Geoff Downes Pick

Geoff Downes has been not only part of Yes as a musician, a vocalist, a mixer, but pretty much almost every capacity. He reluctantly was the vocalist for one of my favorite albums by Yes (Drama). I know I didn't include any of those tracks on this pick, but I easily could have. Instead I put on Buggles I Am A Camera, which was rewritten a little and appeared on that album. I might have put on Tempus Fugit (one of my favorites), but instead I put on the full Fly From Here with the redone lyrics by Downes. A great track many have not fully listened to enough. Of course I added an Asia track, but the surprise for many is probably the Kate Bush track where he plays the "trumpets" (sort of.) Look it up. I didn't pick a Pink Floyd tribute track, but he's on Sherwood's tributes. I did put on an Icon track from the first Icon album, which is him and Wetton. You are welcome. And imagine if he had brought Symphonie Electronique to Yes. Wow! Add vocals and Steve Howe guitar to it and it's set. I always consider Downes to be the nice, shy, New Wave, Wakeman.

Geoff Downes Pick

01 Greg Lake & Geoff Downes - Love Under Fire

02 The Prog Collective featuring Geoff Downes, Richard Page - Over Again

03 John Wetton & Geoffrey Downes - Let Me Go

04 Yes - Fly From Here (Complete Return)

05 Geoffrey Downes With The New Dance Orchestra - Symphonie Electronique

06 Buggles - I Am A Camera

07 Geoffrey Downes - Tears

08 Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star

09 Icon - I Would Die for You

10 Asia - Heat Of The Moment

11 Kate Bush - Sat In Your Lap

Billy Sherwood Pick 2

Continuing the Yes family pick series of Billy Sherwood. The man has like most of these guys that were in Yes, a bunch of solo work. I don't yet have it all, but I am working on getting more. And like I keep saying for all of these guys, once you play in Yes, you play with each other forever. Just check out who is in Arc Of Life, or Prog Collective, or Circa. Even Yoso has members of Yes and Toto. Asia has members of Yes and guests from Yes. I think it's a Conspiracy, oh no, that's Chris Squire and Billy Sherwood. Aargh! If you like the band, you'll probably like most of the offshoots, but if you don't, what are you doing reading this? Now, what if you could only choose one track from each of these guys to make a compilation. Let's say one track from any of the individual picks. For example, one from Billy Sherwood (pick one or two), one from Jon Anderson (pick one or two). Leave your picks in the comments.

Billy Sherwood Pick 2

13 John Wetton - Lost For Words

14 World Trade - The Moment Is Here

15 Mabel Greer's Toyshop - Electric Funeral

16 Yes - The Messenger

17 Lodgic - Lonely Man

18 The Prog Collective - Are We To Believe

19 Yoso - Yoso

20 Arc Of Life - You Make It Real

21 Yes - The Ice Bridge

22 Circa - Cut the Ties

23 Yes - Open Your Eyes

24 Conspiracy - The Unknown

25 Asia - What Above Love

Steve Howe Pick 2

Continuing the Steve Howe pick was easy. Like I said before he has so much to choose from. As usual, these are my favorites of various aspects of Steve Howe. He has a distinctive sound, but also a varied sound. You can find him playing a variety of types of guitars, but the style is his. From the acoustic flavorings of The Clap to the power of Heat Of The Moment. From psychedelic to new wave, he just plays like the rock god he is. Leave your favorite moments in the comments, whether I picked them or not. I would love to know what you think.

