Sand (album): Difference between revisions

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The SynthAxe dominates on “Sand”, where there are only two regular guitar solos on “Pud Wud” and “4.15 Bradford Executive”, but they are stellar! Also, Allan plays the “MacMan” solo through a Marshall amp. The synths are generally orchestral or reedy, and the music has something of a soundtrack quality to it. Jimmy Johnson, Gary Husband, Chad Wackerman and Alan Pasqua are important contributors.
[[File:Sand.jpg|200px|right]]"Sand" is a 1986 solo album by Allan Holdsworth. Following in the footsteps of "Atavachron", "Sand" leans even more heavily into the SynthAxe: The only guitar playing on the entire album consists of two guitar solos on "Pud Wud" and "The 4.15 Bradford Executive". The album is all instrumental, with a lot of  jazz weight, while also perhaps being even more influenced by classical music. "Sand", "Pud Wud", and "Clown" are continuations of the direction from "Atavachron", with ensemble pieces with themes that lay the foundation for improvisation. But on "Distance vs Desire", Allan plays a SynthAxe duet with himself in a rubato tempo. It is perhaps one of his emotionally most moving pieces. "Bradford Executive" is like a genre all its own, starting with a soundtrack-esque train ride programmed on Allan's computer, before moving into a free flowing improvisation with Chad Wackerman, and one of Allan's longest and most cinematic guitar solos on record. The album ends with the peculiar "Mac Man", where Allan once again applies a sequencer on an avant-gardish composition. Here, he even plays his SynthAxe through a Marshall stack!


http://threadoflunacy.blogspot.no/2017/08/19-sand-1987.html==[[Castles Made Of Sand (Guitarist 1987)]]==
This album also represented something new in Allan's working method: For the first time, he took the basic tracks with him home from the studio, and overdubbed in his garage on a rented tape machine. Here, he was allowed to spend as much time as he wanted on his guitar sound. He built himself custom speaker boxes that allowed him to record the amps at full volume, while not keeping the neighborhood awake.
 
==Track listing==
{|class='wikitable'
|+Allan Holdsworth: Sand ([[Allan Holdsworth Discography|D]] - [[Allan Holdsworth Solo Albums|S]]) ([https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mNAYj_5SNIedcGDJMX89JFHf3rXvY7uJk YT])
|-
!
!style="text-align:left;"|Track title
!style="text-align:left;"|Composer
!style="text-align:left;"|Length
|-
!1.
|Sand
|Holdsworth
|5:25
|-
!2.
|Distance vs. Desire
|Holdsworth
|5:16
|-
!3.
|Pud Wud
|Holdsworth
|6:45
|-
!4.
|Clown
|Holdsworth
|5:14
|-
!5.
|The 4.15 Bradford Executive
|Holdsworth/Wackerman
|8:28
|-  
!6.
|Mac Man
|Holdsworth
|4:01
|}
 
'''Allan Holdsworth''': Guitar, SynthAxe<br>
'''Gary Husband''': Drums (1, 3)<br>
'''Chad Wackerman''': Drums (4, 5, 6)<br>
'''Jimmy Johnson''': Bass<br>
'''Alan Pasqua''': Keyboards on "Pud Wud"<br>
'''Biff Vincent''': Octapad on "Mac Man"<br>
'''John England''': Programming on "Mac Man"
 
=Quotes on Sand summarized=
Allan Holdsworth's album "Sand" represented a significant step forward for him in his musical journey, primarily due to his mastery of the SynthAxe, a synthesizer controller for guitarists. In contrast to his previous album "Atavachron," where he had just acquired the SynthAxe and was still learning to use it, "Sand" showcased his progress with the instrument.
 
"Sand" was an all-instrumental album, and Holdsworth's refusal to compromise his music or bow to commercial pressures was evident in his dedication to pushing the boundaries of his creativity. The album featured synthesizers as the main components in creating new textures, marking another evolution in Holdsworth's sound.
 
Holdsworth's experimentation with recording techniques, such as using multiple amplifiers and microphones to capture different tones, demonstrated his constant search for the perfect sound. He acknowledged that his playing and music were continuously evolving, and he had a deep commitment to learning and exploring new musical possibilities.
 
Overall, "Sand" represented Holdsworth's unwavering commitment to his artistic vision and his willingness to embrace technology and innovation in pursuit of his unique musical expression. ''[This summary was written by ChatGPT in 2023 based on the quotes below.]''
 
=Quotes on "Sand"=
 
==[[Castles Made Of Sand (Guitarist 1987)]]==


One of the most revered musicians of our time and probably most talked about guitarist in these pages, Allan Holdsworth, has recorded a new album ‘'''Sand'''’ Because he refuses to either compromise his music or bow to commercial pressures Allan is again facing the prospect of ‘no deal’ Neville Marten asked about ‘'''Sand'''’…
One of the most revered musicians of our time and probably most talked about guitarist in these pages, Allan Holdsworth, has recorded a new album ‘'''Sand'''’ Because he refuses to either compromise his music or bow to commercial pressures Allan is again facing the prospect of ‘no deal’ Neville Marten asked about ‘'''Sand'''’…
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A: First of all, the newest one. And others are solo albums; ìWardenclyffe towerîîI.O.U.îîAtavacronîî'''Sand'''î and ìSecretsî.
A: First of all, the newest one. And others are solo albums; ìWardenclyffe towerîîI.O.U.îîAtavacronîî'''Sand'''î and ìSecretsî.


[[Category:Solo albums]]
=Links=
YouTube playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mNAYj_5SNIedcGDJMX89JFHf3rXvY7uJk
 
Ed's Blog: http://threadoflunacy.blogspot.no/2017/08/19-sand-1987.html
 
Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/master/37369-Allan-Holdsworth-Sand
 
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_(album)
[[Category:Solo albums]][[Category:Discography]]
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