Tomorrow Howe

Before joining Yes, Steve Howe had nearly a decade's worth of experience with other groups under his belt. This is a first-rate 25-track compilation of his '60s work, with six previously unreleased cuts, starting in 1964 with the raw R&B/beat band the Syndicats, moving to soul-mod with the In Crowd, psychedelia with Tomorrow (six of the better tracks from their sole LP are included), and progressive rock with Bodast…

This is more like it – a lithe, lively collection of material, sung in good voice (Howe is joined by his 1960s Tomorrow bandmate Keith West) and played with the kind of robust, cheerful verve that characterized the best moments of Yes's classic sound. There are also guitar breaks that recall the best moments of Yes's work, only they're a little quieter, which gives one the chance to appreciate Howe's virtuoso dexterity…

Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English musician and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist in the progressive rock group Yes. He has also been a member of the Syndicats, Bodast, Tomorrow, Asia, and GTR, as well as having released 19 solo albums as of 2010. Paul Sutin had already begun work on his first album Seraphim when he was introduced to Steve Howe. That introduction came via Terry Yallop. Together they released Seraphim, and then another album, entitled Voyagers (Sutin pre-recorded much of the album before Howe joined him in Switzerland.) Paul Sutin has also worked on some of Steve Howe's solo albums, including Skyline.

Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English musician and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist in the progressive rock group Yes. He has also been a member of the Syndicats, Bodast, Tomorrow, Asia, and GTR, as well as having released 19 solo albums as of 2010. Paul Sutin had already begun work on his first album Seraphim when he was introduced to Steve Howe. That introduction came via Terry Yallop. Together they released Seraphim, and then another album, entitled Voyagers (Sutin pre-recorded much of the album before Howe joined him in Switzerland.) Paul Sutin has also worked on some of Steve Howe's solo albums, including Skyline.

Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English musician and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist in the progressive rock group Yes. He has also been a member of the Syndicats, Bodast, Tomorrow, Asia, and GTR, as well as having released 19 solo albums as of 2010. Paul Sutin had already begun work on his first album Seraphim when he was introduced to Steve Howe. That introduction came via Terry Yallop. Together they released Seraphim, and then another album, entitled Voyagers (Sutin pre-recorded much of the album before Howe joined him in Switzerland.) Paul Sutin has also worked on some of Steve Howe's solo albums, including Skyline.

Tomorrow's sole album was a solid effort, with quite a few first-rate tracks. "My White Bicycle" was one of the first songs to prominently feature backward guitar phasing, "Real Life Permanent Dream" has engaging English harmonies and sitar riffs, "Revolution" is an infectious hippie anthem, and "Now Your Time Has Come" features intricate riffing from Steve Howe. "Hallucinations," with its irresistible melody, gentle harmonies, and affectingly trippy lyrics, was perhaps their best track. The more self-conscious English whimsy - populated by jolly little dwarfs, Auntie Mary's Dress Shop, colonels, and the like - is less successful, although the band's craftsmanship is strong enough to avoid embarassment.