Steve howe

[Brian Baker]

One of my favorite 80's bands, Asia, has reformed with all four original members and is touring this summer.

Here's a great shot of one of my fave guitarists, Steve Howe, playing his old Martin mando (the same one he used through all the years on those awesome Yes albums...)

Love it!

Brian

[Ted Eschliman]

<Waiting for the first wisecrack about mandolins coming from Asia...>

[Brian Baker]

[wichitamando]

Which Yes songs feature mandolin? I haven't listened to Yes since I started playing mando 3 years ago and started developing that 6th sense for detecting mandolin in music.

[mandopete]

Yeah, I'm curious as to which Yes songs have mandolin as well. I looked around and the only definitive thing I could find was Howe saying he used a Gibson F-4 on his Skyline recording. I have always thought I heard mandolin on Your Move.

[Dan Krhla]

One more request here for a mando song list

[Brian Baker]

OK, busted!

I always thought the beginning of "And You And I" was mando, but I think in concert Steve said it was some kind of Spanish guitar (10 strings, maybe?).

The only one I can think of right off the bat is the intro to "Run Through The Light" from Drama. (No Drama-bashing, please! I dig that album. )

Also, I do believe Steve used mando on Pennants from the Steve Howe Album. How's THAT for obscure!

I'll see if I can find any other actual mando sightings from the Yes catalog. (Come to think of it, I can't think of any Asia tunes with mando, either.)

Can any of you guys think of any mandos in Yes or Asia music? (Bail me out here...)


Brian

[Brian Baker]

Actually, I think "Your Move" is the song that uses the Spanish guitar. "And You and I" is just a 12-string guitar, I think.

BB

[wichitamando]

I was looking at www.stevehowe.com, and noticed that his solo album Portraits of Bob Dylan shows him playing his Martin mandolin.

[Eugene]

It's an electric Gibson on "Pennants." The Martin style B appears on "All's a Chord" from The Steve Howe Album. How's that for obscure? "Spanish" guitar is simply how Howe refers to the modern classical guitar, which is usually his Kohno (a respected Japanese luthier). "Your Move", I believe, features the Portuguese guitar which is actually a type of cittern and not too much like a guitar at all.

[hokelore]

A couple of songs on the Tormato album used mandolin. I can't recall the titles; I only listened to it once. Your Move used a Portuguese guitarra, which Howe called a vachalia.

[mandopete]

This thread is really taking me back in time. I recall when Fragile came out, I was in high school and that (along with bands like ELP and Genesis) set my musical mind on it's ear, if that's possible. I recall staring at the picture of Steve Howe and circle of guitars for hours and thinking, man, I wish I had all of those instruments.

[mandopete]

Album: The Yes Album
Artist: Yes
1971 Atlantic [UK LP], 2003 Elektra/Rhino [2003 extended and remastered]
CD: 82665-2 [first remaster], R2 73788 [2003 extended and remastered]
Band members:
Jon Anderson: vocals, percussion
Chris Squire: bass guitars, vocals
Steve Howe: electric & acoustic guitars, vachalia [sic], vocals
Tony Kaye: piano, organ, Moog
Bill Bruford: drums, percussion

Additional musicians:
Colin Goldring: recorders (4a, 7)

Produced by Yes and Eddie Offord at Advision Studios, London, autumn 1970; (2) recorded live at the Lyceum, London
Engineer: Eddie Offord
Co-ordination: Brian Lane

Photography: Phil Franks, Barry Wentzell
Design: Jon Goodchild

2003 expanded and remastered release:
Reissue supervision: Steve Woolard, David McLees
Sound produced by Bill Inglot
Art direction & design: Bryan Lasley
Liner notes by Bill Martin


Tracks:
Side one:
1. Yours is No Disgrace [Anderson/Howe/Squire/Bruford/Kaye] (9:36)
2. Clap [Howe] (3:07)
3. Starship Trooper (9:23) [mus: Anderson/Squire/Howe; lyr: Anderson/Squire]
a. Life Seeker [Anderson]
b. Disillusion [Squire]
c. Wurm [Howe]

Side two:
4. I've Seen All Good People (6:47)
a. Your Move [Anderson]
b. All Good People [Squire]
5. A Venture [Anderson] (3:13)
6. Perpetual Change [Anderson/Squire] (8:50)

2003 bonus tracks:
7. Your Move (single version) [Anderson] (3:00)
8. Starship Trooper: Life Seeker (single version) [Anderson] (3:27)
9. Clap (studio version) [Howe] (4:01)

Notes: (*****) Yes's breakthrough album in the UK and still one of their best. The first four tracks became live standards, although "Starship Trooper" was peculiarly not first played live until well into the Close to the Edge tour.

(1) was based on a piece written by Anderson and David Foster, before being extensively arranged by the band as a whole.

(2) was initially listed as "The Clap", a title which raises unfortunate connotations and has always upset Howe. The 2003 remaster corrects it to just "Clap". It was recorded live and had been written by Howe to celebrate the birth of one of his children. (9) is a contemporary studio version, not previously available.

