Howard Jones - Ordinary Heroes
by Dan MacIntosh
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Listening to Howard Jones' Ordinary Heroes brings to mind the Four Tops' "It's The Same Old Song". This is because, although the musical style has changed, Jones' positive thinking pop approach remains fairly unchanged. Back in the '80s, Jones came on the scene like a one-man synth pop band. Songs like "Things Can Only Get Better" mixed his motivational speaker lyrics with bright keyboard textures, which propelled him to momentary New Wave stardom.
These days, Jones has traded his electronic keyboards for the more natural variety. He's also exchanged dance beats for torch-y ballads. Only "Collective Heartbeat" manages to work up much of a sweat on this set. There are also plenty of string (or, perhaps, synthetic) sections, and quiet, sincere vocals. Maybe he's the Norman Vincent Peale of Birdland.
It's nice to know that Jones has made it this far without getting all cynical and jaded. But clichιd sentiments, like this disc's title track, are little more than People Magazine puff pieces put to music. Yes, Howard, there are ordinary heroes all around us; ones that may never make evening news or win any awards. But they also don't need a whole pop song written about their low key heroics, either. That's what beer commercials are for.
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Howard Jones - Ordinary Heroes
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