BEGINNINGS

STEVE HOWE's "Beginnings" is an album with one discrepancy between instrumental and vocals parts. The instrumental arrangements( happily the main attractive ) are wonderful showing of a virtuous musician ( certainly between the greatest guitar and similar chord instruments player ) with a "staff" accompany with other great musicians like Patrick Moraz, Bill Bruford, Alan white (YES, MOODY BLUES, KING CRIMSON), David Oberle, Graeme Taylor, Malcolm Bennett (GRYPHON) ... and some moments in counterpoint the "terrible" Howe's vocals.. The worst tracks are track 2 "Australia" and track 6 "Will O' the Wisp". However, the album shows great moments like track 3 "The Nature of the Sea " track 4 "Lost Symphony" ( with Steve's guitar lead the music while a brass section make the accompaniment), track 5 "Beginnings" ( a masterpiece duo with Steve's nylon guitar and Moraz's harpischord ) track 7 "Ram" ( a incredible "mosaic" with aosutic guitat, banjo, lap steel guitar and washboard ) and the last track "Break Away from It All " another mosaic of guitars like danelectro coral electric sitar-guitar , pedal steel guitar... and the most important ; at this time Howe's vocals don't "ruins" all ! In spite the above mentioned discrepancy I consider a very good work, My rate is 4 stars ( in fact my real note was 3,75 stars...)