ANDERSON - BRUFORD - WAKEMAN - HOWE

Anderson, together with Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe, sufficiently identified with the best years of the band, used their surnames to give shape to this Yes without a name, accompanied by bassist Tony Levin (King Crimson) and backing musicians. And this is when the controversy begins over the effective participation of Bruford, Wakeman and partly Howe in the recording of the album which, on the other hand, was built on discarded pieces from previous projects and ideas by Anderson, scraps of Howe discarded from Asia and GTR, among others, transmitting in its development the sensation of being faced more with a patchwork of pieces than with a harmonised and well-assembled work.

And while it is true that the proposal has points that do not favour it, such as the insipid beginning of "Themes", the failed and unnecessary attempt at Caribbean music in "Teakbois", or the candid and mellow simplicity of "Let's Pretend", it is also true that the album is closer to the traditional progressive spirit of Yes than 90125 and Big Generator, with very interesting pieces such as the intense "Brother of Mine", a reloaded version of the energised 70's prog vibe, the contentious "Birthright", the atmospheric melancholy of the heartfelt "The Meeting" and the fabled beauty of "Quartet" with its splashes of the band's legendary songs, enough tracks to consider it a more than acceptable album.

ABWH had a brief existence, only releasing that studio work and a follow-up reflecting the launch tour. After that, they reunited with Squire's Yes to form an exaggeratedly large group that buried any attempt at continuity for the quartet.

Very good

3.5 stars

ABWH's sole album, a self-titled effort, was released in 1989. It's obvious that Anderson et al hoped for this to be the spiritual successor of Yes's classic period. For the first time since 1980's Drama, Roger Dean artwork graced the album cover, and Arista Records made this album's catalog number 90126.

The music on ABWH is far, far more artistically ambitious than the Trevor Rabin-Yes material. At the same time, it was 1989, and the stretch of the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s was truly a dark time for progressive rock. The album starts off strong, except for Wakeman's [%*!#]ing grating synth tones. The songs are engaging, dynamic, and a big improvement over Big Generator. But then the album hits its first hiccup with the 10-minute suite "Brother of Mine". It's fluffy and cheesy, sappy and saccharine. Howe's playing is so overwrought it's comical, and when the song tries to kick into higher gear, Wakeman's synth brass tones ruin it. The poppy, energetic section with handclaps gives some awful "Kumbaya" vibes.

"Birthright" could have been a good addition to a late-80s action movie soundtrack, with its slow build and John Carpenter-esque cavalcade of high-energy synths in the climax, but it's middling at best when taken in the context of its full six-minute runtime. "The Meeting" continues this trend of overlong songs, meandering for four aimless minutes of piano tinkling. And when the sappy acoustic intro of "Quartet" comes in, with Anderson's pop-ballad-style lyrics, it's tough to slog through this. For nine minutes, this song drifts in unimpressive, acoustic territory.

But with the opening of "Teakbois", you will pray to have that back. Did you want to hear [&*!#]ty '80s Yes play calypso music? No, you didn't. You're a reasonable individual. No one should want this. It's awful. Please, make it stop.

After the longest seven-and-a-half minutes of your life, Steve Howe finally gets to play a guitar line that sounds like Steve Howe to open the penultimate track. Wakeman's synths continue to spray diarrhea over everything, and Anderson's attempt to do a more intense vocal style feels forced and unintentionally funny. Despite this, this is probably the strongest track on the album and a much-needed respite from the preceding bombardment of garbage.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2019/03/24/deep-dive-yes/

"An Evening Of Yes Music Plus" is a DVD of Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe and that was released in 1994. In reality, this is the only true live DVD by this Yes' version, if we don't consider "In The Big Dream", which is only a video with three promotional video clips "Brother Of Mine", "Order Of The Universe" and "Quartet/I'm Alive)", plus a live version of "Heart Of The Sunrise" filmed during their "An Evening Of Yes Music Plus" live tour, made in 1989.

"An Evening Of Yes Music Plus" is a DVD with a live show that was recorded at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, in California USA, in 1989, when they tour their eponymous debut and only studio album "Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman And Howe". In 1993 it was released a live album with the same name with fifteen tracks. However and in contrary to the release of the live album's version of this concert, the DVD version only saw the light of the day in 1994.

