CLASSIC CORNER:COVER
BACKTRACK
STORY
W
ith his preference for playing lines through chords
and notes that suggest triads rather than the chords
themselves, Yes’s Steve Howe is a master architect
of sound textures. Certainly his arsenal of stringed
instruments has always been wider than the usual rock guitarist’s
and includes the mandolin, pedal steel, classical guitar, and even
a bit of Koto. “I’m not limited to one instrument,” he explained,
“because the guitar isn’t always enough for me. I also use
other instruments because I may not have found the right part.
When you don’t know what to do, sometimes it’s easier just to
do something completely different. When it comes to soloing I
certainly like to know the changes. I like to immediately establish
something when the guitar enters. It can be a tune or a theme,
but I don’t like to wander in without confidence.”
In this short exchange Steve talks about his guest solo
recording with Queen.
Tell me about your experience soloing with Queen
on “Innuendo.”
ABWH (Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe) was doing Europe and
when we finished I visited a friend of mine in Geneva. I stayed
around a couple of days and did a bit of recording. I took the
“Innuendo” by Queen
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