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Allan Holdsworth
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Fink Floyd



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Posts: 25
Location: A small town in North Wales you've probably never heard of

PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 3:13 pm    Post subject: Allan Holdsworth Reply with quote

What would you recommend to a Holdsworth newbie? I've listened to his UK stuff and liked it, as well as Metal Fatigue, but he is an artist with a large back catalogue and I don't know where to go now. Any thoughts? Who else is a fan?
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Donnie B.



Joined: 13 Sep 2004
Posts: 101
Location: Chula Vista, CA

PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 3:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Being more of a Rock dude my 3 favorite Allan recordings are:

1. Metal Fatigue
2. Bill Bruford - One of a Kind (Allan is all over this CD)
3. UK

Road Games has some good stuff but also has some terrible tracks with Jack Bruce singing. It's not the singing that stinks I just don't like the songs. Sounds like the vocals were forced in IMO.
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alexkhan



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 6:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If it's still around, look for "Truth in Shredding" (from the old Legato Label) featuring Allan and Frank Gambale. Love Allan's playing on that one where he just blows like a sax player on fire. I'm not partial to Gambale's tone, so I don't really enjoy him as much, but Gambale's presence actually makes Allan's playing and tone sound that much better, IMO. Not trying to knock Gambale here as he's a great player, but Allan's tone, phrasing and pure blowing is much more my thing.

I also recommend "I.O.U.". "Metal Fatigue" is simply a classic of fusion guitar. There is also this old (frome the 70's) Tony Williams Lifetime album which I believe was his debut onto the scene that has some magnificent playing on it. That's the one that turned heads in the fusion circles.

Haven't really been keeping up with his more recent stuff. I'm hoping the Holdsworth show here on Sep 25 will rekindle my interest again. Can't wait!
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Donnie B.



Joined: 13 Sep 2004
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Location: Chula Vista, CA

PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is the CD that Ed is talking about. I remember really diggin this in the late 70s but for the life of me I can't remember anything about it now.


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markmcg



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Posts: 191
Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Wed Sep 15, 2004 9:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

alexkhan wrote:
If it's still around, look for "Truth in Shredding" (from the old Legato Label) featuring Allan and Frank Gambale. Love Allan's playing on that one where he just blows like a sax player on fire. I'm not partial to Gambale's tone, so I don't really enjoy him as much, but Gambale's presence actually makes Allan's playing and tone sound that much better, IMO. Not trying to knock Gambale here as he's a great player, but Allan's tone, phrasing and pure blowing is much more my thing.


Yeah, I'd second that. I have this and it just ...well it just....och just buy it Wink
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bill®



Joined: 11 Sep 2004
Posts: 72

PostPosted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

alexkhan wrote:
If it's still around, look for "Truth in Shredding" (from the old Legato Label) featuring Allan and Frank Gambale. Love Allan's playing on that one where he just blows like a sax player on fire. I'm not partial to Gambale's tone, so I don't really enjoy him as much, but Gambale's presence actually makes Allan's playing and tone sound that much better, IMO. Not trying to knock Gambale here as he's a great player, but Allan's tone, phrasing and pure blowing is much more my thing.


Dude, Gambale is not only an imbecile but he also lacks much more in his playing than a good tone. He is a stronger player now but his earlier recordings I have always found almost laughably bad. Obviously blah, blah, blah his innovative sweep picking whatever was the main selling point, although he overlooked the fact that MANY others had played using this technique already and DESPITE what he has claimed, others HAD developed to a fairly high level. However, the difference is where as previous jazz greats who used sweeping did so to facilitate musical ends, Gambale simply worked to produce the most bombastic, hollow, overwrought shreddy passages that he possibly could. Also, he talked the trash about Shawn Lane after his passing, so I can't help but feel he's a tool. I rue the day where I overlook a second-rate hack like Gambale pissing on the grave of possibly one of the most important electric guitarists in the history of the instrument.
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Donnie B.



