Paul Hardcastle | Desire

Paul Hardcastle | Desire (Trippin ‘n’ Rhythm)
By Brian Soergel

Although British synth wiz Paul Hardcastle landed on worldwide music charts 25-plus years ago with “19” and with his Zero One alter ego, he of course has made a nice second career with smooth-as-silk smooth jazz songs. They really are his forte. Hardcastle has slipped just a bit with recent releases and, with ideas possibly thin, has lately offered a greatest hits collection, DVD set to old songs and even a relaxed, smoothed out version of “19.”

His latest is another greatest hits collection, albeit one with three new tracks. Desire, of course, puts the slow jams out front. It collects some of his best moments, like the title track as well as “Lost in Space,” “Forever Dreamin,” “Lost Summer” and “Cloud Watching.” There are a few vocal tracks from his Hardcastle CDs with a number of female vocalists. My all-time favorite is included, “Smooth Jazz Is Bumpin,” with daughter Maxine Hardcastle teamed with Lamont Hodnett, aka Kid Crab.

Maxine Hardcastle is featured on one of the new songs, “Valentine.” It’s an agreeable 3:47, with Dad’s familiar acoustic piano, synth sirens and Maxine’s breathy, sexy vocals. Like just about all of the Hardcastle oeuvre, the song doesn’t stray too far from its core, a thumping base and repeated musical loops. As Hardcastle explains in the liner notes, “Ready or Not” was written in the early 1990s with Steven Dante and, as is often the case with best-of CDs with new music, the master was thought lost and somehow found. Finally, “Don’t You Know (Ibiza Chill Mix)” is sort of a new song. There was a vocal version on Hardcastle V (with Becki Biggins), as well as an instrumental version. As far as I can tell, the new-new version has only taken out the guitar parts. Still a great tune.

Desire will satisfy Hardcastle fans, who snap up everything he does. It would have been nice to include what CD the original songs were on, though.

Brian Soergel
The Urban Music Scene