Steve Howe interview with Rolling Stone

[battema]

Or Dire Straits, etc..

But there are always exceptions and edge cases Henry's not wrong in the larger scheme of things

[Batchman]

Or Dire Straits, etc..

But there are always exceptions and edge cases Henry's not wrong in the larger scheme of things

One could say that technically the Rolling Stones are another "edge case." They have never reunited.

[Mister Triscuits]

One could say that technically the Rolling Stones are another "edge case." They have never reunited.

"How can I miss you when you won't go away?"

[Aquatarkus]

Cinema (before Anderson returned) supposedly would play a bit of "Heat of the Moment" in rehearsals as a joke. They saw themselves as being more sophisticated than Asia. So, they were definitely aware of Asia, even if they thought of themselves as different from, rather than copying. I think, in that sense, there is an influence. They're fishing in the same pond. Cinema are aware of Asia's success,

Oh this really interesting! I'm imagining the 90125 audience's surprise at Yes breaking out Heat of the Moment! I'd seen Asia the year before at the old Santa Monica Civic and would have loved to hear Yes's take on this tune. Of course back then in the world lit only by fire days of the pre-internet, I had no way of knowing Rabin was anywhere near Asia at the very beginning.

[bondegezou]

Like the Beatles?

"Now and Then" was released 180 days ago. Have you forgotten it already? Ouch!

[Aquatarkus]

All successful bands reunite. This is a law of nature. Without 90125, Yes would still have returned in some form.

It's kind of fun to imagine a different 80's. Yes doesn't reunite until 1989 with Squire instead of Levin on bass as in the ABWH album. Anderson's Song of Seven and Animation albums sell better and his solo career continues more in that vein throughout the 80's, along with his Vangelis work. Howe and Wetton get on because Wetton doesn't drink and Asia has a much more interesting run through the decade with the original lineup. Squire and White's musical adventures with Jimmy Page get off to a more promising start that results in an album, the success of which fuels a decade long run until Page wants a break before the Yes reunion. Wakeman would just keep on doing his New Age piano albums only he releases an early one on Windham Hill which is popular in the 80's and Wakeman's piano records sell much better as a result. This way, Union probably doesn't happen because there is no Yes West, and so on. Maybe the Yes 90's would have been a lot proggier than just the SLO period. Fun to imagine alternate universes! I like to imagine one where Yes members are actually friends like the guys in Phish and there is much less Drama.

[Batchman]

"Now and Then" was released 180 days ago. Have you forgotten it already? Ouch!

Can you give me a list of the reunited Beatles' tour dates and venues?

[bondegezou]

Or Dire Straits, etc..

But there are always exceptions and edge cases Henry's not wrong in the larger scheme of things

Dire Straits have almost reunited: https://www.dslegacy.com/

Their 2017 album 3 Chord Trick is good.

[bondegezou]

Can you give me a list of the reunited Beatles' tour dates and venues?

I said, "All successful bands reunite." I didn't say they reunited for live work. The Beatles reunited for studio work.

[Digital_Man]

I think Howe is very aware that Yes are operating in a niche prog market and, crucially, he's accepted that. He's clearly not trying to go for mainstream success, and that's probably for the best. He's working in a similar way to Steve Hackett: he isn't chasing impossible hits, he's doing his best to make Yes successful and viable within this niche. And it is working. Within our prog niche, Mirror to the Sky sold well. It debuted #1 on the May 2023 UK Progressive Albums chart and it has remained in the top 30 of that monthly chart ever since. It was at #24 for the March 2024 chart. That's an impressive (within niche) record.

The contrast here is Jon Anderson. Jon Anderson was upset that his solo album 100 Hands: Chapter One didn't receive any Grammy nominations, which is frankly delusional! Several reports suggest Anderson keeps believing his commercial cachet is far greater than it really is.

And yet 1000 Hands is a far better album than Mirror to the Sky imo. But my question is why would I want to listen to the latest Yes album that is playing prog rock that is just ok or maybe even good when I could listen to a whole bunch of other modern prog bands who are making prog albums that are quite frankly superior to anything Yes has done in a long time (especially for prog rock). I suppose many current Yes fans aren't really true prog fans and aren't aware of the prog "underground."

