Allan Holdsworth (1946-2017)

[James]

"My music is written with one goal in mind: to improvise. It's like explaining a great story in words, but without words, much faster than you could with words. It's like a direct line of instantaneous communication where you don't have to wait for the end."

[Mirror Image]

I received the Holdsworth box set today and it is absolutely magnificent! There's a lush 40-page booklet with high quality photos of the man himself and each album has the original LP-style gatefold sleeve that comes with it. This may be one of my favorite purchases of the year (so far).

[James]

I received the Holdsworth box set today and it is absolutely magnificent! There's a lush 40-page booklet with high quality photos of the man himself and each album has the original LP-style gatefold sleeve that comes with it. This may be one of my favorite purchases of the year (so far).

Excellent. Even though I really don't need it, I may just crumble & buy it myself later this year - it certainly looks very attractive and it's all remastered!

[Mirror Image]

Excellent. Even though I really don't need it, I may just crumble & buy it myself later this year - it certainly looks very attractive and it's all remastered!

Indeed! My dad owns most of these albums and I could have easily burned CDs from his collection, but this box set was too good to pass up and who knows it may be a collector's item one day. In other Holdsworth news, I just received the Japanese pressing of the U.K. album and it sounds amazing.

[James]

https://www.youtube.com/v/Q8OiP7lEBdI

[James]

https://www.youtube.com/v/2TzfgjHDSRU

[Robert101]

I've been listening to so many of Allan's recordings since his death it's hard to remember them all. He has always been a favorite of mine--though I wish he'd avoided the Synth-stuff--and his harmonic sense is unique among guitarists of his genre.  If he hadn't played so fast and continuously, his note choices would be even more impressive. I hear Coltrane, Rollins and Bill Evans in his playing more than any guitarist past or present. And much of his greatness was done without bending notes and zero rock star affectation. He reminds me of Joe Pass when he talks about music (I know Allan H. liked his playing). He seemed humble and not too theoretical in interviews.

[Scion7]

The great thing about Tempest, and his work with Soft Machine, is it pared the guitar down to the essential lines.
This is why that Tempest album is his very, very best work, without objection.

[James]

The pods & sods network has a nifty 3 part tribute up ..

https://podsodcast.com/category/allan-holdsworth/

[James]

https://www.youtube.com/v/qO3o484Z2OU

[James]

https://www.youtube.com/v/J8wE6KvpExk

[James]

https://www.youtube.com/v/8Urvnw0CLSw

[James]

https://www.youtube.com/v/_TSgFJ2EuA4

[James]

https://www.youtube.com/v/6LsagNcJF9I