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Title: Howe's best solo album
Review: Steve Howe's second album takes what worked best from 1975's "Beginnings" and improves upon it. Those who don't care for Steve's singing will be glad to know he appears on only one track, with the sole other vocal song handled wonderfully by Claire Hammill. This album is more eclectic than "Beginnings" and covers more different styles of music. But in doing so it does a better job of revealing Howe's somewhat schizophrenic musical nature. What makes him so interesting as a guitar player is that he's always pulling from the varied influences represented here: rock ("Penants"), country ("Meadow Rag"), jazz ("The Continental"), and classical ("Surface Tension"). The good news is that each track succeeds and a few are downright stellar. Howe has another go at an epic length orchestra-plus-guitar effort, "Double Rondo", which stands as probably his finest accomplishment ever. If you're going to own one album by this remarkable guitarist, this is the one.
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