And if Steve Howe really feels that way then why was he involved in Asia or GTR? Yes can do what they want but for them to keep going around in circles with the same prog cliches isn't doing them any favors imo especially when there's so many other bands out there now doing it better. Anyway, that's just my opinion. I don't expect anyone to agree with it.

[battema]

And if Steve Howe really feels that way then why was he involved in Asia or GTR?

*shrug* people change. Back in the 80's, that may well have seemed like a viable path forward (albeit briefly).

[mozo-pg]

^^^1,000 Hands is vastly superior to Mirror In the Sky.

[Aquatarkus]

*shrug* people change. Back in the 80's, that may well have seemed like a viable path forward (albeit briefly).

I'm not sure if they just didn't work well together, or both were not keen on another album after the first disappointed sales wise, but I was curious at the time for a second GTR record. More time composing together. The tour at least sold well in LA where I saw them at the Wiltern. Fun show as memory serves.

[battema]

I'm not sure if they just didn't work well together, or both were not keen on another album after the first disappointed sales wise, but I was curious at the time for a second GTR record. More time composing together. The tour at least sold well in LA where I saw them at the Wiltern. Fun show as memory serves.

I vaguely recall the liner notes for the GTR King Biscuit Flower Hour having some quote from one of the Steves saying that the other was becoming more fond of doing their own thing outside of collaborations (or maybe it was one of the Steves talking about themselves....that particular album didn't stay in my collection for terribly long ).

I actually have to admit, when Yes moved to Inside Out I was half expecting that to "clear the path" for a GTR reunion now that the Steves are on the same label. Probably for the best that it didn't pan out

[pb2015]

I don't know much about GTR, but I remember reading an interview with one of the other members (maybe the drummer Jonathan Mover) saying that Howe and Hackett didn't get along at all.

[Frumious B]

Or Dire Straits, etc..

But there are always exceptions and edge cases Henry's not wrong in the larger scheme of things

Not yet…

The Smiths
R.E.M.
Oasis
Radiohead (supposedly defunct)

[Digital_Man]

^^^1,000 Hands is vastly superior to Mirror In the Sky.

Yep. That's what I said.

[Digital_Man]

I don't know much about GTR, but I remember reading an interview with one of the other members (maybe the drummer Jonathan Mover) saying that Howe and Hackett didn't get along at all.

Howe didn't get along with Trevor Rabin either. Everyone else is the bad guy. Lol. Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of Steve Howe's guitar playing but that's about it.

[vostoklake]

... I would ironically really like to hear Rabin/Squire/White/Kaye playing "Heat of the Moment"

[Batchman]

... I would ironically really like to hear Rabin/Squire/White/Kaye playing "Heat of the Moment"

Only if they gave it the "America" treatment.

[bondegezou]

And yet 1000 Hands is a far better album than Mirror to the Sky imo. But my question is why would I want to listen to the latest Yes album that is playing prog rock that is just ok or maybe even good when I could listen to a whole bunch of other modern prog bands who are making prog albums that are quite frankly superior to anything Yes has done in a long time (especially for prog rock). I suppose many current Yes fans aren't really true prog fans and aren't aware of the prog "underground."

And if Steve Howe really feels that way then why was he involved in Asia or GTR? Yes can do what they want but for them to keep going around in circles with the same prog cliches isn't doing them any favors imo especially when there's so many other bands out there now doing it better. Anyway, that's just my opinion. I don't expect anyone to agree with it.

I wasn't arguing that Mirror to the Sky or 1000 Hands: Chapter One was the better album. Personally I like both and still listen to both. If you prefer 1000 Hands, fine. My point was that anyone with a rational understanding of the music industry wouldn't be surprised that the Grammys ignored both. Jon Anderson appears to have an outsized view of his commercial potential, which I think harms his career.

There are "a whole bunch of other modern prog bands" and I love that ProgressiveEars gives us somewhere to talk about them. If you'd rather listen to them than MttS, go for it. However, this is a thread about Steve Howe and Yes. You must have known that when you opened it. While I too think there's "a whole bunch of other modern prog bands" who deserve bigger audiences, whatever I think and whatever you think, MttS is selling well within the prog niche. It appears to be selling better than 95%+ of the modern prog albums we discuss on PE. If we put aside our personal likes and dislikes, we can recognise that Howe's business plan looks to be working.

The heyday of Asia and GTR were 40 years ago. 40 years ago, it was a viable commercial strategy for Howe to go for a mainstream hit. He went for it and succeeded. Howe, however, is aware of the passage of time. The music industry and his place in it are very different. I would suggest we all need the wisdom to understand that what might have worked for us 40 years ago may not be the best approach today.

[Galeans]

Here's a rough translation of the article.

I've always been told that Steve Howe is a moody human being, and consequently, his interviews depend a lot on a variety of factors, including the day, the question, or simply on how he woke up. For this reason, I awaited his arrival on Zoom with a bit of anxiety. Gentlemanly and quintessentially British, Howe instead spoke with great kindness and humor, introducing the European leg of the Classic Tales of Yes Tour (in Rome, Milan, and Padua on May 5th, 6th, and 8th), talking about the present, the past, and the desire to not stop even now his age is getting close to 80.


RS: Let's start with the present. After last year's American tour, you are now bringing this anthology show to Europe. What should we expect?

SH: We won't change much for the new leg. It will be a concert divided into two halves, each lasting an hour, where we will revisit Yes' career, or at least part of it, trying to showcase the many chapters of our history. We don't feel like we belong in a museum, so I don't like to call it an anthology show. Compared to the American leg, I think we will give a little more space to "Mirror to the Sky". In the new millennium, we haven't always been on target; I'm not satisfied with all the albums from the 2000s, but I believe the last two are worthy of a legacy like ours.

RS: My feeling is that at some point you understood that the future of Yes could only be found in the past. Without necessarily being nostalgic.

SH: Well, I am extremely nostalgic, and I'm not ashamed to say it. When I left Asia for the last time, I did it specifically because I wanted to dedicate myself only to Yes and to the philosophy that the historic lineup of the group had always upheld. The audience wants this, I want this, we all want this. During the time of "90125", Yes tried to be like Asia, they wanted to reach a certain audience and not only changed the guitarist but completely changed their sound. I don't want that to happen again. And neither does the rest of the band. That's why I don't talk about an anthology tour because we won't cover every era of Yes.

RS: In a way, you are similar to Deep Purple. Despite the many lineups you've had, you're simply Yes, almost as if you were an idea more than a band.

SH: In fact, that's true. Every member who has been part of the group has brought something, even something very significant, but no one has been bigger than the band itself. Including me. However, I believe that the band cannot do without the sound it created between '71 and '73; there can't be Yes without the prog component. It's a bit like in classical music, the performers may change, but we can't ignore the idea that the audience has of Yes and the arrangements. If you think about it, it's not just a matter of prog; it's really a matter of DNA. If you listen to The Who, you expect certain things, just as if you listen to AC/DC or Queen. You can change, but always within a paradigm.

RS: What does a band like Yes had that other progressive bands didn't?

SH: I'm not in a position to say whether Yes had or have something that others didn't. The 1970s were an irreplaceable period because dozens of bands could achieve the same success by often offering very different things. One thing I've always recognized in Yes is the strength of the individuals. There's always been talk of the strength of the group, as something much greater than the sum of its parts. However, I'll tell you that the strength of Yes, especially of what is considered the classic lineup, lay precisely in the strength of the individuals. Which is then why we didn't last long with the same lineup. In short, what perhaps we had in addition was also our downfall.

RS: How important was Jon Davison's arrival for the new course of Yes?

SH: Very important and for several reasons. First, because it was Taylor Hawkins, his childhood friend, who introduced him to Chris Squire. Considering that neither of them is with us anymore, the situation takes on connotations that go beyond music and lead to higher entities, those non-random circumstances that must go in a certain way. Beyond the spiritual aspect, there is also the musical one: Jon is not only an amazing singer but also a highly skilled composer. Taking on the frontman of a Yes cover band could have been a risk, especially since many had not yet overcome Jon Anderson's departure. I insisted a lot that we work on some of his ideas for "Mirror to the Sky". He could be my son, but on the inside, he has our age (laughs). Without him, Yes probably wouldn't exist today.

RS: Why did you say no to Keith Emerson and Jethro Tull before joining Yes?

SH: Keith was a friend of mine. We had a lot in common, especially our love for various Italian composers, first and foremost Antonio Vivaldi, but at the time when he asked me to join the Nice, I didn't think it was enough. Honestly, I didn't know how my guitar style could fit with them. Shortly after, I auditioned for Yes, and he formed ELP, so I like to think I did the best thing for the history of rock. With Jethro Tull, it was different because Ian Anderson wasn't interested in the fact that I was a composer; he needed a guitarist, and I was looking for a job, but I would never have just been an executor. That wasn't for me.

RS: Yet you agreed to play with Lou Reed on his solo debut, where essentially you just performed his songs.

SH: That's true, but you have to consider that at the time, I had already joined Yes and we had already released The Yes Album, so I wasn't in the same situation as a few months before. I don't remember exactly how I ended up playing with Lou, I remember they played me the songs once and then immediately had me record them. We were recording in the dark, with only a small lamp on. It was all very strange, but Lou was really nice. The album did very poorly, but I was with Rick Wakeman, who soon became a cornerstone of Yes. So as you can see, it's always all written out.

RS: Twenty years later with Queen, things went decidedly better. So much so that you made Innuendo immortal with your flamenco solo.

SH: As you may know, Montreux is a magical place for music. Especially for English music. A few days before recording the piece with them, I was in Geneva and decided to rent a car to take a tour of Montreux because I wanted to see some places that I had promised myself to visit. While I was having lunch by the lake, Martin Groves, one of our technicians who Queen often called during their sessions, walked into the restaurant. "What are you doing here? Come to the studio right away, Queen will be thrilled to see you". Once in the studio, Freddie, Brian, and Roger seemed to be waiting for nothing else. They made me listen to almost the entire beautiful album, and then added that they were looking for someone to add something Paco De Lucia-like in the middle of "Innuendo". They wanted me to improvise something Spanish-sounding within the piece. It seemed like madness to me, especially because Queen wasn't Yes; Brian May was used to filling every gap, and in my opinion, he's the only guitarist capable of telling you who he is with his music. However, it was one of the most beautiful afternoons of my life.

RS: I know you don't want to get asked about Jon Anderson: why?

SH: I love Jon very much as a human being. Much less for many other things. Let's just leave it at that.

[Gizmotron]

Here's a rough translation of the article.

I've always been told that Steve Howe is a moody human being, and consequently, his interviews depend a lot on a variety of factors, including the day, the question, or simply on how he woke up. For this reason, I awaited his arrival on Zoom with a bit of anxiety. Gentlemanly and quintessentially British, Howe instead spoke with great kindness and humor, introducing the European leg of the Classic Tales of Yes Tour (in Rome, Milan, and Padua on May 5th, 6th, and 8th), talking about the present, the past, and the desire to not stop even now his age is getting close to 80.


RS: Let's start with the present. After last year's American tour, you are now bringing this anthology show to Europe. What should we expect?

SH: We won't change much for the new leg. It will be a concert divided into two halves, each lasting an hour, where we will revisit Yes' career, or at least part of it, trying to showcase the many chapters of our history. We don't feel like we belong in a museum, so I don't like to call it an anthology show. Compared to the American leg, I think we will give a little more space to "Mirror to the Sky". In the new millennium, we haven't always been on target; I'm not satisfied with all the albums from the 2000s, but I believe the last two are worthy of a legacy like ours.

RS: My feeling is that at some point you understood that the future of Yes could only be found in the past. Without necessarily being nostalgic.

SH: Well, I am extremely nostalgic, and I'm not ashamed to say it. When I left Asia for the last time, I did it specifically because I wanted to dedicate myself only to Yes and to the philosophy that the historic lineup of the group had always upheld. The audience wants this, I want this, we all want this. During the time of "90125", Yes tried to be like Asia, they wanted to reach a certain audience and not only changed the guitarist but completely changed their sound. I don't want that to happen again. And neither does the rest of the band. That's why I don't talk about an anthology tour because we won't cover every era of Yes.

RS: In a way, you are similar to Deep Purple. Despite the many lineups you've had, you're simply Yes, almost as if you were an idea more than a band.

