Allan Holdsworth Discography: Difference between revisions
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==Allan Holdsworth discography: Original releases== | ==Allan Holdsworth discography: Original releases== | ||
If you're primarily interested in Allan's work as a solo artist, click here: [[Allan Holdsworth Solo Albums]] | UPDATE: As of Nov 2023, the discography has been overhauled. All entries now contain images, track listings, YouTube or other streaming links, album overviews and summaries based on Allan's quotes. I've also written a [[Guide to discography entries]]. If you're primarily interested in Allan's work as a solo artist, click here: [[Allan Holdsworth Solo Albums]]. See notes below for the criteria used in making this discography. | ||
{|class="wikitable sortable" | {|class="wikitable sortable" | ||
|- | |- | ||
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! Performance | ! Performance | ||
|- | |- | ||
| colspan=5 | <div style='text-align: center;'>[[#60s|'''1960s and 70s''']]</div> | |||
|- | |||
|[[Igginbottom]] | |[[Igginbottom]] | ||
|[[Igginbottom's Wrench (album)|Igginbottom's Wrench]] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n4fHulw9OONn-vZm5Xt0wK5VAPcM0OvxA] | |[[Igginbottom's Wrench (album)|Igginbottom's Wrench]] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n4fHulw9OONn-vZm5Xt0wK5VAPcM0OvxA] | ||
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|[[Ian Carr]] | |[[Ian Carr]] | ||
|[[Belladonna (album)| Belladonna]] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_murbl2kM2bAN9P1nijRkSmj0daUqzQZ2U] | |[[Belladonna (album)| Belladonna]] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_murbl2kM2bAN9P1nijRkSmj0daUqzQZ2U] | ||
| | |1972 | ||
|Band member | |Band member | ||
|Guitar | |Guitar | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Bruford]] | |[[Bruford]] | ||
|[[One Of A Kind (album)| One Of A Kind]] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mcZ2AxnGQTao9w3TSEiB_O4NbYe-YV4AA] | |[[One Of A Kind (album)| One Of A Kind]][https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ljQGwB0zdaGhtA2GPup0XF1cx_WlK-TGo] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mcZ2AxnGQTao9w3TSEiB_O4NbYe-YV4AA] | ||
|1979 | |1979 | ||
|Band member | |Band member | ||
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|Guitar | |Guitar | ||
|- | |- | ||
| colspan=5 | <div style='text-align: center;'>[[#80s|'''1980s''']]</div> | |||
|- | |||
|[[Allan Holdsworth, Gordon Beck, Jeff Clyne, John Stevens]] | |[[Allan Holdsworth, Gordon Beck, Jeff Clyne, John Stevens]] | ||
|[[Conversation Piece (album)| Conversation Piece]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAcusrW39X4][https://youtu.be/6a3yQE4eSdM] [https://youtu.be/a4itqsIDkdY] | |[[Conversation Piece (album)| Conversation Piece]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAcusrW39X4][https://youtu.be/6a3yQE4eSdM] [https://youtu.be/a4itqsIDkdY] | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Jean-Luc Ponty]] | |[[Jean-Luc Ponty]] | ||
|[[Individual Choice (album)| Individual Choice]] [https://youtu.be/ | |[[Individual Choice (album)| Individual Choice]] [https://youtu.be/PXmCmuRpt1I?si=6eNf8EW6wXem67id][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXmCmuRpt1I&list=OLAK5uy_n-4GSBi872vhWPEvkRqZ9G89nCd2k6oLs&index=5] | ||
|1983 | |1983 | ||
|Session, 2 tracks | |Session, 2 tracks | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Rege Burrell]] | |[[Rege Burrell]] | ||
|[[Victim Of Emotion (album)| Victim Of Emotion]] | |[[Victim Of Emotion (album)| Victim Of Emotion]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvgXTGOnAEk] | ||
|1985 | |1985 | ||
|Session, 1 track | |Session, 1 track | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Soma]] | |[[Soma]] | ||
|[[Soma (album)| Soma]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZBVEnLsfP8] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list= | |[[Soma (album)| Soma]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZBVEnLsfP8] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiWeOexqZ1XnrBBwDykdYlwCeh2EmNN77] | ||
|1986 | |1986 | ||
|Session, 5 tracks | |Session, 5 tracks | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Strange Advance]] | |[[Strange Advance]] | ||
|[[The Distance Between (album)| The Distance Between]] [https://youtu.be/ | |[[The Distance Between (album)| The Distance Between]] [https://youtu.be/3oe3sF1AbMk?si=rWg1uUbhqvhCAoPh] [https://youtu.be/IgFOaSkMHzQ?si=NlbWUdlFYNSAyFSP] | ||
|1989 | |1989 | ||
|Session, 2 tracks | |Session, 2 tracks | ||
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|Session, 1 track w/ Jeff Watson | |Session, 1 track w/ Jeff Watson | ||
|Guitar | |Guitar | ||
|- | |||
