Sometimes people ask for recommendations: What Allan albums should they listen to, and listen to FIRST. The following guide is a totally subjective shot at ranking Allan's discography in order of listening. The following ranking is used:
Ranking:
1 - Essential listening
2 - Highly recommended
3 - Recommended
4 - For specially interested
5 - For collectors only
The ranking is based on a sum of the following criteria: Is the album truly representative of Allan's creative vision? Does the album feature much of Allan's playing? In the case of single track appearances, it might be that excellent performances is not enough to rank the album as essential. Is the album well recorded and produced? The subjective taste applied here leans towards jazz aesthetics, which means that an album like "U.K." does not rank that well.
A ranking of 1 is essential listening. This means the album contains stuff you should hear. Nearly all of Allan's solo albums are essential listening. The ranking doesn't help to tell you where to begin, that's a matter for another ranking entirely! A ranking of 2 is highly recommended. This means there are abundant moments of Allan, and the playing is great. It usually means that it's someone else's creative vision coming through. This might not be important to you. A ranking of 3 means that the work is enjoyable overall, but it simply wouldn't be where I'd start. A ranking of 4 indicates special interest. You might enjoy a lot of this material immensely, and there might be great moments, but the music is not so interesting in general. A ranking of 5 is for collectors only. This means that the recording might be interesting on historical grounds for example, and feature some interesting playing, but that it contains a lot of formative work, or else that it was recorded under unfavorable circumstances.
| Album artist
|
Album name
|
Year
|
Type
|
Rank
|
| Igginbottom
|
Igginbottom's Wrench [1]
|
1969
|
Band member
|
4
|
| Ian Carr
|
Belladonna [2]
|
1973
|
Band member
|
4
|
| Tempest
|
Tempest [3]
|
1973
|
Band member
|
3
|
| Soft Machine
|
Bundles [4]
|
1975
|
Band member
|
1
|
| The New Tony Williams Lifetime
|
Believe It [5]
|
1975
|
Band member
|
1
|
| The New Tony Williams Lifetime
|
Million Dollar Legs [6]
|
1976
|
Band member
|
4
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Velvet Darkness [7]
|
1976
|
Solo artist
|
4
|
| Gong
|
Gazeuse! [8]
|
1976
|
Band member
|
2
|
| Bruford
|
Feels Good To Me [9]
|
1977
|
Band member
|
3
|
| Esther Phillips
|
Capricorn Princess [10]
|
1977
|
Session, 1 track
|
5
|
| Jean-Luc Ponty
|
Enigmatic Ocean [11]
|
1977
|
Band member
|
3
|
| John Stevens
|
Retouch [12]
|
1977
|
Band member
|
5
|
| Gong
|
Expresso II [13]
|
1978
|
Session, 4 tracks
|
3
|
| U.K.
|
U.K. [14]
|
1978
|
Band member
|
3
|
| John Stevens
|
Touching On [15] [16]
|
1978
|
Band member
|
5
|
| Bruford
|
One Of A Kind [17]
|
1979
|
Band member
|
2
|
| Gordon Beck
|
Sunbird [18]
|
1979
|
Band member
|
3
|
| Pierre Moerlen's Gong
|
Time Is The Key [19][20]
|
1979
|
Session, 2 tracks
|
4
|
| Allan Holdsworth, Gordon Beck, Jeff Clyne, John Stevens
|
Conversation Piece [21] [22]
|
1980
|
Band member
|
5
|
| Soft Machine
|
Land Of Cockayne [23]
|
1981
|
Session
|
5
|
| Allan Holdsworth & Gordon Beck
|
The Things You See [24]
|
1981
|
Band member
|
3
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
I.O.U. [25]
|
1982
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Road Games [26]
|
