Published on Nov 19, 2002
When it comes to playing guitar, Steve Howe is considered one of
the greats. He is a very refined player with excellent technique,
great feel, and outstanding musical imagination. Howe has proved
his ability many times over, as a member of Yes, Asia, GTR, and as
a solo artist.
Skyline is an album I’ve been waiting from Steve Howe for
many years. It’s a very laid back album with great atmosphere, some
could say a new age feel. In a way it reminds me of the feel
Turbulence had back in the early 90’s.
Musically, there is a lot going on, as Howe is known to be a
very enigmatic player, whose simple guitar parts still come across
sounding rather complicated. But, the general mood is very
relaxing. And whose to say that can’t show off your chops in a very
gentle setting. Steve Howe does that without trying, while still
maintaining a great feel. He means every note he plays, and that’s
a big problem with many other instrumental records.
When following Howe’s career, one can see that he is a musical
chameleon. The trick to that is the use of only one instrument, or
should we say one type of instrument. Howe’s solo records maintain
different feels, and vary in listening difficulty. Albums like
Skyline and
Turbulence are very different from let’s say
The Grand Scheme Of Things or
Beginnings. Not too put any of the records down, they’re
very special in their own way, and offer different feel.
Skyline is a very flowing album. It’s ideal to read a book
to, or relax to. It’s an album you play, and someone who is not
into the music will ask, “Who is this?”