| colspan=5 | <div style='text-align: center;'>[[#90s|'''1990s''']]</div> | |||
|- | |- | ||
|[[MVP]] | |[[MVP]] | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Andrea Marcelli]] | |[[Andrea Marcelli]] | ||
|[[Silent Will (album)| Silent Will]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= | |[[Silent Will (album)| Silent Will]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wbnQGEdr7Q] | ||
|1990 | |1990 | ||
|Session, 3 tracks | |Session, 3 tracks | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Chad Wackerman]] | |[[Chad Wackerman]] | ||
|[[Forty Reasons (album)| Forty Reasons]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= | |[[Forty Reasons (album)| Forty Reasons]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXYysjBGMMg&list=OLAK5uy_kHYYBECpmRBmBYi5jbcOr6tLKKvO6PWYk] | ||
|1991 | |1991 | ||
|Band member | |Band member | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Chad Wackerman]] | |[[Chad Wackerman]] | ||
|[[The View (album)| The View]] [https://www.youtube.com/ | |[[The View (album)| The View]] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nFTDvuSHjtdXQeduQ1Fe4RJtQwjgQ6dCo] | ||
|1993 | |1993 | ||
|Session, 6 tracks | |Session, 6 tracks | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Gorky Park]] | |[[Gorky Park]] | ||
|[[Stare (album)| Stare]] [https:// | |[[Stare (album)| Stare]] [https://youtu.be/XAGxRny5nhc?si=67vNxCvzghwA2cci] | ||
|1996 | |1996 | ||
|Session, 1 track | |Session, 1 track | ||
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|Session, 1 track | |Session, 1 track | ||
|Guitar | |Guitar | ||
|- | |||
| colspan=5 | <div style='text-align: center;'>[[#00s|'''2000s''']]</div> | |||
|- | |- | ||
|[[Allan Holdsworth]] | |[[Allan Holdsworth]] | ||
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|2002 | |2002 | ||
|Solo artist | |Solo artist | ||
|Guitar, composer | |Guitar, SynthAxe, composer | ||
|- | |||
|[[Allan Holdsworth]] | |||
|[[The Sixteen Men Of Tain - Special Edition]][https://allanholdsworth.info/ahwiki/index.php/The_Sixteen_Men_Of_Tain_-_Special_Edition] | |||
|2003 | |||
|Solo artist | |||
|Guitar, SynthAxe, composer | |||
|- | |- | ||
|[[Soft Machine]] | |[[Soft Machine]] | ||
|[[BBC Radio 1971-1974 (album)| BBC Radio 1971-1974]] [https:// | |[[BBC Radio 1971-1974 (album)| BBC Radio 1971-1974]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK3VGcCxbP0] | ||
|2003 | |2003 | ||
|Band member | |Band member | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Soft Works]] | |[[Soft Works]] | ||
|[[Abracadabra (album)| Abracadabra]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= | |[[Abracadabra (album)| Abracadabra]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90wuHMT9DFU] | ||
|2003 | |2003 | ||
|Band member | |Band member | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Allan Holdsworth Group]] | |[[Allan Holdsworth Group]] | ||
|[[Then! (album)| Then!]] [https://www.youtube.com/ | |[[Then! (album)| Then!]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpu-shkUtP0&list=OLAK5uy_keef6R2bNcDF7bfLiiXHiNtycPsqWm8Es] | ||
|2003 | |2003 | ||
|Solo artist | |Solo artist | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Riptyde]] | |[[Riptyde]] | ||
|[[Sonic Undertow (album)| Sonic Undertow]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9dPtDE2svY] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t-C1SF_UoM] | |[[Sonic Undertow (album)| Sonic Undertow]] [https://soundcloud.com/riptyde-2][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9dPtDE2svY] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t-C1SF_UoM] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRzVvh0brgs] | ||
|2004 | |2004 | ||
|Session/featured soloist | |Session/featured soloist | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Allan Holdsworth]] | |[[Allan Holdsworth]] | ||
|[[Against The Clock (album)| Against The Clock]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b2jtBGjqtk] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= | |[[Against The Clock (album)| Against The Clock]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b2jtBGjqtk] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YKkIszi8_8] | ||
|2005 | |2005 | ||
|Solo artist | |Solo artist | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Tempest]] | |[[Tempest]] | ||
|[[Under The Blossom: The Anthology (album)| Under The Blossom: The Anthology]] [https://www.youtube.com/ | |[[Under The Blossom: The Anthology (album)| Under The Blossom: The Anthology]] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_karxIGlvBlO7yV6WeLqhMklG-Q6SSQ5LI] | ||
|2005 | |2005 | ||
|Band member | |Band member | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Bruford]] | |[[Bruford]] | ||
