Interview to Steve Howe

I can't claim to know what is in Steve's mind. Jon Anderson is a fascinating person, hugely creative, but clearly not without personal flaws. Some of those rub Howe the wrong way, but exactly what, it is difficult to say. (And, indeed, the same could be said the other way around, in terms of what Anderson thinks of Howe.)

However, we do know some things. They had big rows over money (band money and where it was going) in the late '70s, which seem to have forever soured relationships. Later, in the making of ABHW and Union, Howe seems to have been very unhappy with Anderson taking control and acting unilaterally. Anderson mixed Howe out of recordings without any discussion with Howe. Again, control and the direction of the band were an issue in the early 2000s. Howe has been unhappy about his band mates' drug use, although that may have been more an issue with Squire and White. Anderson and Howe seem to have different approaches to the music business (e.g. Howe will never work with Brian Lane, while Anderson will). Rows over Yes ft ARW are a more recent issue.

So, we have reached a point where Howe is very clear that he doesn't want to be in a band with Anderson again, although he'll do a guest spot for him (1000 Hands: Chapter One) and he'll say nice things about him in interviews.

I'm not sure about these days, but during the making of KTA in San Luis Obispo, Steve was smoking tons of weed. Reports of smoking joints (Jonathan Elias and others) around the time of recording and gigs. Pretty sure most of them did throughout their career... And around that time I remember watching them play Siberian Khatru live and Steve was totally off. Shouting at them, stopped playing at one point flapping his arms about, and walked off stage for a few moments. Then came back out and joined in. hmmm. I wonder how happy they were with his weed use at certain times? At least Jimmy Haun got a gig out of it.

Two strong personalities, and the two most creative, no surprise there was friction. Steve seemed to like doing stuff from a distance and then moan when things changed or the mix not being to his liking in his absence. He does seem quite volatile. Jon seems calmer but very stubborn.

It is all pretty irrelevant now as both have passed their best and even working together again I doubt that any musical sparks would fly.

I don't think it's a question of who's more at fault. Since Howe said something, in an interview, Awaken asked a question what has led to Howe's view of thing, which I think Henry pretty much nails. That's not to say Howe's view on matters is the only view.

But outside all the personal stuff, I believe that Howe genuinely feels that musically they have nothing to offer one another or together anymore. I realise I've quoted this (from a 2012 interview) before, but in the context of this thread I'll post it again.

I wish Jon luck with his music. I seriously and truthfully feel that way. But I’m not sure our mutual desire to achieve the same thing exists anymore. I think we burned it out a bit. We crossed paths and we’re not together anymore. I think there has to be some element of moving on.

Dan Roth over on Progears:




Steve Howe interview with Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone Italia, that is ;-) Still an interesting read, and a few choice quotes, though I had to use Google Translate:

https://www.rollingstone.it/musica/i...a-museo/897893

A couple quotes (using Google Translate)"


RS: The feeling is that at some point you realized that the future of Yes could only be found in the past. Without necessarily being nostalgic.

SH: But I'm extremely nostalgic and I'm not ashamed to say it. When I left Asia for the last time, I did it precisely because I wanted to devote myself only to Yes and to the philosophy that had always carried on the historical formation of the group. The audience wants this, I want this, we all want this. At the time of 90125 Yes were trying to be Asia, they wanted to reach a certain audience and they didn't just change guitarists, they completely changed their sound. I don't want this to happen again. And neither did the rest of the band. That's why I'm not talking about an anthology tour, because we're not going to cover every era of Yes.


RS: I know you don't want questions about Jon Anderson:because?

SH: I love Jon very much as a human being. Much less for many other things. Settle for that



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AFFIRM THE PRINCIPAL OF UNITY

Hmmmm.....he doesn't want the band to completely change their sound. Personally I find very little in comon between The Quest and Mirror to the Sky and what they're mostly playing in concert i.e. the 70s stuff.

Steve's also changed his tune somewhat on this point.....

Well, sounds like the kind of conflict that is the result of an accumulation of various grievances between two people who have been working together, on and off, since 1970.

For examples: Chris Welch wrote that in the 70's, Jon and his first wife took money out of the band's bank account to cover their personal expenses (like vacations) and when Steve was told, he was (justifiably) furious. In 2004, at the Madison Square Garden show, Jon brought out his "spiritual advisor" on stage before the encores, which resulted in the show going over the labour union time limit and costing the group a fortune in overtime payments. (The whole band was furious at Jon. I was at the next show, the one released on DVD, and Wakeman looked really pissed off.) And in 2008, Jon asked for more money than the other three to tour with Yes.

Wait steve said he was open to changes in 2009 when the hell is he gonna play it!

Im trying to reconcile the fact that I respect Steve for that, lol. Not good for a gig, not respecting fans. But Steve is the consummate professional, at least when he's not climbing tress in hotel lobbys, high as a kite.

I hope it’s a translation glitch, but I just read the whole thing via Google translate and he says he thinks that Jon Davison is a “composer of the highest order”? What!? He must be smoking something…

Beethoven, Mozart, Stravinsky and Davison. Sure.

I guess he’s back to being all snooty about YesWest who never added anything to the Yes legacy as godawful and embarrassing as “Mystery Tour” or “Living Out Their Dream”.

Steve smoking something, surely not.

Today I learned that experienced musicians in 2024 still equate cannabis to serious drugs. Gimme a break.