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Steve Howe: The Steve Howe Album

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Atlantic Records
Released: 1979
Time:
 41:08
Category: Pop/Rock
Producer(s): Steve Howe
Rating: *********. (9/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.stevehowe.com
Appears with: Asia, GTR, Yes
Purchase date: 2001.05.26
Price in €: 10,99





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Pennants (Howe) - 4:30
[2] Cactus Boogie (Howe) - 2:02
[3] All's a Chord (Howe) - 4:56
[4] Diary of a Man Who Vanished (Howe) - 2:34
[5] Look over Your Shoulder (Howe) - 5:02
[6] Meadow Rag (Howe) - 2:41
[7] The Continental (Conrad/Magidson) - 2:51
[8] Surface Tension (Howe) - 3:29
[9] Double Rondo (Howe) - 8:12
[10] Concerto in D, 2nd Movement (Vivaldi) - 4:51

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


STEVE HOWE - Bass, Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals, Moog Synthesizer

BILL BRUFORD - Drums
PATRICK MORAZ - Piano, Keyboards
ALAN WHITE - Drums
CLIVE BUNKER - Percussion, Drums
CLAIRE HAMILL - Vocals
ANDREW JACKMAN - Conductor, Orchestration
RONNIE LEAHY - Keyboards
GRAHAM PRESKETT - Violin

GREG JACKMAN - Engineer, Mixing
ROGER WAKE - Engineer
JOE GASTWIRT - Remastering
PETE SCHWIER - Tape Operator
BART NAGEL - Photography
DESIGN MAGNETIC STORM - Design
ROGER DEAN - Illustrations, Paintings, CD Package Design

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


1979 CD Atlantic 81559
1979 LP Atlantic 19243
1995 CD Atlantic 7567815592



Howe's second solo effort is his most essential recording. The Steve Howe Album contains many of Howe's strongest and most original compositions. Whereas some of his albums can be associated with the sound of the bands in which he's played, this release is unique. Howe places himself in a country/bluegrass setting on most of the compositions, and that is what makes this project so appealing — he's a rock veteran venturing outside of his field. And with Graham Presket playing violin on "The Continental," and Howe turns in what sounds like a real hoedown.

The first track, "Pennants," is a gem for the more rock-oriented fan. The cut opens with the sweet, resonant, rocking sounds of Howe's Fender Telecaster; he then adds mandolin and a pervasive twin-neck steel, while drummer Alan White keeps it all rhythmic. Half of the tracks are played by Howe alone, most notably "Surface Tension," his composition for solo Spanish guitar. Other cuts feature former Yes-mates White, Bill Bruford and Patrick Moraz (all of whom participated on Howe's first solo album), and Claire Hamill who sings beautifully on "Look Over Your Shoulder." Only one other cut includes vocals: "All's a Chord," on which Howe's singing is awkward but appealing. The song, comprised of several movements and musical styles (including classical), features Howe on eight different stringed instruments, including bass, pedal steel, sitar, banjo, mandolin, and his trademark deep-bodied, electric-acoustic Gibson ES 175 D.

The final two pieces are set apart from the rest of the recordings. On both compositions, equipped only with his Gibson Les Paul, Howe is accompanied by a string ensemble on his interpretation of Vivaldi's "Concerto in D, Second Movement," and by a 59-piece orchestra on "Double Rondo." Andrew Jackman (who served as orchestrator and conductor on Chris Squire's Fish Out of Water several years earlier) conducts.

The Steve Howe Album is a culmination of everything Howe represents, every genre of music he loves so dearly, exquisitely played and arranged. The inside cover colorfully depicts all the stringed instruments Howe used on the recordings, and Roger Dean's cover painting makes the package complete. The sound quality of the Japanese import compact disc is unsurpassed, incredibly sharp and vibrant.

David Ross Smith - All Music Guide



The Steve Howe Album ('79) ist das zweite Solowerk des Yes-Gitarristen Steve Howe, der zum Zeitpunkt der Veröffentlichung gerade zum ersten Mal seine Stammband verlassen hatte. Dem Vergleich mit Beginnings ('75) hält die Scheibe nicht ganz stand, da viele der vermeintlichen Überraschungsmomente bereits vom Debüt bekannt sind; ein erstklassiges Gitarrenalbum ist The Steve Howe Album aber allemal. Howe lebt sich auf allen nur erdenklichen Saiteninstrumenten aus, benutzt von akustischen über elektrische Gitarren (Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul) bis zu Bässen, Mandolinen, Sitars, Banjos und Steel Pedals alle seine Lieblingsklampfen.