|[[Rock Goes To College (album)| Rock Goes To College]] [https:// | |[[Rock Goes To College (album)| Rock Goes To College]] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlWGlOC_EYqhd_KJlU-gsCQ_TSkVgYXLw] | ||
|2006 | |2006 | ||
|Band member | |Band member | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Jean-Luc Ponty]] | |[[Jean-Luc Ponty]] | ||
|[[The Acatama Experience (album)| The Acatama Experience]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= | |[[The Acatama Experience (album)| The Acatama Experience]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoqsSv7c0_s] | ||
|2007 | |2007 | ||
|Session, 1 track | |Session, 1 track | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Dan Carlin & Friends]] | |[[Dan Carlin & Friends]] | ||
|[[Prowlin’ (album)| Prowlin’]] [https:// | |[[Prowlin’ (album)| Prowlin’]] [https://youtu.be/NjZ_dUMvojc?si=QpHiVwT8hLNC7YhF] | ||
|2007 | |2007 | ||
|Session, 1 track | |Session, 1 track | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Danny Thompson, Allan Holdsworth, John Stevens]] | |[[Danny Thompson, Allan Holdsworth, John Stevens]] | ||
|[[Propensity (album)| Propensity]] [https:// | |[[Propensity (album)| Propensity]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB8iwLoB4O8][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9KSJi1ci6k] | ||
|2009 | |2009 | ||
|Band member | |Band member | ||
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|Session, 1 track | |Session, 1 track | ||
|Guitar | |Guitar | ||
|- | |||
| colspan=5 | <div style='text-align: center;'>[[#10s|'''2010s''']]</div> | |||
|- | |- | ||
|[[Gary Husband]] | |[[Gary Husband]] | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Gary Husband]] | |[[Gary Husband]] | ||
|[[Dirty And Beautiful Volume 2 (album)| Dirty And Beautiful Volume 2]] [https:// | |[[Dirty And Beautiful Volume 2 (album)| Dirty And Beautiful Volume 2]] [https://youtu.be/3_aTnARNk7g?si=P42oQ5c1Zz5mhK9v] | ||
|2012 | |2012 | ||
|Session, 1 track | |Session, 1 track | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Soft Machine]] | |[[Soft Machine]] | ||
|[[Switzerland 1974 (album)| Switzerland 1974]] | |[[Switzerland 1974 (album)| Switzerland 1974]][https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/switzerland-1974] | ||
|2015 | |2015 | ||
|Band member | |Band member | ||
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|- | |- | ||
|[[Allan Holdsworth]] | |[[Allan Holdsworth]] | ||
|[[Eidolon (album)| Eidolon]] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list= | |[[Eidolon (album)| Eidolon]] [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mfimoGQc-3rrfmH69252dOJIq3A91dMmA] | ||
|2017 | |2017 | ||
|Solo artist | |Solo artist | ||
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|Solo artist | |Solo artist | ||
|Guitar, composer | |Guitar, composer | ||
|- | |||
| colspan=5 | <div style='text-align: center;'>[[#20s|'''2020s''']]</div> | |||
|- | |- | ||
|Holdsworth/Warleigh/Mathewson/Spring | |Holdsworth/Warleigh/Mathewson/Spring | ||
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|Band member | |Band member | ||
|Guitar, composer | |Guitar, composer | ||
|- | |||
|Christy Coobatis | |||
|[[The Dreamer (single)]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llDwAneiCso] | |||
|2023 | |||
|Session | |||
|Guitar | |||
|- | |||
|Pat Smythe Quartet | |||
|[[New Dawn: Live 1973]] [https://britprogjazz.bandcamp.com/album/new-dawn-live-1973] | |||
|2023 | |||
|Band member | |||
|Guitar | |||
|- | |||
|Pat Smythe Quartet | |||
|[[This Is British Progressive Jazz (album)|This Is British Progressive Jazz]] [https://britprogjazz.bandcamp.com/track/british-rail-unreleased-paris-version] | |||
|2024 | |||
|One track | |||
|Guitar | |||
|} | |} | ||
(Note: A first draft of compilations is found here: [[Allan Holdsworth discography: Noteworthy compilations]]) | (Note: A first draft of compilations is found here: [[Allan Holdsworth discography: Noteworthy compilations]]) | ||
==A note on the YouTube links== | ==A note on the YouTube links== | ||
In March 2020, YouTube links were added to the discography. YouTube was chosen as it is presumably the most widely available resource available to audiences all over the world. I have tried to locate officially licensed versions where available. I have tried to link to full album playlists where this seemed most pertinent, and to single tracks where this seemed most pertinent, but you may need to do some extra clicking to get to Allan's tracks. In some single cases, I have made links to other platforms. I hope you enjoy. The official "channel" named as "Allan Holdsworth Topic" is found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiyDXNsExWcKTDv_EsBJ_Dw | In March 2020, YouTube links were added to the