1983
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Jean-Luc Ponty
|
Individual Choice [27][28]
|
1983
|
Session, 2 tracks
|
3
|
| Jon St. James
|
Transatlantic [29] [30]
|
1984
|
Session, 2 tracks
|
5
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Metal Fatigue [31]
|
1985
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Rege Burrell
|
Victim Of Emotion
|
1985
|
Session, 1 track
|
5
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Atavachron [32]
|
1986
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Soma
|
Soma [33] [34]
|
1986
|
Session, 5 tracks
|
3
|
| Jon St. James
|
Fast Impressions [35] [36]
|
1986
|
Session, 2 tracks
|
3
|
| Krokus
|
Change Of Address [37]
|
1986
|
Session, 1 track
|
4
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Sand [38]
|
1987
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Stanley Clarke
|
If This Bass Could Only Talk [39]
|
1988
|
Session, 1 track
|
3
|
| Stuart Hamm
|
Radio Free Albemuth [40]
|
1988
|
Session, 1 track
|
3
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Secrets [41]
|
1989
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Alex Masi
|
Attack Of The Neon Shark [42]
|
1989
|
Session, 1 track
|
4
|
| Strange Advance
|
The Distance Between [43] [44]
|
1989
|
Session, 2 tracks
|
4
|
| Jack Bruce
|
A Question Of Time [45] [46]
|
1989
|
Session, 2 tracks
|
3
|
| Allan Holdsworth & Gordon Beck
|
With A Heart In My Song [47]
|
1989
|
Band member
|
2
|
| Gordon Beck
|
Dreams [48]
|
1989
|
Producer
|
5
|
| Carl Verheyen
|
No Borders [49]
|
1989
|
Session, 1 track
|
4
|
| Various Artists
|
Guitar's Practicing Musicians [50]
|
1989
|
Session, 1 track w/ Jeff Watson
|
4
|
| MVP
|
Truth In Shredding [51]
|
1990
|
Band member
|
1
|
| Steve Tavaglione
|
Blue Tav [52]
|
1990
|
Session, 1 track
|
3
|
| Andrea Marcelli
|
Silent Will [53] [54]
|
1990
|
Session, 3 tracks
|
2
|
| Level 42
|
Guaranteed [55]
|
1991
|
Band member
|
4
|
| Chad Wackerman
|
Forty Reasons [56]
|
1991
|
Band member
|
2
|
| Paz
|
Love In Peace (Amour Empaz) [57]
|
1991
|
Session, 1 track
|
5
|
| Jeff Watson
|
Lone Ranger [58]
|
1992
|
Session, 1 track
|
4
|
| Andrea Marcelli
|
Oneness [59] [60]
|
1992
|
Session, 2 tracks
|
2
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Wardenclyffe Tower [61]
|
1993
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Wardenclyffe Tower +3 [62]
|
1993
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Various Artists
|
Come Together [63]
|
1993
|
Session, 1 track
|
2
|
| Chad Wackerman
|
The View [64]
|
1993
|
Session, 6 tracks
|
3
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Hard Hat Area [65]
|
1993
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Just For The Curious
|
1993
|
Solo artist
|
4
|
| Gongzilla
|
Suffer [66] [67] [68] [69]
|
1995
|
Session, 4 tracks
|
2
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
None Too Soon [70]
|
1996
|
Solo artist
|
2
|
| Anders Johansson, Jens Johansson & Allan Holdsworth
|
Heavy Machinery [71]
|
1996
|
Band member
|
3
|
| Gorky Park
|
Stare [72]
|
1996
|
Session, 1 track
|
4
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
I.O.U. Live
|
1997
|
Solo artist
|
5
|
| Steve Hunt
|
From Your Heart And From Your Soul [73]
|
1997
|
Session, 1 track
|
3
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
The Sixteen Men Of Tain [74]
|
2000
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Flat Tire [75]
|
2001
|
Solo artist
|
2
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
