Howard Jones

Cherry Red Records is both delighted and proud to announce the newly remastered and expanded release of Howard Jones’ debut album Human's Lib.
Super deluxe edition include the three disc (two CDs + DVD) edition plus vinyl picture disc LP pressing, the white tape replica pre-contract demo cassette containing remastered versions of four original demo tracks, an extra bonus CD containing further previously unreleased studio, live and BBC session and remastered tracks.
Human's Lib is an unintentionally revealing title for Howard Jones' debut album. What first seems like a play on words reveals itself as something of an empowering manifesto, a shift that mirrors his music. Upon first glance, Human's Lib appears to be state-of-the-art synth pop circa 1984: a record where every element outside of the human voices appears to be electronic…

After a three-year wait, this album was a bit of a disappointment. Musically, it is his best yet, but it lacked a certain energy that the others had. The songs seemed to replace vivacity with length. The album didn't do very well on the charts; the number 13 single (U.S.), "Everlasting Love," was the biggest hit. Ironically, the best song on this album, "Out of Thin Air," does not use a single synthesizer but instead is a solo piano piece performed by Jones himself. After all those years of electronic music, a song featuring a real instrument is a welcome relief.

Human's Lib is fueled by the nonstop synth-pop hooks and brightly textured melodies that went on to be a trademark of Howard Jones. His brand of spirited keyboard-and-lyric exuberance lent itself to a large part of the mid-'80s, especially in Britain. The tracks on Human's Lib are energetic and colorful, coming to life the best on "New Song," a number 27 hit for Jones in the U.S., and on the finely structured "What Is Love?," which gave him the number 33 spot on the singles chart four months later. While both of these songs rested at the bottom end of Billboard's Top 40, they went to number three and number two, respectively, in the U.K., with the album going all the way to number one, proving that his techno-pop stylings were better-appreciated on his side of the Atlantic. Outside of the singles, the album still holds well, with efforts like "Hide and Seek," "Conditioning," and "Pearl in the Shell" following through with a buoyant but orderly techno-pop keenness mustered through his clean use of the synthesizer. Although 1985's Dream Into Action is tighter both musically and lyrically, Human's Lib acts as a well-grounded starting point for Jones' future success.

Cherry Red Records is both delighted and proud to announce the newly remastered and expanded release of Howard Jones’ debut album Human's Lib.
Super deluxe edition include the three disc (two CDs + DVD) edition plus vinyl picture disc LP pressing, the white tape replica pre-contract demo cassette containing remastered versions of four original demo tracks, an extra bonus CD containing further previously unreleased studio, live and BBC session and remastered tracks.
Human's Lib is an unintentionally revealing title for Howard Jones' debut album. What first seems like a play on words reveals itself as something of an empowering manifesto, a shift that mirrors his music. Upon first glance, Human's Lib appears to be state-of-the-art synth pop circa 1984: a record where every element outside of the human voices appears to be electronic…

Cherry Red Records are equally delighted and proud to announce the newly remastered and expanded release of Howard Jones’ second album Dream Into Action.
Super deluxe edition includes the two CD + DVD edition, limited vinyl picture disc LP pressing, an extra bonus CD containing the Farmyard Sessions plus other previously unreleased and remastered tracks.
Dream Into Action begins with Howard Jones singing "Things Can Only Get Better," a sentiment that only hints at the good vibes touted by the synth pop singer on his second album. On his debut, 1984's Human's Lib, Jones sang about positivity, but this sequel plays like a self-empowerment manifesto, filled with cautionary tales and anthems of hope…

Super deluxe edition includes the two CD + DVD edition, limited vinyl picture disc LP pressing, an extra bonus CD containing the Farmyard Sessions plus other previously unreleased and remastered tracks, DVD containing the long-deleted Last World Dream Concert, a replica of the Howard Jones Fan Club Risk Membership Card…