Steve Howe Pick 2

16 Steve Howe - Nether Street

17 Steve Howe - The Headlands

18 Yes - The Clap

19 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasure Dome

20 Yes - Starship Trooper

21 Tommy Shaw & Steve Howe - Vera

22 Steve Howe - Dream River

23 Tomorrow - Revolution

24 Keith West - Exerpt From A Teenage Opera

25 Asia - Heat Of The Moment

26 Yes - Yours Is No Disgrace

Steve Howe Pick 1

This guy is one of the least rock god looking guys ever, but he plays like a rock god. He acts like a rock god. I met him, he would not sign a guitar, but he would sign album covers, so that was cool. Not only in Yes, but was in my favorite three Yes albums (Yes Album, Relayer, Drama). He played in Asia and GTR and with Lou Reed and Queen and Frankie Goes To Hollywood and also has tons of solo albums, Yes, Steve Howe is a guitar rock god, but, no, he doesn't look like one. He looks like an old English dude who has been through the medical system in England. I used a picture of him when he was younger on the cover, before he went through all that. Here is my pick of some of my favorites from him over the years. 

Steve Howe Pick 1

01 Steve Howe - Doors Of Sleep

02 Steve Howe - Pennants

03 Yes - Going For The One

04 Lou Reed - Ride Into The Sun

05 Steve Howe - Maybellene

06 Steve Howe - Cactus Boogie

07 Steve Howe - Surface Tension

08 Asia - Time Again

09 Jon Anderson - Now And Again

10 Steve Howe - Break Away From It All

11 GTR - When The Heart Rules The Mind

12 Steve Howe - Sketches In The Sun

13 Queen - Innuendo

14 Tomorrow - My White Bicycle

15 Steve Howe - Walk Don't Run

Carl Palmer Pick

I was lucky enough to hang out with Carl Palmer a few times. Nice guy and big ego (deservedly so). He is a great drummer. He's been in a couple of great bands with virtuoso's and has played with some cool people. This pick takes some of my favorite moments of mine about him. Solo and even going back pre-ELP. I through in a few guest spots where I think he shined and came up with this compilation of Palmer showing why he deserves to have such a big ego. If there are some moments of his that I skipped, make sure you mention them in the comments. Over the next couple of days, I will do the same for the E and the L. Notice that over the three CD's I repeat only one ELP track, once. I will continue after Groundhog's Day.

Carl Palmer Pick

01 The Craig - I Must Be Mad

02 Atomic Rooster - Decline And Fall

03 Emerson Lake & Palmer - Karn Evil 9 1st Impression, Pt. 2

04 Emerson Lake & Palmer - Close but not Touching

05 Emerson Lake & Palmer - Bullfrog

06 Emerson Lake & Palmer - Infinite Space (Conclusion)

07 Carl Palmer - Tank

08 Carl Palmer - LA Nights

09 Asia - Wildest Dreams

10 Carl Palmer's PM - Children Of The Air Age

11 Mike Oldfield - Ready Mix

12 3 (Emerson Berry & Palmer) - Talkin' Bout

13 Qango - The Last One Home

14 Carl Palmer - Drum Solo

15 Carl Palmer - Toccata

16 Carl Palmer & Buddy Rich - Shawnee (Live)

Asia Family (Downes, Howe, Palmer, Wetton)

Asia is a supergroup. So the four guys in Asia came from other groups and played with tons more, I'm sure. Geoff Downes from Buggles. Yes brought us Steve Howe (and Downes). Emerson Lake & Palmer brought us Carl Palmer. John Wetton came from a lot of places, but I like to think it was UK, but he was also in King Crimson, Uriah Heap, Roxy Music, etc. These guys played with each other, their band mates in various forms and tons of bands. Did you know that Geoff Downes, for instance, played on Kate Bush's Sat In Your Lap? Not on here, but interesting. So here's a pick of stuff they were on that I happen to like. So Asia's extended family for your pleasure.

Asia Family (Downes, Howe, Palmer, Wetton)

01 Asia - Heat Of The Moment

02 In Crowd - Blow Up

03 3 - Desde La Vida

04 Yes - Run Through The Light

05 King Crimson - Red

06 GTR - When The Heart Rules The Mind

07 Steve Howe - Ram

08 Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man

09 Bryan Ferry - Another Time, Another Place

10 Uriah Heep - Easy Livin'

11 Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star

13 UK - Carrying No Cross

14 John Wetton - Us And Them

15 Tomorrow - My White Bicycle

16 Atomic Rooster - Friday The 13th