STEVE HOWE – Homebrew 7 (2021)
YES guitarist STEVE HOWE has announced he is to release the seventh edition of his ‘Homebrew’ album series on 30th July via HoweSound. ”Homebrew 7” marks the 25th anniversary of the guitar legend’s first album in his Homebrew collection. The ‘Homebrew series’ typically features recordings from Steve Howe’s home archive of demos and tracks, originally recorded for one of his many solo or group projects with YES, ASIA, ABWH or GTR.
However, ”Homebrew 7” is of special interest as none of the tracks have previously been released in any form and there are no plans for any to be re-recorded in the future.
There’s some vocal song-format tracks (like the really good ‘Half Way’, written in the ’90s) but mostly here are short, finished songs showcasing Howe’s incredible versatility as songwriter and guitarist. Most of the tracks are Howe’s solo recordings with occasional contributions from Dylan Howe and Virgil Howe on drums with Phil Spalding on bass guitar.
”Many are things I’ve enjoyed saving until the right moment,” says Howe, “and the Homebrew series allows this. Some tracks have matured with my nurturing but others have been recently rediscovered.”
This collection includes tracks from the late Seventies through to 2016 in Howe’s extensive range of playing styles. These range from some atypical sonic synth experimentation from 1978, through to the strangely comical Strange Wayfarer from 2016, whose guitar synth melody is quite addictive!
As well as instrumentals, there are a few songs with lyrics. It’s hard to believe that 1979’s ‘From Another Day’, delivered by Howe in simple acoustic guitar/ vocal from The Steve Howe Album sessions, wasn’t picked up and developed at a later stage.
The intriguing ‘Half Way’, with a 1997 backing, 2009 lyrics , and 2015 drums added by his late and beloved son Virgil, shows a work in progress that very nearly got there.
Of course, these tracks dives into the Howe guitar collection, with shimmering steel guitar on ‘Outstanding Deal’, his signature ES175D on ‘October’, electric mandolin on ‘In One Life’ and soloing Telecaster on ‘A Matter of Fact’… and lots more!
There is much to explore in the 21 tracks presented in this era-spanning collection, and it is an essential purchase for fans of Howe’s inventive guitar styles.
With a new Yes album on the horizon, it certainly whet my appetite for what’s to come in that release later this year.
Highly Recommended
01 – The Glider
02 – October
03 – Half Way
04 – The Only One
05 – In One Life
06 – Outstanding Deal
07 – Be Natural
08 – Cold Winds
09 – Deanscape
10 – Tender Hooks
11 – A Lady She Is
12 – Two Sided
13 – Strange Wayfarer
14 – Devon Girl
15 – Safe Haven
16 – A Matter Of Fact
17 – Touchstone
18 – From Another Day
19 – Foregone Conclusion
20 – Space Void
21 – From The Get-Go
Steve Howe – vocals, guitars, keyboards
Dylan Howe, Virgil Howe – drums
Phil Spalding – bass guitar
Pre Order:
www.amazon.co.uk/Homebrew-7-Steve-Howe/dp/B096CXN673