Joined: 13 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 12:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bill® wrote:
Also, he talked the trash about Shawn Lane after his passing, so I can't help but feel he's a tool. I rue the day where I overlook a second-rate hack like Gambale pissing on the grave of possibly one of the most important electric guitarists in the history of the instrument.


RIGHT ON!
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shredguitar



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like Franks *playing* but I think his *tone*, especially on the MVP album, is down right horrible. And I've never thought of him the same since I heard what he said about Shawn.

Getting back on topic, I'd suggest Road Games. Great album.
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clovis



Joined: 15 Sep 2004
Posts: 14
Location: Texas

PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 4:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think Gambale would be so much better if his sweep technique was just another part of his playing like Allan Holdsworth's legato technique. Instead Frank has made his own religion out of it and instead of being tasteful, he goes into excess with it every solo and repeats the same damn "sweep licks". If you're really into that sound, more power to ya. It's a great technique to learn, but I would say it works better when someone like Joe Diorio or Jim Hall does it to advance a line and not because the technique IS the line....

What did Gambale say about Shawn after his passing? Where was this printed/posted at too? I used to be a member of his forum and I don't remember a posting anywhere with a bad Shawn comment from him on there.
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ARUjeff



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Donnie B. wrote:
This is the CD that Ed is talking about. I remember really diggin this in the late 70s but for the life of me I can't remember anything about it now.



this album and metal fatigue are possibly the two greatest recording from holdsworth in my opinion. i love how his playing ....he just makes up his own scales and blows away everything in his path.
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ARUjeff



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

just to add something..i also acquired a great idea from allan holdworth...he mentioned in an interview that before a show he puts his fretting hand in warm water and just moves his fingers around, rather than practice on the instrument for hours before the gig.....this method really seems to loosen tension, and soften you fingers, it helps tone if you ask me.
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pawel



Joined: 13 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 6:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sixteen Men of Tain is a brilliant album if you're into the jazzier side of things. And for full-on soloing in a trio format, "All night Wrong" is a pretty good choice (although I found it to be an acquired taste).

Re: Gambale, I do not like his attitude from what I've read on his own forum, although I do respect him as a player. I was never a fan of his tone though, or his solo records, and have very mixed feelings about his playing with Corea - sometimes I really like his solos, sometimes they just seem "constrained" in a way. His acoustic playing is great though, I wish he did more of that.

As for the technique, I've been toying around with it a little bit, and found that it works pretty well in jazzier lines, when you need to move vertically across the strings. I haven't really got to the point where I can use it efffectively while playing. Plus, I have been on guitar hiatus recently....
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alexkhan



Joined: 10 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 7:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are some pics from Allan's shows here on Nov 19 and 20. Killer shows as usual. It's almost overwhelming to try to absorb all that he throws at you. Got some detailed pics of his rig which I just couldn't figure out and didn't really have a desire to. A very unconventional rig and sounds that he gets out of it... Not something I'd even want to try to duplicate... I just know Allan sounds amazing no matter what kind of rig he plays through: Thompson, Pearce, Boogie, Yamaha, whatever... He's always sounded pretty much the same.

http://community.webshots.com/album/192039841zUCjed/1
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Carlo



Joined: 13 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 4:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I will be catching Holdsworth in January....can't wait Smile

that rig is insane Shocked
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kabuki



Joined: 17 Sep 2004
Posts: 105
Location: Verona, NJ

PostPosted: Fri Nov 26, 2004 3:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Carlo wrote:
I will be catching Holdsworth in January....can't wait Smile

that rig is insane Shocked


Carlo - there's a bunch of us who will be at the BB King's show. Let's figure out a way to identify each other. Maybe we can announce beforehand what t-shirts we will be wearing or something.

As for Allan's rig, it's the simplest he's had in years and very easy to figure out. Amazingly, no matter what he's playing through, he still sounds like Allan!
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