Search - Steve Howe :: Early Years

The "bridge" between Psychedelic & Progressive

Henry R. Kujawa | "The Forbidden Zone" (Camden, NJ) | 11/22/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"BODAST was formed after the breakup of Tomorrow, and one can easily see Steve Howe's guitar work continuing to evolve from that band here, into what he'd be doing not long after when he joined Yes. As such, this forms a neat "companion" piece to the 2 early, non-Howe Yes albums, which came out at the time this was recorded.Putting the lighter, fluffier side of Tomorrow behind him, Howe, together Bobby Clarke on drums, Dave Curtis on bass & lead vocals & Clive Skinner on vocals & acoustic guitar, wove a more serious, somewhat darker, but no less enjoyable set of rockers and moodier songs. "Do You Remember" opens the set in a uptempo manner, before "Beyond Winter" takes things in a more ethereal direction. "I Want You" sounds a bit like Bob Dylan on acid. "Nether Street" features a eerie guitar riff which Howe put to good use as part of "Starship Trooper". But "Tired Towers" is my fave song here-- its upbeat, catchy melody is somehow balanced by almost "spooky" vocal harmonies. While none of this, tragically, was actually released until 1981, this song really should have been a single back in '69!BODAST met a fate even worse than that experienced by TOMORROW (at least the earlier band was able to release 2 singles and an album before breaking up). But that doesn't take away from how inspired the music they made was."