BIG HORIZON – In The Beginning (2024) *HQ*
Here’s a question for you – what happens when five of the world’s best session musicians find themselves with time to spare during lockdown? Well, they form a band and go and write and record an album, obviously.
BIG HORIZON are Mike Stevens, Iain Hornall, Donovan Hepburn, Jo Webb & Lee Pomeroy. They have been the backbone of Jeff Lynne’s ELO since 2013 and Take That’s band since 2006. But when the UK & Europe leg of the ELO tour was cancelled due to Covid in 2020 the guys finally started to make the band a reality.
Titled “In The Beginning“, this is BIG HORIZON’s debut album released at the end of 2024, a wonderful collection of songs with that Seventies / Eighties vibe intact. As part of the recording process for the album the band decamped to the legendary Rockfield Studios in South Wales. ‘To be able to record in the same studio where Queen recorded Bohemian Rhapsody was just an amazing experience’ explains bassist Lee, ‘the tape machine they used is still there!’
Those friends have played for ELO, Annie Lennox, Adele, 10cc, Take That, YES and they were the house band for the Queens Golden Jubilee concert in 2012. All are amazing musicians and you hear that on “In The Beginning” 11 tracks.
This is perfectly crafted classic rock with shades of ELO, Queen, The Moody Blues mixed with early ’80s WestCoast AOR thanks to singer Iain Hornall smooth voice. Add four members contributing vocals, and they create some terrific multi-part harmonies.
‘We definitely live in that Yacht Rock world thanks to our singer Iain’ says guitarist Jo Webb, ‘and even a bit of prog thanks to bassist Lee but overall, we are trying to write catchy classic rock&pop songs that everyone can relate to’.
These guys are impressive musicians, with Mike Stevens being a gifted multi-instrumentalist and features on sax, guitar, keyboards and vocals in Big Horizon.
Songs like Tired Eyes, Heartbreaking Love, Mockingbird, So Many Secrets, the title track, etc, are really good compositions filled with timeless melodies. All finely produced & mixed obtaining a warm sound rarely seen today.
BIG HORIZON represents a group of friends and musicians bringing together their musical loves in one place: ”In The Beginning” is a wonderful CD from beginning to end.
Highly Recommended
01 – Mama Told Ya
02 – In the Beginning
03 – Tired Eyes
04 – Heartbreaking Love
05 – Busy Man
06 – Nu-Reality
07 – So Many Secrets
08 – The Thought of You
09 – Mockingbird
10 – From the Inside Out
11 – Cry for You
Ian Hornal: Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards
Jo Webb: Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Donavan Hepburn: Drums
Lee Pomeroy: Bass, Guitars, Backing Vocals
Mike Stevens: Guitars, Keyboards, Sax, Backing Vocals, Co-lead on 8
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musicglue.com/big-horizon/products/in-the-beginning