The DVD opens with "Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra" which is based on a classical oeuvre of Benjamin Britten, and represents the introduction of the live show that substitutes the popular Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" usually used by Yes to open their live shows. From their self-titled studio album we have "Themes", "Brother Of Mine", "Birthright", "The Meeting", "Order Of The Universe" and extracts of "Teakbois". From "Time And A Word" we have extracts of the title track. From "The Yes Album" we have "The Clap", "I've Seen All Good People" and "Starship Trooper". From "Fragile" we have "Mood For A Day", "Long Distance Runaround", "Heart Of The Sunrise" and "Roudabout". From "Close To The Edge" we have "And You And I" and "Close To The Edge". From "90125" we have extracts of "Owner Of A Lonely Heart". From Wakeman's albums we have extracts of the albums, "Gone But Not Forgotten" of "Coast Of Living", "Catherine Parr" of "The Six Wives Of Henry VIII" and "Merlin The Magician" of "The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table".

This concert by Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe will always be fondly remembered and cherished by long time Yes' fans. It was seen as a real Yes' reunion and the album and the live tour offered a real competition with the existing Yes' official line up that included, at the time, Chris Squire, Alan White, Trevor Rabin, and Tony Kaye. Here, the band played a host of Yes' classics, as well as a selection of songs from their debut album. They were supported by a few guest players. Jeff Berlin, a bassist very well known because he had already worked with some of band's members. Julian Colbeck, a well known former professional keyboardist that usually collaborates with several bands and musicians. He participates with some additional keyboards. Milton McDonald, a very well known session guitarist who plays with many artists and that participates on this album with some additional vocals and an extra guitar work too.

The music is full of glamour and class. It rips through stellar versions of their classics "Close To The Edge", "And You And I", "Heart Of The Sunrise", "I've Seen All Good People", "Starship Trooper", as well as recent tracks, "Brother Of Mine" and "Order Of The Universe". A real treat is seeing Jon Anderson walking through the crowd and singing his opening solo spot, and you really get the feeling that the singer really loves his fans. Steve Howe especially looks pretty motivated throughout the set, something that seemed lacking from him in the years that followed. It's nice to see so many close ups of Bill Bruford, whose nimble drum work is always a pleasure to behold, but it's a real shame that Berlin be basically ignored by the camera crew. You barely catch a few glimpses of him over this DVD's 2 hours length. That brings us to the main drawback to this release, the quality of the video. There are too many instances where the cameras are on the wrong musician. It isn't perfect, but it's great, because thankfully the audio of this DVD is very good.

Conclusion: It's now passing some time since I reviewed the CD live version of the concert and I reiterate all what I wrote before. "An Evening Of Yes Music Plus" is one of the best live performances I've heard and seen in all my life. It represents one of the best live shows ever performed by Yes. Here we have my favourite line up of the band, but unfortunately is missing to it my favourite bassist, Chris Squire. It shows the four members of Yes in a great shape and the willingness of them is evident throughout all the concert and it became particularly noted at the end of it. Relatively to the quality of the release of the DVD, I'm a bit divided, really. In relation to the sound, I must say that is absolutely irreproachable and amazing. But I can't say the same about the quality of the video. Especially the camera work leaves a lot to be desired. Relatively to the bonus tracks they're all very interesting and complete perfectly well the DVD.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

"An Evening Of Yes Music Plus" is the debut live album of the musical project of Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman And Howe. It was recorded live at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, in California USA, in 1989, when they toured their eponymous debut and only studio album "Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman And Howe". However, it was only released in 1993. Like as happened with almost all Yes' albums and with their self-titled studio album, the art cover for the album was also created by Roger Dean. It features a painting from him which was titled "Floating Islands".

The line up on the album is Jon Anderson (lead vocals), Bill Bruford (drums and percussion), Rick Wakeman (keyboards) and Steve Howe (backing vocals and guitar). But, the album has also the participation of three other musicians, Tony Levin, who performed bass on their eponymous studio album as well as on the most of the live tour. Still, he fell sick during this tour and was replaced by Jeff Berlin, a bassist very well known by them because he had already worked with some of band's members. Julian Colbeck, a well known former professional keyboard player that usually collaborates with several bands and musicians such as with Yes and Steve Hackett, the ex- guitarist of Genesis. He participates on this album with some additional keyboards. Milton McDonald, a very well known session guitarist who plays with many artists and that participates on this album with some additional vocals and extra guitar work too.

