High Gear (Howe II album)
| High Gear | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Howe II | ||||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Recorded | Prairie Sun Recording Studios in Cotati, California | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 42:02 | |||
| Label | Shrapnel | |||
| Producer | Greg Howe, Mike Varney, Steve Fontano | |||
| Howe II chronology | ||||
| ||||
High Gear is the first studio album by hard rock band Howe II, released in 1989 through Shrapnel Records. Howe II was a short-lived group fronted by guitarist Greg Howe and his brother Albert, a singer.[1]
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Andy Hinds at AllMusic gave the album four stars out of five, saying that "The songs on High Gear are good, the riffs are killer, and the execution is flawless." He praised Greg's guitar playing as "more effective than ever; focused like a laser, his brilliant solos drive home the point of the songs rather than being the point of the songs" and likened Albert's vocals to David Lee Roth. More praise went to the band overall: "The entire band plays with an articulate, inspired precision and energy that is truly awesome."[1]
Track listing
All tracks written by Albert Howe and Greg Howe.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "High Gear" | 4:41 |
| 2. | "Carry the Torch" | 4:01 |
| 3. | "Strat-O-Various" | 1:13 |
| 4. | "Disorderly Conduct" | 4:33 |
| 5. | "Thinking of You" | 5:02 |
| 6. | "Standing on Line" | 3:32 |
| 7. | "Ferocious" | 4:34 |
| 8. | "Don't Let the Sloe Gin (Order the Wine)" | 5:08 |
| 9. | "Party Favors" | 3:30 |
| 10. | "Social Fever" | 5:48 |
Total length: |
42:02 | |
Personnel
- Albert Howe – lead vocals
- Greg Howe – guitar, background vocals, mixing, production
- Mike Varney – guitar solo (track 9), production
- Jason Becker – guitar solo (track 9)
- Joe Nevolo – drums, background vocals
- Vern Parsons – bass, background vocals
- Steve Fontano – engineering, mixing, production
- Joe Marquez – engineering assistance
- George Horn – mastering
- Kerry Doyle – cover art guitar customization
References
- 1 2 3 Hinds, Andy. "Howe 2: High Gear - Greg Howe". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2014-12-24.