discography. YouTube was chosen as it is presumably the most widely available resource available to audiences all over the world. I have tried to locate officially licensed versions where available. I have tried to link to full album playlists where this seemed most pertinent, and to single tracks where this seemed most pertinent, but you may need to do some extra clicking to get to Allan's tracks. In some single cases, I have made links to other platforms. I hope you enjoy. It is in the nature of YouTube that links change and videos get deleted, so I expect some links to be out of order in time. The official "channel" named as "Allan Holdsworth Topic" is found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiyDXNsExWcKTDv_EsBJ_Dw | ||
==Discography notes== | ==Discography notes== | ||
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The list does not contain albums with re-releases and compilations of previously released material, except where the new releases also contain previously unreleased music. That means that the Tempest anthology “Under The Blossom” is listed, for example, as it contains previously unreleased recordings from the BBC. Also, “Wardenclyffe Tower +3” is listed as a separate release. An exception is made for the 2017 box set. | The list does not contain albums with re-releases and compilations of previously released material, except where the new releases also contain previously unreleased music. That means that the Tempest anthology “Under The Blossom” is listed, for example, as it contains previously unreleased recordings from the BBC. Also, “Wardenclyffe Tower +3” is listed as a separate release. An exception is made for the 2017 box set. | ||
Updates, errors and omissions: A discography will usually be based on some subjective criteria, which may also be revised. | Updates, errors and omissions: A discography will usually be based on some subjective criteria, which may also be revised. This is by no means an "official" discography. Allan disowned several of the albums listed here. This discography is an attempt to list albums that were released "normally": That is, they have been entered into public records. The most important point here is that they EXIST. Even though Allan vehemently hated "Velvet Darkness", the story of the album needs to be told. Most of these albums have or have had some sort of distribution. A few of the later albums only have digital releases. The point here is that you may disagree with the list as it is presented here. You are of course free to make your own list based on your won criteria. I have tried to be up front on the criteria I've used here. | ||
==BBC sessions== | ==BBC sessions== | ||
Allan did a number of sessions for the BBC. These have been heavily bootlegged, but never officially released, with some exceptions. Here is a | Allan did a number of sessions for the BBC. These have been heavily bootlegged, but never officially released, with some exceptions. Here is a list of known unreleased sessions: [[Allan Holdsworth BBC sessions]]. | ||
==Unreleased albums== | ==Unreleased albums== | ||
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[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Holdsworth#Discography '''Wikipedia Discography''']: The Wikipedia discography is at the time of writing divided up into "Solo albums", which are subdivided into studio, live and collaborations, and the third main category is "With other artists", with the latter ordered in a format it took me some time to figure out. It starts with the group Igginbottom and lists their 1969 album. Then, it moves chronologically until we come to Soft Machine. All of Allan's albums with the Softs are then listed chronologically, before Allan's albums with Tony Williams are listed chronologically. I find this format confusing. Furthermore, due to its policy on "notability", Wikipedia does not list all albums featuring Allan. Most critically, some albums released posthumously are not listed as a result of this policy. | [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Holdsworth#Discography '''Wikipedia Discography''']: The Wikipedia discography is at the time of writing divided up into "Solo albums", which are subdivided into studio, live and collaborations, and the third main category is "With other artists", with the latter ordered in a format it took me some time to figure out. It starts with the group Igginbottom and lists their 1969 album. Then, it moves chronologically until we come to Soft Machine. All of Allan's albums with the Softs are then listed chronologically, before Allan's albums with Tony Williams are listed chronologically. I find this format confusing. Furthermore, due to its policy on "notability", Wikipedia does not list all albums featuring Allan. Most critically, some albums released posthumously are not listed as a result of this policy. | ||
