Steve Howe

IN 1970, STEVE HOWE replaced Peter Banks in Yes and sounded his arrival on record with a spiraling, glittering arpeggio on 'Yours Is No Disgrace', the powerful opening piece on The Yes Album (1971). This number showed all the facets of Howe's playing as, amid changes of rhythm and tempo, the guitar switched in rapid succession from melody through harsh, distorted clanking to precision riffing with the bass and organ. Such fluency, imagination and versatility helped Howe gain a reputation for excellence, and throughout the Seventies he refined his style through constant experimentation and practice. The music of Yes provided a perfect outlet for his stylistic development.