Elements

Steve Howe | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 13, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Inside Out U.S.
• ASIN: B0000CA15H
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,794 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars steve howe is...the MAN!, December 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Elements (Audio CD)

I don't understand the review a couple of posts below, who gave our boy Steve a bad review. His early solo efforts reflected his playing in Yes. This solo album, with his group project Remedy, is not intended to reflect his playing in Yes or early solo output. This album is very eas, and smiple to listen to. Steve Howe is my favorite guitarist, and, being a guitarist, a lot of his Yes stuff, I need to play close attention to, study it. Not this. This is an album you put on as background music to whatever your doing. It's all instrumental except for three songs. His voice has improved amazingly. It's not going to knock your socks off, it's just a deep, husky, singer/songwriter voice, very simple. Great job, Steve, and let's see if the new Yes album can cut it like this one did!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Different but Very Good!, December 1, 2003

By 

R. W. Brightstar "warocuya2" (South Hamilton, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elements (Audio CD)

Excellent Recording! It's very Jazz, Improv, and because it's different from previous Steve Howe recordings it means that Steve is still learning to express himself. This CD grows on you everytime you listen to it. Jazz with a horn section is definatively the emphasis on this CD. It's almost like a swing Jazz. I recommend this CD if you want to hear a great guitar player doing something totally different. He isn't giving us the same old "Yes stuff"(I mean this respectfully). I've also begun relistening to Asia. Steve is really great and he is
no. 1 on my top ten guitartist list for this very reason. He never ceasing to amaze me.
Few guitar players do so many things so well!

Track by Track Analysis

Across the Cobblestone - Modern Country Rock, like epic country music
Bee Sting - Improv, Rock reminds me a bit of Turbulence (which is one of his best CD's)
Westwinds - Swing Jazz, Great tune, you'll love it -Cool Jazz with direction.
Where I Belong - Chet Atkins, Rock folk feel. You'll like this too. Classic Steve Howe like Steve Howe Album.
Whiskey Hill - Fast Country tune with driving beat, Great Tune.
The Chariot of Gold - Modern Rock Jazz has a Grand Scheme of Things feel to it. (I like Grand Scheme very much).
Tremolando - Beautiful piece of Music, you feel like you're on a calm lake.
Pacific Haze - Jazz Improv - It's like being in a club - good feel.
Load Off My Mind - Rock tune sound from the late 60's, Verge, Great Keyboard work, he caputured the late 60's perfectly.
Hecla Lava - Experimental Guitar playing thru effects.
Smoke Silver - Has some really nice parts and is fun.
Inside Out Muse - Slow Jazzy Blues - atmospheric tune, has a certain Pink Floyd flavor to it like Shine on You Crazy Diamond.
Rising Sun - Driving Southern Rock then jazz with plenty of horns, a good tune.
Sand Devil - Very much like Tomita and Vangelis sound with Guitar Synth.
The Longing - Another good Tomita, Vangelis tune, more epic.
A Drop in the Ocean - Guitar with Echo effect only, beautiful and makes you think about your life.

There is some good Drumming from Dylan Howe. I can here Bill Bruford in there. Great Job Dylan!!
I highly recommend this CD.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Steve Howe is NOT a guitarist..., October 16, 2003

By 

Mick Guitar (Superior, CO United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Elements (Audio CD)

...He's a MUSICIAN. There's a huge difference. Calling Steve Howe a guitarist is like calling Einstein a "mathematician". Sure, Albert was great at math, but that was only the tool that he used -- his true genius was in uncovering laws and truths about our universe. In much the same way, Howe's genius is in writing, orchestrating and arranging music in an extremely compelling and original way. It so happens that he's a stringed-instrument virtuoso (not just guitar, but pedal steel, mandolin, lute, etc) -- but that's just one of the many tricks the maestro has up his sleeve. He creates music that is rich with tonal colors and textures, and both as a solo artist and with the sublime music of Yes has guided my own musical journey for the majority of my life. On this latest CD, Steve allows himself a considerably greater freedom to explore a multitude of genres than he typically does. There's jazz, there's country (always evident in his compositions. Artfully injected into even the most progressive of pieces, there's usually a way-cool Chet-like lick in there somewhere...), there's blues (yes, Steve plays blues...!), there's classical, and of course there's rock. Steve weaves it all into a tapestry that is rich in color and substance. He is truly a musician first, and an instrumentalist second. On a personal note, I play guitar, and I can honestly say that there has been no greater influence on me than the music - and more importantly the musical approach - of Steve Howe. The notion that all styles can be blended, that all have value, and that all can be woven into a whole greater than the sum of their parts -- THANKS, Steve, for an invaluable lesson and ongoing example.