[https://www.discogs.com/artist/254012-Allan-Holdsworth?filter_anv=0&subtype=Instruments-Performance&type=Credits '''Discogs Discography''']: Discogs is a user-submitted site, which means it contains a lot of entries, but which also means that it's prone to errors. That said, Discogs is probably the main source used for the discography on this site. It allows sorting and filtering by many criteria. The link provided lists appearances chronologically, much like the present discography. However, it includes compilations, which makes it somewhat confusing to me. The site lists some outright bootlegs, which I find to be a drawback. You can search for other things than appearances, such as listings for production. With a little clicking around, you can find complete lineups for recordings, composer credits and lots of other stuff. There are some minor errors, but overall, this is my favorite | [https://www.discogs.com/artist/254012-Allan-Holdsworth?filter_anv=0&subtype=Instruments-Performance&type=Credits '''Discogs Discography''']: Discogs is a user-submitted site, which means it contains a lot of entries, but which also means that it's prone to errors. That said, Discogs is probably the main source used for the discography on this site. It allows sorting and filtering by many criteria. The link provided lists appearances chronologically, much like the present discography. However, it includes compilations, which makes it somewhat confusing to me. The site lists some outright bootlegs, which I find to be a drawback. You can search for other things than appearances, such as listings for production. With a little clicking around, you can find complete lineups for recordings, composer credits and lots of other stuff. There are some minor errors, but overall, this is my favorite. | ||
I spotted the following errors: Allan is listed as appearing on Steve Morse Band's "Stand Up". The wrong track is listed on Masi's "Attack Of The Neon Shark". Allan is listed on "Hurdy Gurdy Man". | I spotted the following errors: Allan is listed as appearing on Steve Morse Band's "Stand Up". The wrong track is listed on Masi's "Attack Of The Neon Shark". Allan is listed on "Hurdy Gurdy Man". | ||
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[[Allan Holdsworth - A Listening Guide]] | [[Allan Holdsworth - A Listening Guide]] | ||
==Tribute albums and covers== | ==Tribute albums and covers== |
Latest revision as of 08:15, 1 October 2024
Allan Holdsworth discography: Original releases
UPDATE: As of Nov 2023, the discography has been overhauled. All entries now contain images, track listings, YouTube or other streaming links, album overviews and summaries based on Allan's quotes. I've also written a Guide to discography entries. If you're primarily interested in Allan's work as a solo artist, click here: Allan Holdsworth Solo Albums. See notes below for the criteria used in making this discography.
Album artist | Album name | Year | Role | Performance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Igginbottom | Igginbottom's Wrench [1] | 1969 | Band member | Guitar, vocals, composer |
Ian Carr | Belladonna [2] | 1972 | Band member | Guitar |
Tempest | Tempest [3] | 1973 | Band member | Guitar, vocals, violin, composer |
Soft Machine | Bundles [4] | 1975 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
The New Tony Williams Lifetime | Believe It [5] | 1975 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
The New Tony Williams Lifetime | Million Dollar Legs [6] | 1976 | Band member | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | Velvet Darkness [7] | 1976 | Solo artist | Guitar, violin, composer |
Gong | Gazeuse! [8] | 1976 | Band member | Guitar, violin, steel guitar, composer |
Bruford | Feels Good To Me [9] | 1977 | Band member | Guitar |
Esther Phillips | Capricorn Princess [10] | 1977 | Session, 1 track | Pedal steel guitar |
Jean-Luc Ponty | Enigmatic Ocean [11] | 1977 | Band member | Guitar |
John Stevens | Retouch [12] | 1977 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
Gong | Expresso II [13] | 1978 | Session, 4 tracks | Guitar |
U.K. | U.K. [14] | 1978 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
John Stevens | Touching On [15] [16] | 1978 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
Bruford | One Of A Kind[17] [18] | 1979 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
Gordon Beck | Sunbird [19] | 1979 | Band member | Guitar, violin |
Pierre Moerlen's Gong | Time Is The Key [20][21] | 1979 | Session, 2 tracks | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth, Gordon Beck, Jeff Clyne, John Stevens | Conversation Piece [22][23] [24] | 1980 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