SH: In fact, that's true. Every member who has been part of the group has brought something, even something very significant, but no one has been bigger than the band itself. Including me. However, I believe that the band cannot do without the sound it created between '71 and '73; there can't be Yes without the prog component. It's a bit like in classical music, the performers may change, but we can't ignore the idea that the audience has of Yes and the arrangements. If you think about it, it's not just a matter of prog; it's really a matter of DNA. If you listen to The Who, you expect certain things, just as if you listen to AC/DC or Queen. You can change, but always within a paradigm.

RS: What does a band like Yes had that other progressive bands didn't?

SH: I'm not in a position to say whether Yes had or have something that others didn't. The 1970s were an irreplaceable period because dozens of bands could achieve the same success by often offering very different things. One thing I've always recognized in Yes is the strength of the individuals. There's always been talk of the strength of the group, as something much greater than the sum of its parts. However, I'll tell you that the strength of Yes, especially of what is considered the classic lineup, lay precisely in the strength of the individuals. Which is then why we didn't last long with the same lineup. In short, what perhaps we had in addition was also our downfall.

RS: How important was Jon Davison's arrival for the new course of Yes?

SH: Very important and for several reasons. First, because it was Taylor Hawkins, his childhood friend, who introduced him to Chris Squire. Considering that neither of them is with us anymore, the situation takes on connotations that go beyond music and lead to higher entities, those non-random circumstances that must go in a certain way. Beyond the spiritual aspect, there is also the musical one: Jon is not only an amazing singer but also a highly skilled composer. Taking on the frontman of a Yes cover band could have been a risk, especially since many had not yet overcome Jon Anderson's departure. I insisted a lot that we work on some of his ideas for "Mirror to the Sky". He could be my son, but on the inside, he has our age (laughs). Without him, Yes probably wouldn't exist today.

RS: Why did you say no to Keith Emerson and Jethro Tull before joining Yes?

SH: Keith was a friend of mine. We had a lot in common, especially our love for various Italian composers, first and foremost Antonio Vivaldi, but at the time when he asked me to join the Nice, I didn't think it was enough. Honestly, I didn't know how my guitar style could fit with them. Shortly after, I auditioned for Yes, and he formed ELP, so I like to think I did the best thing for the history of rock. With Jethro Tull, it was different because Ian Anderson wasn't interested in the fact that I was a composer; he needed a guitarist, and I was looking for a job, but I would never have just been an executor. That wasn't for me.

RS: Yet you agreed to play with Lou Reed on his solo debut, where essentially you just performed his songs.

SH: That's true, but you have to consider that at the time, I had already joined Yes and we had already released The Yes Album, so I wasn't in the same situation as a few months before. I don't remember exactly how I ended up playing with Lou, I remember they played me the songs once and then immediately had me record them. We were recording in the dark, with only a small lamp on. It was all very strange, but Lou was really nice. The album did very poorly, but I was with Rick Wakeman, who soon became a cornerstone of Yes. So as you can see, it's always all written out.

RS: Twenty years later with Queen, things went decidedly better. So much so that you made Innuendo immortal with your flamenco solo.

SH: As you may know, Montreux is a magical place for music. Especially for English music. A few days before recording the piece with them, I was in Geneva and decided to rent a car to take a tour of Montreux because I wanted to see some places that I had promised myself to visit. While I was having lunch by the lake, Martin Groves, one of our technicians who Queen often called during their sessions, walked into the restaurant. "What are you doing here? Come to the studio right away, Queen will be thrilled to see you". Once in the studio, Freddie, Brian, and Roger seemed to be waiting for nothing else. They made me listen to almost the entire beautiful album, and then added that they were looking for someone to add something Paco De Lucia-like in the middle of "Innuendo". They wanted me to improvise something Spanish-sounding within the piece. It seemed like madness to me, especially because Queen wasn't Yes; Brian May was used to filling every gap, and in my opinion, he's the only guitarist capable of telling you who he is with his music. However, it was one of the most beautiful afternoons of my life.

RS: I know you don't want to get asked about Jon Anderson: why?

SH: I love Jon very much as a human being. Much less for many other things. Let's just leave it at that.

Thanks for doing this!

[Gizmotron]

He was there for all this; I think he has some valid points.

[Steve F.]

Henry's not wrong in the larger scheme of things

He seldom is!

signed

A Big, Respectful Fan!