Howard Jones - Celebrate It Together : The Very Best Of Howard Jones 1983-2023
(4CD Deluxe Clamshell box set edition)
(4CD Deluxe Clamshell box set edition)
Howard Jones, a pioneering and defining figure in 80s synth & new wave pop (and still a creative singer-songwriting force in the 21st century) hasn’t done things by halves for his 40th Anniversary – in fact he’s doubled up on the usual 2CD/ 'Double Album Anthology' format to produce and present, via Cherry Red Records, an all-encompassing, four CDs and 64 remastered tracks worth of career retrospective.
Celebrate It Together : The Very Best Of Howard Jones also eschews the usual 'hits in chronological order' formula for a more considered, deliberately non-sequential aproach – four individual compilations, each a self-contained 'mix & match' mini-collection with their own focus or ambience, but all combining to become the definitive collection (and first to cover his entire career).
CD1 : Popular Hits is, rather obviously, the most familiar and accessible of the four discs.
From the synth-pop punch of 1985’s 'Things Can Only Get Better' (which immediately defined and underlined Howard Jones’ positive outlook in both life and lyricism – a trait that continues to this day) to closing track, the Lifelike Radio Edit of 2022’s 'Celebrate it Together' (one of six song versions appearing on CD for the first time) Popular Hits is a 17 track, synth-driven, always melodic and at times highly rhythmic, winner.
Celebrated 80s hits 'New Song,' 'What Is Love?,' 'Like to Get To Know You Well,' 'Life In One Day' and 'Pearl in the Shell' are all chart success highlights, while other tracks of note include 1989’s pop-rock nugget 'The Prisoner' (with an insightful lyric on the pressure of fame) and 1992’s optimistically upbeat minor hit, 'Lift Me Up.'
Later, non-charting singles (a sign of the changing musical times, not song quality), the excellent guitar & keyboard pop-rock of 1998’s 'Tomorrow is Now' and 2005’s dreamy, infectious and up-tempo 'Look At You Now,' are also deserving of their place.
CD2 : Electro is also title explanatory, concentrating more on Howard Jones’ electronica-led catalogue.
Leading off with the second run-out for 'Celebrate It Together' (the seven-minute, Lifelike Extended Club Mix), the 15 track second disc pulses with dance/ club rhythms ('The Human Touch,' 'Revolution of the Heart,' 'Powerhouse') electronica/ pop pizazz ('You’re The Buddha') and electro-percussive energy ('Eagle Will Fly Again,' 'Stay With Me,' 'Who You Really Want To Be').
There’s also the nine-minute Megamamamix of 'Look Mama' and the brand new, Elephant Talk remix of 'New Song' (one of four previously unreleased tracks within the collection).
Celebrate It Together : The Very Best Of Howard Jones also eschews the usual 'hits in chronological order' formula for a more considered, deliberately non-sequential aproach – four individual compilations, each a self-contained 'mix & match' mini-collection with their own focus or ambience, but all combining to become the definitive collection (and first to cover his entire career).
CD1 : Popular Hits is, rather obviously, the most familiar and accessible of the four discs.
From the synth-pop punch of 1985’s 'Things Can Only Get Better' (which immediately defined and underlined Howard Jones’ positive outlook in both life and lyricism – a trait that continues to this day) to closing track, the Lifelike Radio Edit of 2022’s 'Celebrate it Together' (one of six song versions appearing on CD for the first time) Popular Hits is a 17 track, synth-driven, always melodic and at times highly rhythmic, winner.
Celebrated 80s hits 'New Song,' 'What Is Love?,' 'Like to Get To Know You Well,' 'Life In One Day' and 'Pearl in the Shell' are all chart success highlights, while other tracks of note include 1989’s pop-rock nugget 'The Prisoner' (with an insightful lyric on the pressure of fame) and 1992’s optimistically upbeat minor hit, 'Lift Me Up.'
Later, non-charting singles (a sign of the changing musical times, not song quality), the excellent guitar & keyboard pop-rock of 1998’s 'Tomorrow is Now' and 2005’s dreamy, infectious and up-tempo 'Look At You Now,' are also deserving of their place.
CD2 : Electro is also title explanatory, concentrating more on Howard Jones’ electronica-led catalogue.