Soft Machine | Land Of Cockayne [25] | 1981 | Session | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth & Gordon Beck | The Things You See [26] | 1981 | Band member | Guitar, vocals, composer |
Allan Holdsworth | I.O.U. [27] | 1982 | Solo artist | Guitar, violin, composer |
Allan Holdsworth | Road Games [28] | 1983 | Solo artist | Guitar, composer |
Jean-Luc Ponty | Individual Choice [29][30] | 1983 | Session, 2 tracks | Guitar |
Jon St. James | Transatlantic [31] [32] | 1984 | Session, 2 tracks | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | Metal Fatigue [33] | 1985 | Solo artist | Guitar, composer |
Rege Burrell | Victim Of Emotion [34] | 1985 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | Atavachron [35] | 1986 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe |
Soma | Soma [36] [37] | 1986 | Session, 5 tracks | Guitar |
Jon St. James | Fast Impressions [38] [39] | 1986 | Session, 2 tracks | Guitar, SynthAxe |
Krokus | Change Of Address [40] | 1986 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | Sand [41] | 1987 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Stanley Clarke | If This Bass Could Only Talk [42] | 1988 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Stuart Hamm | Radio Free Albemuth [43] | 1988 | Session, 1 track | SynthAxe |
Allan Holdsworth | Secrets [44] | 1989 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Alex Masi | Attack Of The Neon Shark [45] | 1989 | Session, 1 track | SynthAxe |
Strange Advance | The Distance Between [46] [47] | 1989 | Session, 2 tracks | Guitar |
Jack Bruce | A Question Of Time [48] [49] | 1989 | Session, 2 tracks | Guitar, SynthAxe |
Allan Holdsworth & Gordon Beck | With A Heart In My Song [50] | 1989 | Band member | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Gordon Beck | Dreams [51] | 1989 | Producer | Producer only |
Carl Verheyen | No Borders [52] | 1989 | Session, 1 track | SynthAxe |
Various Artists | Guitar's Practicing Musicians [53] | 1989 | Session, 1 track w/ Jeff Watson | Guitar |
MVP | Truth In Shredding [54] | 1990 | Band member | Guitar, SynthAxe |
Steve Tavaglione | Blue Tav [55] | 1990 | Session, 1 track | Guitar/SynthAxe |
Andrea Marcelli | Silent Will [56] | 1990 | Session, 3 tracks | Guitar/SynthAxe |
Level 42 | Guaranteed [57] | 1991 | Band member | Guitar |
Chad Wackerman | Forty Reasons [58] | 1991 | Band member | Guitar |
Paz | Love In Peace (Amour Empaz) [59] | 1991 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Jeff Watson | Lone Ranger [60] | 1992 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Andrea Marcelli | Oneness [61] [62] | 1992 | Session, 2 tracks | Guitar/baritone guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | Wardenclyffe Tower [63] | 1993 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Allan Holdsworth | Wardenclyffe Tower +3 [64] | 1993 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Various Artists | Come Together [65] | 1993 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Chad Wackerman | The View [66] | 1993 | Session, 6 tracks | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | Hard Hat Area [67] | 1993 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Allan Holdsworth | Just For The Curious | 1993 | Solo artist | Guitar, composer |
Gongzilla | Suffer [68] [69] [70] [71] [72] | 1995 | Session, 4 tracks | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | None Too Soon [73] | 1996 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe |
Anders Johansson, Jens Johansson & Allan Holdsworth | Heavy Machinery [74] | 1996 | Band member | Guitar |
Gorky Park | Stare [75] | 1996 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | I.O.U. Live | 1997 | Solo artist | Guitar, composer |
Steve Hunt | From Your Heart And From Your Soul [76] | 1997 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | The Sixteen Men Of Tain [77] | 2000 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Allan Holdsworth | Flat Tire [78] | 2001 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Allan Holdsworth | All Night Wrong[79] | 2002 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Allan Holdsworth | The Sixteen Men Of Tain - Special Edition[80] | 2003 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Soft Machine | BBC Radio 1971-1974 [81] | 2003 | Band member | Guitar |
Soft Works | Abracadabra [82] | 2003 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
Atlantis | Pray For Rain [83] | 2003 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth Group | Then! [84] | 2003 | Solo artist | Guitar, composer |
Derek Sherinian | Mythology [85] [86] | 2004 | Session, 2 tracks | