Forty years on. Howard Jones looks back and heads fast forward.

Release Date: 2nd August 2024

Label: Cherry Red Records

Format: Deluxe CD + poster

In March 2024, Howard Jones played at London’s O2 Arena as special guest of OMD (the band formerly known as Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark). Here’s the result – a greatest hits set that brings back memories of spiky hair and loose fitting white styling. Howard reprises the days when the Human’s Lib and Dream Into Action albums rode high in the chart and his status was grand enough for him to appear at Live Aid.

Having recently appraised his Live In Japan 1984 album, it’s an interesting skip through the time machine. There’s the inevitable, although not marked, change in appearance with Howard appearing in pretty good shape and with current go to bass/stick man for anyone who’s anyone in the prog field, Nick Beggs looking similarly gig fit as he joins the band and leads on the mid set Eighties anthem, Too Shy, (Howard doing his best – you wouldn’t know if you weren’t told -Limahl) it’s a real nostalgic trip.

Any different to the aforementioned forty year old performance? Maybe not, but good songs always endure – ask Mozart and Sinatra. “My name’s Howard Jones,” he reminds us as he reminisces over the association with OMD. It’s a piece of cake for those Eighties worshippers to play name the set. “And the fear goes on...”, the sing song of New Song and “I love you whether or not you love me, I love you even if you think that I don’t” – words and intros burning on the consciousness of a generation (and their children), even a slight detection of the O2 crowd finding it hard not to sing along.

The opening of Like to Get To Know You Well might have a hint of Dreadlock Holiday which continues into its whiff of calypso and Beggs funk plus a We Will Rock You audience participation insert, but these are songs that define an era, songs that define Howard Jones. He heads into Hide And Seek’s slightly stripped back arrangement, referring back to his Live Aid performance (audience duly “whooooo“s) and reintroduces some of the electronic elements after a flash of his keyboard prowess. It’s a more sombre interlude in what’s a predominantly upbeat set reinforced by the disco sparkle on The Human Touch and You Know I Love You Don’t You.

Job for life? His Eighties output has served him well.

Here’s the trailer:

Howard Jones online: Website / Twitter / Facebook

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