Howard Jones – Action Replay (1986) Review | Phil Collins Is to Blame for Everything
Kronomyth 2.5: Another pay to replay scheme.
Phil Collins had the Midas touch in the mid-eighties and clearly couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Not that I’m complaining; this version of No One Is to Blame is probably the best Phil Collins song he never wrote. It also helped launch Howard Jones’ music in a million homes as unhappy housewives (and househusbands) everywhere wondered what might have been. Since it wouldn’t do to have such a great song stranded on a single, Elektra packaged it up on an EP with some extended remixes and leftover tracks. Always Asking Questions and Specialty date back to 1984; both are good enough to have made the cut on Human’s Lib. In fact, it’s a shame Collins didn’t stick around to take a stab at “Specialty” since it’s got a chorus to die for. The extended versions of songs from Dream Into Action are also good. I prefer these to the extended versions that Collins himself was producing (this mix of Bounce Right Back, for example, features some cool Dolbyesque effects at the end.) For some bizarre reason, Action Replay was not included in its entirety on the expanded deluxe two-disc reissue of Dream Into Action, so you may want to (pearl in the) shell out a few bucks for a used vinyl copy if you can find it.
The Product
A1. No One Is to Blame (4:10)
A2. Look Mama (Extended Mix) (6:20)
A3. Hide and Seek (Long Version) (8:35)
B1. Always Asking Questions (music: Howard Jones/lyrics: William Bryant) (4:27)
B2. Bounce Right Back (Cause & Effect Mix) (7:25)
B3. Specialty (3:52)
All songs written by Howard Jones unless noted.
The Players
Howard Jones (keyboards & vocals) with Afrodiziak (backing vocals on A1), Phil Collins (drums & vocals on A1), Mo Foster (bass on A1), Phil Palmer (guitar on A1), Produced by Rupert Hine except A1 by Phil Collins and Hugh Padgham, B2 by Howard Jones. Recorded/engineered by Stephen W. Tayler except A1 by Hugh Padgham, B2 by Bryan Evans. Mixed by Stephen W. Tayler except A2 remixed by Jason Corsaro.
The Plastic
Released on EP and cassette EP in May 1986* in the US (Elektra, 60446-1/4-Y). Reached #34 on the US charts. (*First appeared in 5/3/86 issue of Billboard.)
