Search - Steve Howe :: Not Necessarily Acoustic

Pivotal

Jo-Anne | 09/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I became a fan of the acoustic guitar and of Steve Howe due to this album. Many styles of acoustic (and electric) are represented in a pure, unmasked form. Mistakes are not edited out. It is beautiful to listen to. The timbre of the many guitars used in the show comes across. I have listened to it probably a hundred times since getting it in 2004. I often listen in the car, where my passengers always enquire, "Who is this?". They are impressed that so many different styles and sounds are coming from one person in a single show. They really enjoy it. These are folks who are not Yes fans, nor guitar players."

"Steve Howe's definitive live performance"

Daniel S. Sullivan | Gibbstown,N.J. USA | 04/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After being dismissed from Yes following the "Union" tour, Steve recorded "The Grand Scheme Of Things" and decided to undertake his 1st ever solo tour.



On December 13, 1993, Steve arrived in Philadelphia - one of his favorite cities - and decided to record a live CD.

Steve's set was divided into four segments:

(1) Scharpach 6-string acoustic; (2) Kohno nylon string acoustic; (3) Martin 12-string acoustic; & (4) Steinberger 6-string electric.



Steve played completely solo - no pre-recorded backing tracks.



This review will be broken into 4 segments.





The Tracks:



(The nylon string set) "Heritage" , a previously unreleased piece, is a soothing Spanish/Classical piece which sets a peaceful mood.



"Arada" is a traditional piece which features some sliding bass notes in it's sub-minute appearance.

The "Topographic Oceans" medley features a section from each of the four movements,and vocals from Steve.

His solo from 'The Ancient' highlights the medley.

"Corkscrew" from 'Grand Scheme' follows an unusual pattern and is an acquired taste.

"Concerto in 'D'- 2nd movement" actually benefits from this solo arrangement as opposed to the electric/orchestral arrangement from 1979.

"Surface Tension" copies the 1979 version to the letter.

The last of the nylon pieces is the 1971 classic "Mood for a Day". The clarity is so much better on this digital recording.

(The 12-string acoustic set) Only two songs from the 12-string set made the album.

"Sketches in the Sun", originally done as an electric 12-string piece on 'GTR', features a "drop-D" tuning, which has Steve flat-picking the lower strings, while finger-picking the upper strings. The effect is much like a harpsichord, and very melodic.

"Masquerade" was recorded for "Union" and was Grammy-nominated. It combines ekements of folk and classical.



(Steinberger 6-string electric set) The first electric piece is my favorite piece on the album, "Bareback".

This tune takes pages from Chet Atkins, Merle Travis & James Burton , with it's "chicken pickin'", as well as the high-low note exchanges. Steve's tone is crystal clear, and he's playing his a** off.



"Dorothy" is a somber echo-y tribute to Steve's late aunt, that was originally demoed as a jazzy saxophone and arch top piece. The solo electric treatment conveys the sentiment far better.



"Meadow Rag" gets the electric treatment next, which makes it even more slippery and twangy than the original from 1979.

The last electric tune is a medley of "Swedish Rhapsody / Whispering", the first based on Chet Atkins' version, while the second is taken from Les Paul's version.



(The 6-string acoustic set) The acoustic 6-string set, which has a decidedly country feel, with tracks like "The Valley of Rocks", "Country Mix", "Cactus Boogie", "Second Initial" , "The Glory of Love", "Ram" ,and Steve's signature piece, "Clap".

Steve is on the top of his game in this performance. 5 Stars."