The origins of (3) lie in an earlier piece Yes regularly played live when Peter Banks was in the band called "For Everyone" (available on Something's Coming). "For Everyone" had a different beginning section by Anderson, but then moved into "Disillusion". Its form varied, but it could also have a third section, a lengthy jam based on the first section. "Disillusion" was preserved for "Starship Trooper", which echoed the earlier structure of "For Everyone" with "Life Seeker" replacing the first section of "For Everyone" and "Wurm" replacing its looser jam at the end. Although credited only to Squire, Anderson co-wrote the lyrics for "Disillusion", the pair writing alternate lines.

(7) and (8) are simple single edits.

Although long credited as a vachalia, around three decades later Howe discovered that the instrument concerned was not a vachalia at all, but a Portuguese guitar. Recorder player Colin Goldring is better known for his own band Gnidrolog.

"Your Move" (7), backed with "Life Seeker" (8), was released as a single in the UK in Jul 1971, while "Your Move" was backed with "The Clap" (2) for the US single in Sep.

A number of pieces on the album have been covered by other acts: for instance, a muzak version of "All Good People" has been reported.

The farmhouse were Yes rehearsed for The Yes Album recording sessions is near to Barnstaple in south west England. Howe subsequently bought the property. (HP, 20 Jun 04; revised 18 Jul 04)

[Dan Krhla]

Man, I think "The Clap" would sound awesome re-keyed for mando. Way, way way above my head, any of you guitar / mando crossover players up for it ?

Please?

Me, I'm a 4 string bassist along with mando, never really did the guitar thing... maybe a little 'Heart of the Sunrise' bassline to mando? just kidding!

[mandopete]

A number of pieces on the album have been covered by other acts: for instance, a muzak version of "All Good People" has been reported.

Anyone else notice that Your Move has now been covered by Shaw-Blades?

Not sure how Clap (corrected title) would work on the mandolin. It's such a guitar-oriented composition. I was thinking that Long Distance Runaround would make a great duet for mandolin and guitar or even mandolin and banjo!

[Michael H Geimer]

No Drama-bashing, please!

Just a shout out for Trevor Horn ... The Man Behind the Curtain of a lot (a whole lot) of music. A modern Phil Spector of sort (without those recently tragic criminal accusations).

I used to be a huge Yes fan, and I'm not aware of any Yes songs with mandolin. SH's solo album Turbulence has some, I think.

Now ... you wanna pick on a Yes album? Tormato is an easy target.

[mandopete]

Benig - I knew all this talk about prog-rock would bring you in. #If you want to bash something, how about Howe's singing?

[Michael H Geimer]

My favorite Yes story ever comes from my old Prog band's bassist, a fine player by the name of Ed. Ed saw Yes at The Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA (I was also at the show, but with other bandmates). Ed happened to run into Jon Anderson who was killing time strolling around the campus.

Ed asked Jon, "Would you mind autographing my ticket?"
"Sure.", was Jon's reply "What's your name?"
"Ed", said Ed.

"Ed? ... How do you spell that?"

[mandopete]

Tormato - I had forgotten about that one...

The '70s model of Yes runs out of gas. Recorded in a morale slump and an impending haze of drink, Tormato's decent tunes are sabotaged by Rick Wakeman's increasing penchant for cheesy textures and the band's thin overall sound. "Don't Kill the Whale" was their last successful single for years; the soaring "Onward" almost but not quite redeems the twee silliness of "Arriving UFO" and "Circus of Heaven." Of special interest is the pounding "On the Silent Wings of Freedom," which pushes Chris Squire and Alan White to the front of the mix, establishing the kind of aggressive and straightforward rhythms that would propel the band through the '80s. Bass freaks, take note: this tune also marks one of the few appearances of the Dipthong pedal, accounting for Squire's distinctive "bow bow bow" sound.

[jmcgann]

The "And You and I" studio recording was played by Steve on Chris Squire's Guild 12 string. The beginning was just a tuning check but they kept it in anyway- a great intro I think. Steve used a white Gibson 6/12 string for this tune live as seen in the "Yessongs" video.

Some nice mando on Steve's first solo album "Beginnings". Very European, non-bluegrass approach (go figure, being English and all...)

Steve's work 1970-77 or so is some of my favorite playing on the planet. Be sure to look for my solo mando rendition of the "Awaken/To Be Over" medley on my next CD (just kidding but who knows...) #

[Michael H Geimer]

Best prog album ever.



Did you know he was briefly in Yes? He can be seen in the roof top sequences of the "Owner of a Lonely Heart" video, while the band was still called Cinema, and gone before the 90125 ever released.

[mandopete]

Eddie Jobson in Yes? #Was that before or after Patrick Moraz?

...and don't even get me started on "the best prog rock album"!

<grins>

[jefflester]

Best prog album ever.

I'm hardly a prog expert, but I've never even heard of it.

The reviewers at progarchives certainly don't agree.

[jmcgann]

Eddie Jobson in Yes? Was that before or after Patrick Moraz?

Way after "The Swiss Poodle". Eddie was a stunt double for Geoff Downes

[mandopete]

Steve's work 1970-77 or so is some of my favorite playing on the planet. Be sure to look for my solo mando rendition of the "Awaken/To Be Over" medley on my next CD (just kidding but who knows...) #

What no Siberian Khatru?