Few guitarists have been as closely associated with progressive rock as Steve Howe. From his arrival in Yes in 1970 to his continuing work with the band decades later, Howe has helped shape a musical language built on imagination, precision, experimentation and an openness to unexpected ideas.
Yet when Howe speaks about Yes, he rarely sounds interested in simply celebrating the past. His thoughts reveal an artist who continues to question, experiment and search for new possibilities. His reflections on some of Yes’s most important songs, as well as the band’s recent creative work, offer a fascinating insight into what keeps the music alive.
Interviewer: When you look back at the classic Yes period, why do so many of those songs still mean so much to you?
Steve Howe: There was a wonderful innocence about the music we made in the 1970s. We were discovering things, taking chances and allowing the music to develop in unusual ways. There was a sense that we didn’t necessarily know where a piece was going to take us, and that was exciting.
I don’t dislike what Yes did after that period—there’s plenty of very good music—but the ’70s had a particular character. We were pushing ourselves and exploring what the band could actually become.
Interviewer: One of your favourite songs is “Turn Of The Century.” What makes that song so special to you?
Steve Howe: “Turn Of The Century” was a very interesting project. We went through a real process to find the right way of presenting it. The music had to work, and when everything came together, it became something very magical.
There is a softer side to Yes that people sometimes overlook. Songs like “And You And I,” “Wonderous Stories” and “Turn Of The Century” show that Yes wasn’t simply about complexity or volume. There was another dimension to the band—something delicate, emotional and atmospheric.
That contrast is important. Yes can be powerful and aggressive, but it can also be beautiful.
Interviewer: You’ve often spoken about the importance of musical challenge. Why is that still important to you?
Steve Howe: Yes needs challenges. If we simply went out and played music that was easy and familiar, we wouldn’t really be exploring anything.
Some of these songs demand a lot from us. That’s part of the reward. When you perform something difficult and the musicians communicate properly, there is a tremendous feeling of achievement.
For me, music should still make you reach for something.
Interviewer: Does the legacy of classic Yes ever become a limitation when you’re creating new music?
Steve Howe: It could, if you allowed it to. But I don’t think we should be trapped by our own history.
Of course, we know what Yes sounds like. We know the records people love. But if we’re constantly asking, “How can we make this sound like something we did years ago?” then we’re not really moving forward.
We need to keep moving forward. That’s what Yes is about. We don’t have to confine ourselves to being a certain kind of band. We’re free to be whatever we can be.
Interviewer: Collaboration has always been central to Yes. How do you approach that process today?
Steve Howe: It’s always been about collaboration. Somebody can write a song, but until everybody contributes, it isn’t really a Yes song.
That’s one of the most important things about this band. You can bring an idea into the room, but the other musicians will change it. They might add something you hadn’t imagined. Suddenly the piece becomes something larger than the original idea.
That’s the beauty of working with musicians.
Interviewer: How important has Geoff Downes been to that creative process?
Steve Howe: Geoff has a very individual musical personality, and that’s valuable. When you bring different musical minds together, you don’t want everyone thinking the same way.
The interesting thing is how those differences can become complementary. Geoff can bring something to a piece that I wouldn’t necessarily have thought of, and that’s exactly what you want from collaboration.
Interviewer: Your recent work has also involved experimenting with different guitar textures. What still excites you about the instrument?
Steve Howe: I’m still interested in finding sounds and textures I haven’t explored before.
The guitar is incredibly versatile. You can make it aggressive, delicate, strange, emotional or almost orchestral. I still enjoy combining different approaches, including electric, acoustic and steel guitar.
If I feel I’ve crossed a bridge I haven’t crossed before, that’s exciting to me.
Interviewer: After so many decades, do you still feel you have something to prove as a musician?
Steve Howe: I don’t think it’s about proving something. It’s about continuing to develop.
You can always learn. You can always find another texture, another arrangement or another way of approaching a piece of music.
The moment you think you’ve finished learning, you’ve probably stopped being creative.
Interviewer: What do you think people sometimes misunderstand about Yes?
Steve Howe: They sometimes focus on the complexity. Yes certainly has complex music, but complexity isn’t the whole story.
There is emotion. There is melody. There is beauty. There is rhythm. There is atmosphere. There is the interaction between musicians.
“Turn Of The Century” is a good example. It isn’t about trying to overwhelm the listener. It’s about creating a particular feeling and allowing the music to breathe.
Interviewer: Do you ever listen to your older work and think about what you would do differently?
Steve Howe: Of course. That’s natural. You hear things differently as time passes.
Sometimes we’ve looked back and wondered what we might have done with a piece if we had approached it with the experience we have now. But that’s not the same as trying to recreate the past.
The past is there. You can’t change it, and you shouldn’t need to.
Interviewer: So what does the future of Yes look like to you?
Steve Howe: The future has to be about discovery.
We’ve made our history, and we’re proud of it. But we shouldn’t simply keep looking backwards and saying, “Let’s make something like that old song.”
If we’re going to continue, there should be another direction to explore. It might be more revolutionary, or it might be stylistically different.
That’s what Yes has always been about—freedom.
Interviewer: Finally, after more than six decades in music, what keeps you picking up the guitar?
Steve Howe: Curiosity.
There’s still something I want to find. There are still sounds I haven’t made, ideas I haven’t explored and music I haven’t written.
As long as that curiosity remains, there is a reason to continue.
And ultimately, that’s what music should be about: not standing still, but discovering where you can go next.