"An Evening Of Yes Music Plus" contains material from their self-titled studio album, songs from past Yes' albums and excerpts from Rick Wakeman's solo albums. The album opens with "Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra" which is based on a classical oeuvre of Benjamin Britten, and represents the introduction of the live show that substitutes the popular Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" usually used by Yes to open their live shows. From their self-titled studio album we have "Birthright", "Themes", "Brother Of Mine", "Order Of The Universe" and extracts of "Teakbois". From "Time And A Word" we have extracts of the title track. From "The Yes Album" we have "The Clap", "I've Seen All Good People" and "Starship Trooper". From "Fragile" we have "Mood For A Day", "Long Distance Runaround", "Heart Of The Sunrise" and "Roudabout". From "Close To The Edge" we have "And You And I" and "Close To The Edge". From "90125" we have extracts of "Owner Of A Lonely Heart". From Wakeman's albums we have extracts of the albums, "Gone But Not Forgotten" of "Coast Of Living", "Catherine Parr" of "The Six Wives Of Henry VIII" and "Merlin The Magician" of "The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table".

If you've seen Yes all over the years, most of these songs will be, no doubt, be very familiar to you. The performance of the entire band is spot on, Anderson especially in fine form and Howe, as always, giving a virtuoso performance. Although Wakeman's choice of modern keyboard tones at times borders on cheesey, the guy still blazes through these new and classic tracks. In addition, the set opens up with some great solos spots which are always very fun to hear.

This album certainly has that Yes sound mostly due to the fantastic vocals of Anderson. He sounds great all over these CD's. Wakeman is also a dominant force here. Still, his keyboards and synthesizers have a more 80's sound which stands to reason as the album was originally released in 1989. Of course, I can't forget about Howe. Still, his playing is quite restrained, there are many beautiful acoustic moments to be found and he does let loose occasionally like on the rocking "Order Of The Universe", a feel good, up tempo tune with a heavier section featuring fiery work from Howe and Bruford. Other highlights include the poignant "Brother Of Mine" featuring Anderson's patented soaring timbre and the some super and catchy tracks where Howe's acoustic guitar is quite sublime. Remember, the album as a whole is a relaxing listen. Still, you will find no "Gates Of Delirium" here which is completely understandable given the decade this was made. The bottom line is the band sounds tight and progressive and made many Yes fans happy with this album.

Conclusion: We can consider this live album divided into three parts, the solo tracks, the ABWH's tracks and the Yes' tracks. The solo tracks are in my opinion very good and much better than the solo tracks on "Fragile". The ABWH's tracks represents some of the best musical moments of that album and are for me much better performed live than performed on studio. The Yes' tracks include some of Yes' best works, and the live version of "Close To The Edge" is absolutely great and surprising and is probably, in my opinion, the best live version released by them. When I reviewed ABWH's album I agreed with Easy Livin, when he said that the album was a missed opportunity. On this album I agree with Gatot when he says that this is an underrated live album. This is one of the best live albums of Yes and is also one the best live albums I've heard in my life. The individual live performance of Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford are completely irreproachable and absolutely unforgettable. The live album has also an amazing sound quality.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Right from the bat, the first song Themes was pretty promising. Sure it was sorta 80s like, that was too be expected but it has promise. And then Fist Of Fire, and after that Brother of Mine, and then?yeah. I wasn't really expecting something like the 70s but, I wasn't expecting this. The drums are pretty basic, Jon's vocals can get kinda annoying, the guitar is kinda weak and the pianos while good, just aren't really worth more than that. But this album also has some good in it. The songs are pretty fun too listen too, they are pretty upbeat for the most part, and they definitely get the whole Yes flow across. But despite that, I don't know, this is a weird album.

I haven't felt this mixed about an album in so long and I am just confused? I don't know whether to dislike or like this album. And I don't think I ever will.

