John Howard made an obscure British singer/songwriter album in the mid-'70s, Kid in a Big World, which, like several efforts from that period, showed the heavy influence of then-newly emergent superstar Elton John. Although a second album was started, it never reached completion, in part because of intervention from CBS to try making it more commercial. A newly energized Howard reappeared in 2005 with a string of albums (As I Was Saying, Same Bed, Different Dreams, Barefoot with Angels, and Navigate Home). In 2012, Howard revisited some of his '70s demos with fully dressed recordings, aptly titling the release You Shall Go to the Ball! Further digital albums followed over the next few years, highlighted by the 2015 album John Howard & the Night Mail. ~ Richie Unterberger