Stilistisch klingts enorm vielseitig, das Multitalent versucht sich sowohl an klassischen als auch an rockigen und folkloristischen Kompositionen. Glänzen kann er in allen Genres, was neben seiner fulminanten Spieltechnik vor allem auf sein unschlagbares Gespür für Stimmungen zurückzuführen ist. Die interessantesten Eckpunkte der Scheibe sind das "Clap"-mäßige Solo "Meadow Rag" und das mit einem kompletten Orchester aufgenommene "Double Rondo".

Michael Rensen - Amazon.de



This is probably my second favorite Steve Howe solo album, after Turbulence. Howe must have been in "cowboy mode" while recording this one, because several of the songs have a distinct country (or perhaps "western" would be a better word) feel to them. My wife describes the opening instrumental "Pennants" as "the country disco song", due to its steel guitar lead line over a catchy bass and drum backing. That description makes it sound odd, but it works and is actually one of my favorite Howe tracks. "Cactus Boogie" continues the western instrumentals, with Howe picking so fast that he often sounds like he's barely in control of the guitar (a problem that plagues a lot of his playing - at least in my opinion, which no one else seems to agree with). Continuing the country vibe, the bouncy instrumental "Diary of a Man who Disappeared" even features a cracking whip as punctuation. And completing the western set, "The Continental" is another fun, upbeat instrumental with a "country fiddle" violin part accompanying the chugging electric guitar and bouncing bass line. "All's a Chord" is a nice, wistful tune that has several distinct sections to it during its short length. Unfortunately, both Howe's vocals and the lyrics ("Don't bring yourself down here, my constitution will just disappear") are horrible. Fortunately they're restricted to the last minute of the song. "Look Over Your Shoulder" begins as another wistful sounding song, this time with a female vocalist who at least sings a lot better than Steve, but still has fairly lame lyrics to contend with. It picks up after a couple minutes into a heavier rocker. Includes some nice, thick organ work. The rest of the album is instrumental. "Meadow Rag" is a nice little acoustic guitar ragtime song. "Surface tension" is a solo acoustic guitar piece, kind of slow paced. Reminds me a bit of "Mood For a Day". The last two tracks continue the trend started on Howe's first album of having his electric guitar act as a soloist backed by an orchestra. "Double Rondo" is a rambling eight minute original with full orchestration - similar to the orchestral track on Beginnings, but I don't find it quite as interesting. "Concerto in D (Second Movement)" is an interpretation of a Vivaldi piece, with Steve's guitar backed by a string ensemble. A nice, relaxed way to end the album. While the album does have a few weak points - the country thing is a little overdone, and personally I could have done without "Double Rondo", this is still a good disc overall. And only a minute's worth of Steve's singing to endure. Worth picking up if you can find it for less than exorbitant import prices.

Bob Eichler



This is considered by most Yes fans to be Steve Howe's best solo album. It opens with the bluesy, animated "Pennants," which heads out for the territory of "Going for the One" (the song, not the album). With Howe emulating some of Squire's moves on bass and Alan White drumming, one senses that this would have been a great Yes tune, and as it stands it is certainly much better than any of the material from the band's contemporaneous, aborted Paris sessions. "Cactus Boogie" is another classic guitar instrumental that must be a favorite of his, since it has continually showed-up on subsequent releases and live performances; very much in the Chet Atkins-influenced vein, like "Clap" from The Yes Album. "All's a Chord" is without a doubt my favorite song on the album. Ironically, it is also Howe's sole vocal performance, but that's not what makes it great. Here he receives accompaniment by Patrick Moraz and Bill Bruford, and the sublime music sounds straight from Fragile or Close to the Edge (and holds its own with the material of that era). Claire Hamill commendably does what she can with the lyrics of "Look Over Your Shoulder," though her voice does over-emote at a few points. Rounding out the album are some more countrified selections and a good dose of classical guitar performances, capped off by Vivaldi's "Concerto in D" with strings. Another worthy Yes solo project for exploring fans to add to their collections.

Joe McGlinchey
 

 L y r i c s


ALL'S A CHORD

Don't bring yourself down here
My constitution will just disappear

You'll feel the atmosphere
Seeping between the end of the year

Even though lines are gathering
Time's still travelling
All's a chord


LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER

Don't ask me how I know
Just look over your shoulder
You won't recognise yourself
You won't have to ask
Is everyone here looking much older
Are communications feeling much colder
Everytime you look over your shoulder

Sudden like the wind transversed
The gulf of friendships passed
Stillness mounts in this high place
Silence stays the same
I am I will I can are aims
But can we tell which are the games
Everytime we pass the blame

Fearful thoughts are bitter sweet
His charms are soft in youth
The sting is of elusive hands
That reared him from his tooth
We know that shadows move on course
We'll have to take this boy by force
Everytime you look over your shoulder

 M P 3   S a m p l e s


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