Review:'John Howard' 'Kid In A Big World (2025 Prof Stoned remaster)'
- Label: 'Think Like A Key Music/Bandcamp'
- Genre: 'Seventies'
- Release Date: '20.8.25'
Our Rating:
This is the latest re-issue of Kid In A Big World that was John Howards debut album in 1974 that was recorded at Abbey Road Studios with the legendary Tony Meehan producing alongside Paul phillips, the bonus demos were produced by Eddy Pumer and with a supporting cast including Rod Argent. The album has been re-mastered by Prof. Stoned. The album may have failed to set the charts alight on it's original release but in the decades since has built a reputation for being a lost Orchestral pop classic and forerunner of Chamber pop. Recently John has posted a series of the stories behind the albums recording and record company goings on that can be found on his facebook page and is worth reading.
The album opens with the solo piano balladry of Goodbye Suzie soon opening out into a widescreen orchestral pop farewell for last years queen of the scene, things change fast and now she's on the outside looking back in.
Family Man has John claiming to be the Family Man who will give it to her when she wants it, despite her double chin and belly, this is a 70's kitchen sink drama of love and betrayal and typical 70's shenanigans.
The Flame is for an old flame of sorts, did he love her, or did he abandon her, this is somewhere between Gilbert O'Sullivan and Al Stewart, He still wants her back again, despite all that went on to split them up in the first place all punctuated with a hazy sax solo.
Maybe Someday In Miami sounds like it comes from a musical, setting up a glitzy scene for all the flappers and swingers to have a ball together, musically it is in territory similar to Manhattan Transfer.
Gone Away opens with what sounds like a celeste with gentle timpani for this rather lush farewell, you've left in need of space, away from all the sumptuous living.
Missing Key and you've lost your rights to a key to the door of your loved one's heart, it almost feels like he has taken on Lee's role in 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover now his footsteps have been replaced by another gent, the piano echoes the sorrow in his vocals.
Spellbound is what you were, now your eyes have been opened to all the duplicitous ways of love and lust in the 70's, all the games they played, the lies couched in careful orchestration. Guess Whose Coming To Dinner isn't too close to the film and has some wonderful spaced out Mellotron sound effects from Rod Argent adorning all the drama at the centre of the song.
Deadly Nightshade is one of those people who are lovely in the daylight hours, but after dark transform into an altogether different kind of creature a totally poisonous Deadly Nightshade, I wonder what they imbibed to facilitate the transformation.
Kid In A Big World is for someone who is suddenly living the playboy lifestyle, flitting between houses all over the world, running with the fast crowd and wondering if you can cope with it all, the quiet majesty of the music help make it sound like you are teetering on a precipice, wondering when the crash will come and how far down you will go.
The Bonus tunes open with Third Man that for me all about the woodwind and how it interacts with the piano, while John struggles to get the meeting that will help him realize his dreams, on this soft jazzy song.
Small Town Big Adventures is another very involved tale of getting up to no good in a small town complete with car chases and someone selling their soul for another pretty piano part.
Pearl Parade (For Fred And Ginger) is a love letter between Ginger and Fred, just one look from Ginger to Fred and the magic happens.
Party Deux is slow downbeat feelings of horror and shame at arriving at the sort of party you really don't want to be at, a regular occurrence in the 70's for certain, with some very Don Arden behaviour at the root of the pain.
Werewolves are coming to seduce you and John sounds almost as scared as he does intrigued by the possibilities of where the werewolves might leave their mark on his succulent flesh. Ah costume parties could be so dangerous, this almost sounds like the script outline to a particularly salacious horror film from Hammer house.
Cue Dream of what happens between Salina and her various gigolo's, sounding like Stephanie Beecham might be in the starring role, it's hard to listen to the lyrics without a film appearing in your imagination, this isn't as tawdry as David Bowies Just A Gigolo film and song.
The album closes with the demo version of Goodbye Suzie full of the sadness of the end of the affair while the town forgets you, now your star has crashed and you've been found dead, another tragic rise and fall.
Find out more at https://kidinabigworld.bandcamp.com/album/kid-in-a-big-world-2025-prof-stoned-remaster https://kidinabigworld.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/johnhowardsingersongwriter