An Evening of Yes Music Plus is Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe's first live album which was released in 1993. The album is a recording of a concert performed at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, on September 9th, 1989. An Evening of Yes Music Plus was initially broadcast on the King Biscuit Flower Hour radio program and as a pay-per-view special in the United States. In addition, a special mention must be made for the magnificent album painted by Roger Dean titled Floating Islands. The album features Jon Anderson on lead vocals, Bill Bruford on drums, Rick Wakeman on keyboards, Steve Howe on guitar, Jeff Berlin on bass, Julian Colbeck on additional keyboards, and Milton McDonald on rhythm guitar. Throughout the album, Bill Bruford utilizes an electronic drum kit which adds a unique and distinct sound to the album along with the drumming proficiency that he is known for. With Bill Bruford on drums, the album demonstrates the first time he has ever performed Close to the Edge and And You And I in a live setting due to his departure from the band after recording the album they were written on entitled Close to the Edge in 1972. Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, and Rick Wakeman are also performing better then ever with no sign of any deterioration. Additionally, musicians Jeff Berlin, Julian Colbeck, and Milton McDonald all do a terrific job with their respective instruments.

The album opens with Benjamins Britten's Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra which can be viewed as Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe's version of the Firebird Suite. Benjamins Britten's Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra then transfers into Jon Anderson's solo which features a combination of Time and a Word, Owner of A Lonely Heart, and Teakbois performed with Milton McDonald on acoustic guitar and Julian Colbeck on keyboards. The combination of melodies presented works quite well here while also managing to feature various eras of Yes. Soon after, Steve Howe's solo begins with a blend of The Clap and Mood for a Day which demonstrates Steve Howe's incredible skill with guitar. Like I said earlier, his guitar skills are just as impressive as ever and show no sign of worsening! The track then transfers into Rick Wakeman's solo performance which contains fragments of Gone but Not Forgotten, Catherine Parr, and Merlin the Magician. This solo performance is unquestionably my favorite solo segment I have heard him do in both Yes and Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe's live discography, it cannot be said to be anything less than a work of genius. Astonishing from start to finish! Rick Wakeman then introduces Long Distance Runaround on keyboard before the entire band comes in to join him. The live rendition of the track features a brilliant combination of electronic and acoustic drums in addition to Jon Anderson's breathtaking vocals. Not to mention, the backing vocals provided here works surprisingly well in replacement for Chris Squire's iconic backing vocals. At around the halfway point the introductory guitar riff from Heart of the Sunrise is performed which shifts into a drum solo by Bill Bruford using a blend of acoustic and electronic drums. The drum solo is undoubtedly one of the best I've heard in a while, but I didn't expect anything less due to it coming from the drumming mastermind himself. Seamlessly, the track transfers into Birthright which is played almost identically to the studio version found on Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe's self- titled album. A special mention must also go to the keyboard duo of Rick Wakeman and Julian Colbeck on this track. The vigorous energy found throughout is truly spectacular. The next track, And You And I is just as magnificent as ever. During live performances of this song, it can be somewhat difficult to reach the grandness which is originally found on the studio version during the Apocalypse section. However, this live adaptation is one of the few that is able to do it successfully. Also, Bill Bruford's drumming is consistently excellent during the course of the track with incredible drum fills throughout. The only complaint I have about this live rendition is that Steve Howe's guitar seems to be too low in the mix, especially when he is using his pedal steel guitar. Rick Wakeman also has a solo in the track that is genuinely dazzling. After a round of applause, the band commences I've Seen All Good People which is yet another great performance of a classic. The All Good People section of the track is where my attention continually goes to. Steve Howe's lead guitar in addition to Milton McDonald's rhythm guitar are both performed very well. This is on top of Rick Wakeman getting a magnificent keyboard section which is full of energy. This live rendition of I've Seen All Good People remains to be one of their best to date.

