The Steve Howe Album

Yes guitarist Steve Howe released his first solo album Beginnings in 1975 when all the members of Yes were on sabbatical recording solo albums. Perhaps the most disappointing from the lot, the album was oddly produced and lacked the epic songwriting of Yes; and then there was the issue with Howe’s singing... But his bass playing aside, it did feature his exemplary guitar playing; after all he was close to the start of a five year run of being voted Guitar Player magazine’s Best Overall Guitarist. That said, the album charted on both sides of the Atlantic, even nearing the Top 20 in the UK. Released in 1979 while Yes was in limbo following the Tormato album, The Steve Howe Album furthered the concept of “Howe the guitarist” with not only a picture of each guitar he played, but also a chart marking the instruments he used on each track, all housed in another Roger Dean cover. Some of it is predictable: The instrumentals “Cactus Boogie,” “Diary Of A Man Who Vanished,” “Meadow Rag,” and “Surface Tension” all feature solo guitar, while the two symphonic numbers, Howe’s “Double Rondo” and Vivaldi’s well-known “Concerto in D (Second Movement)” are tastefully performed. But Howe’s redemption is in “Look Over Your Shoulder.” Featuring Alan White on drums and Ronnie Leahy on keyboards, it’s the strongest of Howe’s songs on the record. Coupled with Clair Hamill’s voice, it’s every bit as good as the best of Yes. However, the guitarist would put his solo career on hold for almost a decade as he returned to Yes and later, Asia.