Leading off with the second run-out for 'Celebrate It Together' (the seven-minute, Lifelike Extended Club Mix), the 15 track second disc pulses with dance/ club rhythms ('The Human Touch,' 'Revolution of the Heart,' 'Powerhouse') electronica/ pop pizazz ('You’re The Buddha') and electro-percussive energy ('Eagle Will Fly Again,' 'Stay With Me,' 'Who You Really Want To Be').
There’s also the nine-minute Megamamamix of 'Look Mama' and the brand new, Elephant Talk remix of 'New Song' (one of four previously unreleased tracks within the collection).
CD3 : Chill also tells you what to expect; 16 tracks of lights down, late night, down-tempo music with a glass of the good stuff to hand.
The single versions of Howard Jones’ much-loved relationships & responsibilities number 'No One Is To Blame' and the contemplative 'Hide And Seek' (a synth prayer of hope, as Jones alludes to in the accompanying booklet) are perfect fits here. They sit side by side with other lighter gems such as the ballads 'If You Love,' 'Soon You’ll Go' and 'One Last Try,' and two delicately arranged seven-minute numbers, 'City Song' and 'Not One Of The Lonely Tonight,' the latter playing lyrical counterpoint to the former ('City Song' is an ode to those who can be lonely in a crowd).
Other highlights of a beautifully reflective 16 song collection include the piano, vocal and subtle strings of 'Someone You Need,' the soulful 'Back In Your Life Again' and the all-things-connect electro-pulse of 'Formed By The Stars.'
CD4 : Curiosities is a 16 track collection of alternative mixes ('You Know I Love You… Don’t You?,' 'Angels And Lovers,' 'I.G.Y.'), live recordings ('Lazarus,' 'Pearl in the Shell,' 'New Song') and alternative versions (alternate recording of 'Stay With Me (We’re In This Together)', the 'Havana' version of 'Collective Heartbeat,' the ten-and-a-half minute 'Perform' version of 'Hide And Seek').
The final disc also includes rockin' new wave number 'I Don't Hate You' and two previously unreleased curios, 'Things Can Only Get Better - Simlish version' (Howard Jones singing in the fictional language of The Sims video game series) and 'Overture 2,' which was the intro music to Jones’ 2019 Transform tour (a remixed career overview in under three minutes).
With 64 songs and a 12 page fully illustrated booklet (including Howard Jones in reflective, four decade conversation with Anil Prasad), we can all now Celebrate a synthsational pop career Together.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Celebrate It Together is also available as a 22 track 2LP (Translucent Mint Green) edition and 35 track 2CD edition.
The single versions of Howard Jones’ much-loved relationships & responsibilities number 'No One Is To Blame' and the contemplative 'Hide And Seek' (a synth prayer of hope, as Jones alludes to in the accompanying booklet) are perfect fits here. They sit side by side with other lighter gems such as the ballads 'If You Love,' 'Soon You’ll Go' and 'One Last Try,' and two delicately arranged seven-minute numbers, 'City Song' and 'Not One Of The Lonely Tonight,' the latter playing lyrical counterpoint to the former ('City Song' is an ode to those who can be lonely in a crowd).
Other highlights of a beautifully reflective 16 song collection include the piano, vocal and subtle strings of 'Someone You Need,' the soulful 'Back In Your Life Again' and the all-things-connect electro-pulse of 'Formed By The Stars.'
CD4 : Curiosities is a 16 track collection of alternative mixes ('You Know I Love You… Don’t You?,' 'Angels And Lovers,' 'I.G.Y.'), live recordings ('Lazarus,' 'Pearl in the Shell,' 'New Song') and alternative versions (alternate recording of 'Stay With Me (We’re In This Together)', the 'Havana' version of 'Collective Heartbeat,' the ten-and-a-half minute 'Perform' version of 'Hide And Seek').
The final disc also includes rockin' new wave number 'I Don't Hate You' and two previously unreleased curios, 'Things Can Only Get Better - Simlish version' (Howard Jones singing in the fictional language of The Sims video game series) and 'Overture 2,' which was the intro music to Jones’ 2019 Transform tour (a remixed career overview in under three minutes).
With 64 songs and a 12 page fully illustrated booklet (including Howard Jones in reflective, four decade conversation with Anil Prasad), we can all now Celebrate a synthsational pop career Together.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Celebrate It Together is also available as a 22 track 2LP (Translucent Mint Green) edition and 35 track 2CD edition.