It can be extremely difficult to have a truly successful live rendition of Close to the Edge due to the masterful nature of the studio version, but this live rendition is surely one of the best! Every musician is at their peak here with each section having a similar yet unique feel to the studio version. Shortly after concluding Close to the Edge, the band begins Themes with an ascending keyboard melody from Rick Wakeman. This is a solid live rendition which adds prolonged instrumental segments in addition to a modified drum pattern which differs to the studio version. Jeff Berlin's bass work on Themes is powerful in combination with the rhythm section. Then Brother of Mine opens with Jon Anderson's angelic voice which is soon accompanied by a wonderful guitar riff coming from Milton McDonald. Brother of Mine is certainly the best Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe track featured on An Evening of Yes Music Plus while containing a passion from the band which is genuinely felt. However, similar to And You And I Steve Howe's guitar is a bit too quiet in the mix but still doesn't take away from the wonderful guitar work he provides through the track. Heart of the Sunrise is up next which showcases both Steve Howe and Milton McDonald giving yet another marvelous guitar performance. In addition, Jeff Berlin provides a solid bass solo during the first few minutes of the track which is particularly melodic. This seems to be a common praise throughout the album, but Jon Anderson's vocals are incredible. His ability to hit various ranges is exceedingly impressive with the grandness being especially built up due to the combination of musicians supporting him. Yet another Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe track begins shortly after the ending of Heart of the Sunrise titled Order of the Universe. This is an excellent live rendition but doesn't stray as far from the studio version as some of the other tracks do. However, I happen to really enjoy the immense momentum found throughout which brings out the impressive rhythm section. With only two tracks left, it isn't all that surprising the band chooses to perform both Roundabout and Starship Trooper as the closing tracks. Both Roundabout and Starship Trooper receive phenomenal live renditions with extended segments and unbelievable musicianship. The ending of Starship Trooper titled The Würm is nothing less than breathtaking. Interestingly, the band would repeat a similar live rendition of Starship Trooper during their first Keys to Ascension album which remains to be the band's definitive live version in my judgment. The live album then ends with applause from the crowd, celebrating this fantastic live performance.

An Evening of Yes Music Plus remains to be one of the most unique live performances "Yes" has done to date. The album encompasses a wide range of musicians in addition to a solid setlist containing a multitude of highlights from Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe's self-titled album and Yes' vast catalogue of music. For reference, anytime I purchase a copy of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe's self-titled album as a gift for someone, I always purchase a copy of An Evening of Yes Music Plus to go along with it. I believe that should demonstrate the quality of music found within this album appropriately. An excellent addition to any progressive rock collection! "You don't need anybody in the complicated life... you crossed over the river."

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe was a progressive rock band active from 1988 to 1990 that comprised of four past members of Yes, in addition to bassist Tony Levin. He truly does seem to play on everything! After the disappointing Big Generator album that got released by Yes a few years earlier, Jon Anderson decided to regroup with some of his fellow bandmates as he felt continually inhibited by the commercial and pop-oriented direction of Yes in the 1980s. The band only released one studio album, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, in June of 1989. With all these phenomenal musicians present, they were likely to reach greatness from the start. Jon Anderson had the largest contribution on the album with the songwriting in addition to supervising the album's mixing sessions at Bearsville Studios with mixing engineers Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero. Overall, I am actually very fond of this album; it has a certain warmth to it that isn't found all that much. In addition, I don't believe there are any duds here, all the tracks are exceptionally solid.

The first track on the album is Themes which is comprised of three sections titled Sound, Second Attention, and Soul Warrior. The track begins with cascading keyboards that eventually explode with the sound of Bill Bruford's electronic drums. These electronic drums appear to be a somewhat controversial subject when discussing this album. Some people believe their inclusion ruined the album and some don't mind. I am somewhat torn between these two stances. Their inclusion varies in effectiveness throughout the entire album, however, in the majority of tracks they are used tastefully. At points they are even used to improve the overall quality of a track. When concerning Themes, I believe they assist with the atmosphere the band was attempting to create. Therefore, I don't mind their inclusion all too much. This song is definitely progressive in my eyes, while containing a new age feel that is present through most of the album. The track is complex and has some great instrumental moments coming from the entire band. Fist of Fire is up next and actually seems to seamlessly transfer from the last song. What an interesting track, not to mention a darker ambiance found here that I didn't really expect. There are also some great keyboards here from Rick Wakeman that make me really miss when he wasn't in Yes. Overall, it's a solid track that has marvelous atmosphere throughout. Brother of Mine happens to be one of my favorite songs "Yes" would create in the 80s, if not my favorite. It contains three parts titled The Big Dream, Nothing Can Come Between Us, and Long Lost Brother of Mine. From Jon Anderson's majestic vocals to the terrific bass work from Tony Levin this track is basically perfect! However, all of the musicians are at their peak here. Not to mention, I sincerely enjoy the lyrics Jon Anderson choose to write for this song that carry a new age feel. There is also a terrific keyboard and guitar section at six and half minute mark that is definitely the most "prog" moment on the album. It is interspersed with the lyrics "long lost brother of mine" which draws on an unrecorded Asia track "Long Lost Brother of Mine" written by Steve Howe and Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes. It is coherent from start to finish containing a great flow throughout. It is an excellent track that changes melodies in a way that feels natural. A masterpiece that will surely grow on you if you give it a chance! The next track is Birthright which has some nice acoustic guitar work from Steve Howe in addition to having a grand atmosphere throughout supported by atmospheric keyboards. It is a solid track that I particularly enjoy. It contains some great instrumental sections and really builds up at the three and a half minute mark. The music here isn't as necessarily complex as some of the other tracks on the album, but is still a great track that truly lives up to the sentiment of it being grand. Furthermore, it contains some solid percussion from Bill Bruford throughout.