All Night Wrong[76]
|
2002
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Soft Machine
|
BBC Radio 1971-1974 [77]
|
2003
|
Band member
|
3
|
| Soft Works
|
Abracadabra [78]
|
2003
|
Band member
|
3
|
| Atlantis
|
Pray For Rain [79]
|
2003
|
Session, 1 track
|
3
|
| Allan Holdsworth Group
|
Then! [80]
|
2003
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Derek Sherinian
|
Mythology [81] [82]
|
2004
|
Session, 2 tracks
|
2
|
| K2
|
Book Of The Dead [83]
|
2004
|
Session, 4 tracks
|
3
|
| Riptyde
|
Sonic Undertow [84] [85]
|
2004
|
Session/featured soloist
|
4
|
| David Hines
|
Nebula [86] [87]
|
2005
|
Session, 2 tracks
|
3
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Against The Clock [88] [89]
|
2005
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Tempest
|
Under The Blossom: The Anthology [90]
|
2005
|
Band member
|
3
|
| Soft Machine
|
Floating World Live [91]
|
2006
|
Band member
|
3
|
| Bruford
|
Rock Goes To College [92]
|
2006
|
Band member
|
3
|
| Planet X
|
Quantum [93] [94]
|
2007
|
Session, 2 tracks
|
3
|
| Jean-Luc Ponty
|
The Acatama Experience [95]
|
2007
|
Session, 1 track
|
3
|
| Dan Carlin & Friends
|
Prowlin’ [96]
|
2007
|
Session, 1 track
|
4
|
| Chris Buck
|
Progosaurus [97]
|
2008
|
Session, 1 track
|
4
|
| Holdsworth, Pasqua, Haslip, Wackerman
|
Blues For Tony [98]
|
2009
|
Band member
|
1
|
| Danny Thompson, Allan Holdsworth, John Stevens
|
Propensity [99]
|
2009
|
Band member
|
5
|
| Snew
|
Highway Star [100]
|
2009
|
Session, 1 track
|
3
|
| Paul Korda
|
Early Years [101]
|
2009
|
Session, 1 track
|
4
|
| Eric Keyes
|
No One Knows My Thirst [102]
|
2009
|
Session, 1 track
|
3
|
| Gary Husband
|
Dirty And Beautiful Volume 1 [103]
|
2010
|
Session, 3 tracks
|
3
|
| Corrado Rustici
|
Deconstruction Of A Postmodern Musician [104]
|
2010
|
Session, 1 track
|
3
|
| Level 42
|
Living It Up
|
2010
|
Session, 1 track
|
5
|
| Gary Husband
|
Dirty And Beautiful Volume 2 [105]
|
2012
|
Session, 1 track
|
3
|
| Chad Wackerman
|
Dreams Nightmares And Improvisations [106]
|
2012
|
Band member
|
4
|
| Soft Machine
|
Switzerland 1974
|
2015
|
Band member
|
3
|
| U.K.
|
Ultimate Collector's Edition
|
2016
|
Band member
|
4
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Tales From The Vault [107]
|
2016
|
Solo artist
|
4
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Eidolon [108]
|
2017
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
The Man Who Changed Guitar Forever [109]
|
2017
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| MSM Schmidt
|
Life [110] [111]
|
2017
|
Session, 2 tracks
|
2
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Live In Japan 1984 [112]
|
2018
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
| Peter Lemer
|
Jet Yellow [113]
|
2019
|
Session, 1 track.
|
4
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Warsaw Summer Jazz Days '98 [114]
|
2019
|
Solo artist
|
2
|
| Holdsworth/Warleigh/Mathewson/Spring
|
Warleigh Manor [115]
|
2020
|
Group member
|
4
|
| PAZ with The Singing Bowls of Tibet
|
Live In London '81: The Ron Mathewson Tapes Vol. 2 [116]
|
2020
|
Group member
|
5
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Frankfurt '86 [117]
|
2020
|
Solo artist
|
3
|
| Lockwood/Beck/Holdsworth/Jenny-Clark/Romano
|
The Unique Concert [118]
|
2020
|
Group member
|
3
|
| Soft Works
|
Abracadabra In Osaka [119]
|
2020
|
Group member
|
3
|
| Allan Holdsworth
|
Leverkusen '97
|
2021
|
Solo artist
|
1
|
