Indeed. The 4:15 Bradford Executive is another one I think is unique. The only thing I can compare it to would be some of Metheny's "travelogue" types of pieces......Originally Posted by Reid
Indeed. The 4:15 Bradford Executive is another one I think is unique. The only thing I can compare it to would be some of Metheny's "travelogue" types of pieces......
"And this is the chorus.....or perhaps it's a bridge...."
I don't know if that long solo is a one taker, or a composite, but it has a great flow and continuity. It's like listening to a story.
At the risk of being unpopular, this is probably my favorite Level 42 song and contains a solo from Allan (although the rhythm guitar was played by Dominic Miller, I believe). Gary Husband on drums, who also wrote the song.
A fabulous and incredibly unique player but in my opinion lose the synthaxe. Road Games is the shit.
Does he even still use the Synthaxe? Each of the times I saw him live (once in 92, then twice in 2003, and at whichever NEARfest preshow he played on, 2006 or whenever it was), he just played conventional guitar. I believe I read once where he said that it had a lot of reliability issues, especially after the company went out of business. I think he said any time he switches it on, he's never sure if it's going to work right or not.
Dunno if he uses it anymore; I believe he's working with a new synth controller now, as the Synthaxe is unreliable and they are out of business, so......
I saw him use it twice, in the 1980's. Not since then......But that breath controller thing was pretty cool, honestly.
"And this is the chorus.....or perhaps it's a bridge...."
As a person who does not play an instrument, I am just a music fan that thinks he is one of the greatest musicians of my lifetime. Too many tunes to show appreciation for, but his playing on this version of Non-Brewed Condiment from the live CD Then! is insanely phenomenal, but it also may be a good example of something that turns other listeners off.
What a great track, I also always loved his amazing guitar work at Gazeuse!
I agree with those who said that's impossible that Allan Holdsworth can be put in 'overrated' category.
Last edited by Svetonio; 08-19-2016 at 12:53 AM.
Nice! Thanks for sharing! I had not heard that version before now. One of my favorite tracks from Allan.
^
Yep, super intense playing on that track (and that whole album is great)!
Agree with anybody who says he's impossible to overrate; just one of the very best living musicians on the planet! He's amazing on just about everything he touches, but I like his own albums best.
A unique voice on the guitar. I first heard him on Believe It, which I most certainly did, or tried! I like him better on others' albums, but he's not too bad on his solo material either.
Not a fan of the Synthaxe, but even there, I can tolerate it because it's Allan playing the thing! Seeing him in concert is a privilege, and I hope I can again be part of the audience
when he's working his magic. It seems often times the greatest talents in any field are the most humble (not always, of course), and he is the king in that area.
I always feel bad when someone makes a statement like this. If you like Level 42, then more power to you. It's your life, so listen to what you enjoy.
To be or not to be? That is the point. - Harry Nilsson.
I like him in other people's bands...with the possible exception of UK where he didn't fit, IMHO. In particular, Bruford, Soft Machine and The New Tony Williams Lifetime have some very strong work from him.
However, sadly I couldn't get into what I've heard of his solo work (Metal Fatigue and other mid-late 80s odds and ends) at all...too cerebral and technical for my personal taste. Too heavy on whiplash-inducing chord changes.
IMHO it's because he never got that genius into an accessible format, the way that people like John McLaughlin and Pat Metheny did.
I'm not that keen on guitar synths in general. I kind of have to tolerate them on things like Discipline and Metheny's 80s work, and I think at least they are used fairly creatively.
Same here. Over the years I've collected almost all of his official (physical) work, in bands, solo and as a quest. There are also some bootleg-recordings I got from other fans.
I love his work with Bruford, UK, Ponty, Williams, etc, but I also love his solo-stuff. Favourite CD is Hard Hat Area, on which he has a angry, yet melodious sound which touches my heart.
One of the highlight of his guest-appearances (both on guitar and Synth Axe) is Tsunami from Steve Tavaglione's Blue Tav:
B.t.w. I'm curious what the UK-box will bring; there seems to be some extra material from the first album.
One of the bootlegs ^^ is Wildlife from Tony Williams:
Fenomenal version!
(I'm sure AH dislikes it)
If you're going to hunt for a copy of "Then!" and have some extra money, you should go for the Japanese version which has a great version of "Funnels" as bonus-track: https://www.discogs.com/Allan-Holdsw...elease/8466247
Well, it was mostly tongue-in-cheek.I always feel bad when someone makes a statement like this. If you like Level 42, then more power to you. It's your life, so listen to what you enjoy.
Oddly enough, I first heard about them because of the connection to Allan Holdsworth.
Too much extra money ! Amazon had it for 16£ - ordered.
Well, it was mostly tongue-in-cheek.
Oddly enough, I first heard about them because of the connection to Allan Holdsworth.
It doesn't get much funkier than this !
Allan Holdsworth, I.O.U. was one of the first CDs I ever bought back in '87 when I got my first CD player. It is still one of the top 20 albums I listen to, nearly three decades later. Love that album. Gary Husband on drums and the organic and very musical way that guy screws with time is amazing, and fits perfectly with Holdsworth's smooth chording punctuated with spasms of speed.
Bartholomew Boge
of Divine • In • Sight
A great guitar innovator that imo unfortunately spent most of his career post-70s on increasingly bland mondo-guitar shred fusion.
Off topic but Bad Dog U came up on my Ipod shuffle this week. It's a incredible album, excellent musicianship.
+1
Love that CD.
I disagree with you about him in UK, I thought that was a fantastic fit and that is among my favorite albums of all time. But otherwise, I agree with you. As much as I respect Holdsworth and agree he's a one-of-a-kind talent, I personally prefer him as icing on the cake rather than being the actual cake.
But I should probably try again with some of his solo stuff, likely starting with Road Games, which was the one I remember liking the best.
I think this is correct. So in a sense, he's underrated in terms of broad popularity, but probably rated about right among guitarists and Prog fans... i.e. that he's totally one-of-a-kind.
Bill
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