The next track, The Meeting, is a duet between Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman. Both sound incredible here and unbelievably moving. I consider this to be one of the highlights on the album, holding sensitive yet powerful moments. Not necessarily progressive, but just a great track in general. Quartet is yet another multi-part suite encompassing four different sections titled I Wanna Learn, She Gives Me Love, Who Was the First, and I'm Alive. This is a softer song track which features even more wonderful acoustic guitar work from Steve Howe. Interestingly, Jon Anderson includes fragments of lyrics and names of Yes songs such as The Gates of Delirium and Awaken. A nice surprise for Yes fans when listening to this track. The melodies found here are lovely, however, my favorite would have to be I'm Alive which is extremely beautiful. Though, I do wish that this part featured a more cohesive transition. A great song that is soft yet powerful, fantastic! Teakbois seems to be criticized by most reviewers on this website but I personally don't mind it all that much. It is an interesting Latin influenced prog song that is in fact quite good, it just may not appeal to most Yes fans. Furthermore, there are numerous delightful melodies in addition to some great keyboard parts on the behalf of Rick Wakeman. Not nearly as bad as most make it out to be, if you want to hear plain awful just listen to Man in the Moon for reference. Order of the Universe is yet another piece of music containing multiple parts titled Order Theme (Victory Song), Rock Gives Courage, It's So Hard to Grow, and The Universe. This track is the most "rocking" found on this album and happens to be one of my favorites. The beginning Order Theme is absolutely incredible, I adore it! It includes a great keyboard melody from Rick Wakeman backed up with guitar and bass. Despite it going on for nearly three minutes, I wish it could have gone on for even longer. As the vocals come in, the track begins to feel a bit like one that would be found on the Union album, but better. Jon's vocals can even be heard to be almost yelling at points. It's a wonderful track that is extremely solid vocals which can in fact be said for the entire album. Lastly, we have the album closer of Let's Pretend which has an additional writing credit for Vangelis. It's a ballad that is a nice closer to this fantastic album. Furthermore, Steve Howe's guitar work is beautiful and extremely moving. It's nothing mind-blowing yet is seems to fit as a perfect closing piece on the album.

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe is a truly successful project that stands as a highlight within the bands discography. It is satisfying from start to finish with very few bumps in the way. They are able to combine quality musicianship and great songwriting during a time where pop was the craze. Highly recommended as an excellent addition to any prog rock collection! "So give it all the love you have, never be afraid to show your heart!"

As far as the actual sound of the album, it is not light years away from those pop oriented Yes albums courtesy of Bruford's electronic drums, Wakeman's 80's synth tones and guest bassist Tony Leven's plodding playing. What is different is that the songs are just better than those found on Yes's last album Big Generator and Anderson's peace and love themed lyrics are presented in mostly high energy formats with "First Of Fire", "Brother Of Mine", "The Meeting", "Quartet", and 'Order Of The Universe" being infectious sing along anthems. The only big misstep here is the over the top Latin and Caribbean inflected "Teakbois", which naturally comes off as corny, but is light years better than "Illegal Alien" by Genesis.

With a string of solid, if not classic songs, Anderson - Bruford,- Wakeman - Howe is firmly a 3 star album, but it's upbeat optimism helps to put it's rating a half star higher. In the modern climate of this world that's a very welcome attribute. 3.5 rounded down to 3.