reviewer: Chris O’Connor

I have always had an undisguised admiration for Trevor Rabin, he’s always been one of my favourite guitarists, and indeed songwriters. In my humble opinion, he should have been a household name a long time ago – instead of which he remains a kind of ‘cult’ figure – loved and revered by those in the know.

As everyman (and his dog) already knows, it was Trevor’s genius that gave Yes a whole new career, his sublime songs, arrangements, and instrumentation were pretty much the backbeat to the entire ‘90125’ album – and when coupled with Trevor Horn’s amazing hi-tech production – the band were actually relevant for the first time EVER.

It is noticeable, that as soon as he left the band, and Steve Howe returned – they became tired, dreary, and frankly terminally boring all over again. If you’ve never heard Trevor’s ‘90124’ tapes – do yourself a favour and see how huge Trevor’s influence was. For the record, the band SHOULD have kept the Cinema name, instead of labelling the project as Yes, as it would have been far more honest. Anyway, I digress.

It’s been a very long time since Trevor recorded a Rock album, and make no mistake – ‘Rio’ IS a Rock album, for a great many years, the man has made a very successful living by scoring close to fifty major movie soundtracks! He has been talking for nearly a decade about the making of. This album, back in 2020 he was saying it was sort of half-done, well nearly four years on, we finally have the finished product!

So, the big question is this: Is ‘Rio’ any good? Well of course it is! Lovingly crafted, beautifully played, meticulously arranged and produced, it is (in my opinion) a masterpiece. It’s also the first time since 1989’s ‘Can’t Look Away’ Magnum Opus that Trevor has decided to be lead vocalist again, and it’s been a wonderful decision, as his voice is as fine as ever.

‘Rio’ highlights the different aspects of Trevor’ creative passions, it’s very cinematic in feel, and the music – although Rock in aspect, highlights other genres, including Country (‘Goodbye’), and timeless Pop (‘These Tears’), and is unafraid to explore the most complex human situation – ‘Oklahoma’ immediately springs to mind – a towering and haunting number that deals with the horror of the terrorist bombing that rocked the city – it is a brave and beautiful song that is hugely effective and is emotionally charged.

Album opener ‘Big Mistakes is a towering statement of intent, a huge and powerful rock number, with a stamping riff, that reinforces Trevor’s credentials as a rocker with searing power, I defy you not to love it, as it’s impossible. ‘Thandi’ is an emotional rollercoaster, it deals with the sheer horror of the illegal ivory trade in Africa – it is another hugely powerful piece. ‘Egoli’ is another song based on Trevor’s love of Africa (being South African born and bred). It is beautifully layered vocally, and in every respect ‘feels’ African, it’s genuinely lovely.

Perhaps my favourite song on ‘Rio’ is the genuinely epic ‘Paradise’. It features a simply huge riff, wonderful layered vocals, absolutely dazzling musicianship, and a searing lead solo that is nothing short of genius. This feels like it should have belonged on ‘90125’ or maybe ‘Talk’. Album coda ‘Toxic‘ is a thunderous guitar led piece with a stuttering rhythm, that deals with the horrors of damaged relationships. Trevor’s lead work is stunning, it is an absolute tour de force of a song to end an album with.

It does feel churlish to have picked certain songs for praise, as the whole album is simply brilliant. Trevor Rabin has been absent from the rock scene for a very long time, now he’s back, and is showing us how desperately we have missed his stellar talents. If you don’t buy another album this year, make sure it’s ‘Rio’, as it is a masterclass in how amazing Rock music truly can be. Simply marvellous!

Tracklisting:

1. Big Mistakes
2. Push
3. Oklahoma
4. Paradise
5. Thandi
6. Goodbye
7. Tumbleweed
8. These Tears
9. Egoli
10. Toxic