BEGINNINGS

When this album first appeared, I wondered what was going on: Steve Howe seemed to have found himself a toadstool in Fairyland!

Dutch natives will know what I'm talking about, since the landscape depicted on Roger Dean's cover looks like a faithful reproduction of the 'houses of the dwarfs' in that well-known Dutch theme park, 'De Efteling'.

At least the cover gave the impression there was some kind of continuity with Yes music, and it helped me like (or at least TRY to like) BEGINNINGS.

Let's face it: three of the conventional (or rather: relatively conventional) songs on this album ('Doors of Sleep', 'Australia' and 'Will o' the Wisp') are an awful, tuneless sludge, and they're not helped in any way by Steve's shaky vocals and dreadful, meaningless lyrics. As a Yes fan I originally did my best to find some redeeming features (on 'Will o' the wisp' there's a charming moment where Steve plays mellotron-accompanied guitar) but it just wouldn't work. What's weak, remained weak.

The album's title track is a pointless, totally unconvincing attempt to prove Steve could play along with a bunch of classical musicians. Similar experiments on Steve's second solo album would turn out to be more fruitful. 'Ram' is a throwaway acoustic ditty, not dissimilar to 'Clap'.

All the remaining tracks are fairly good, or even (in one or two cases) great. Let's look at them in ascending order of importance. 'Lost Symphony' is a catchy, brass-driven pop song, with interesting solos by the Master. 'Pleasure Stole the Night' is a moving prayer, which sounds as if you're getting to know Steve intimately - even if it's unclear what he's praying for. ("Epochs past, lives were spent, / until a new band came" - he wasn't dreaming of Asia, was he?) 'Break away from it all' is a forceful rocker propelled by Bill Bruford's inimitable drums; what a shame it ends on such a decrepit guitar solo! All three of these tunes have more-than-acceptable vocals. But the album's highlight has to be 'The Nature of the Sea': a superb four- minute instrumental in which Steve is accompanied by three members of Gryphon (who had supported Yes on their 1975 tour). If only the entire album had been as joyful and inspired as this!

Fuxi's verdict: Yes fans will probably enjoy some of this - but only if they can get it at a bargain price!