Howard Jones – The 12″ Album (2011 Remastered Edition) (1984/2024) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Howard Jones – The 12″ Album (2011 Remastered Edition) (1984/2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 37:38 minutes | 817 MB | Genre: Pop Rock
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Cherry Red Records

Six 12-inch mixes by the British pop musician from 1984, whereby the long versions of ‘Always asking questions’ (4.27) and ‘Pearl in the shell’ (6.44) were previously unreleased. ‘New song’ (5.23) is artistically outstanding and fully convincing in the new extended version. The high-flyer ‘What is love’ (6.34) in the extended mix, one of my absolute favourites by Howard Jones, is a real hit. ‘Like to get to know you well’ (7.35) is represented here in the International Mix and is therefore the longest track on the album. ‘Total Conditioning‘ (6.58), the opener from Howard Jones’ debut album ‘Human’s lib’, falls down in quality in the long version and can’t keep up with the other tracks on the disc. Another point of criticism is the short playing time of only 37 minutes, as the album served as a gap filler between Howard Jones’ first and second studio albums.British singer/songwriter Howard Jones was a glinting jewel caught in the avalanche of synthesized music that overwhelmed the pop scene in the ’80s. Jones had a true gift for crafting gleaming melodic hooks that make his hits some of the most memorable of the era. He used synthesizers not because they were “in,” but because he could use them to create a delicious soundscape that couldn’t be created without them. (Later in his career, he proved that he didn’t need the electronics to write compelling pop music.) This 12″ Album was released in support of his 1984 effort Humans Lib. It includes remixes of four of the hits from that record, including a previously unreleased extended mix of “Pearl in the Shell” and a “new version” of the now-classic “New Song,” which features a reworked bass run and a new piano solo. The 12″ Album also introduced the catchy “Always Asking Questions.” The enclosed “international mix” of “Like to Get to Know You Well” (which was to appear on his next album, Dreams Into Action) is given an appealing reggae-flavored steel band backing. All of the songs on the record are connected as if each side were a long three-song medley. And while some of the extended mixes are extended beyond their welcome (notably “Total Conditioning”), the record percolates with the creative spirit that marked Jones’ work throughout the ’80s.
– Evan Cater

Tracklist:

1-1. Howard Jones – Always Asking Questions (2011 Remaster) (04:27)
1-2. Howard Jones – New Song ((New Version) [2011 Remaster]) (05:23)
1-3. Howard Jones – What Is Love? ((Extended Mix) [2011 Remaster]) (06:35)
1-4. Howard Jones – Like To Get To Know You Well ((International Mix) [2011 Remaster]) (07:34)
1-5. Howard Jones – Pearl In The Shell ((Extended Mix) [2011 Remaster]) (06:39)
1-6. Howard Jones – Total Conditioning (2011 Remaster) (06:58)

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