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Steve Howe - Motif, Vol. 1 Audio CD

A fair review of the Steve Howe "Motif, Vol. 1" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Steve Howe reviews here, or go back to the Steve Howe tabs.

Steve Howe Band: Steve Howe
Title: Motif, Vol. 1
Rating:
Release Date: 2008-08-19
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Golden Mean 2: Intersection Blues 3: Corkscrew 4: Trambone 5: Devon Blue 6: Clap 7: Australia 8: Part & Parcel 9: Sketches in the Sun 10: Second Initial 11: Concerto in D 2nd Movement 12: Diary of a Man Who Vanished 13: Cat Napping 14: Ram 15: Provence 16: Winter 2nd Mov' 4 Seasons 17: Meadow Rag 18: Heritage 19: Bareback 20: Dorothy

the 'maestro' doin what he likes most


A combination of new pieces and re-recordings of many of his classic pieces make up this collection. After 40 plus years in the music business, Steve Howe has finally recorded the album that presents him in his favorite musical idiom: solo guitar pieces. Just Steve - one guitar per piece- no overdubs.

The new pieces are in the classic Howe style, a combination of acoustic, electric and resonator guitars grace pieces like "Golden Mean" "Cat Napping" "Provence" and "Devon Blue".

The re-recordings are basically "what was acoustic, is now electric - and vice- versa".

It's all great, but in my own opinion, being a guitar player myself, "anything acoustic, sounds better electric".

With that in mind, pieces like "Intersection Blues", "Meadow Rag", "Bareback", "Dorothy", "Second Initial" and Steve's signature piece, "Clap", sound even better than their originals.

This is Steve Howe in the "MOTIF" (get it) that he enjoys most.

Highly recommended for guitar lovers, a "must have" for any Howe fan.

.


Great stuff
If you like Yes and/or Steve Howe, your favorites will probably be here. This is an excellent work by Yes guitarist Steve Howe. Excellent musical craftsmanship. .


One of Steve's better works, a must have....
A lot of these are somewhere else if you have a lot of his albums but quite a few are new and/or done differently. Steve goes back over his career and re-records a lot of his guitar pieces. The pieces really sound great. All of them are just Steve and a guitar, no overdubs, no band, just Steve and guitar goodness. The playing is impeccable and the recording is excellent. All the versions are great. He chooses to use different types of guitars for songs like "The Clap" which he plays on an electric guitar, probably a Gretsch or Gibson. If you like Steve's solo guitar pieces then this is a must have. A great testament to Steve and a great idea of his to put this out there. Can't wait for the next volume. .


Snippets from a Master at Work


Although there is no common thread of musical styles here - some of it is classical, some jazzy, some almost new age oriented - all of it is excellent and masterfully performed, mostly on acoustic intruments. I bought this CD after previewing a you-tube video clip of Steve playing Vivaldi's Concerto in D Second Movement, which is included on this recording. Also, thankfully, all tracks are instrumental. Those who have recordings in which Steve graces us with his vocal talents will know what I'm talking about.

You don't need to be an aspiring guitarist to appreciate this CD, just an afficionado of the sound of the guitar without the additions of drums, bass, vocals or other instrumentation. If that's your thing, this CD will not disappoint. .


NOT a compilation!!!


I truly enjoy Steve's style: he's ingenious and strays often from the easy path. Made in UK in 2008, Serial# HSCD-001, Playing Time 60:06

As a previous reviewer noted, this is NOT a compilation: the versions recorded here (in 2005 and 2007) are new, even if most titles are familiar. Unfortunately, I find the performances on this CD to be too clinical: it feels more like a portfolio of guitar exercises, instead of sounding appealing. Perhaps that's because there are no overdubs, no layers: just a single take by Steve playing solo.

While his other albums (my fave is still "Natural Timbre") demonstrate his talent, this particular CD is more for the guitar player than the listener: you get to hear the master at work, but it seems to have been done more to document in the studio many solo pieces he's performed through the years during various concerts.

It's a decent album, but certainly not (from an audiophile's perspective) the most interesting one. Get "The Haunted Melody" from Steve if you want to hear something significantly more captivating: yes, it's very jazzy, but it presents very interesting, very different, and very fresh approaches to some material (including a couple of YES tracks) that some purists out there will consider a "SACRILEGE!!!". That, to me, is Steve's gift of music to listeners like me!.


You can see a complete list of all Steve Howe discography, or go back to the Steve Howe tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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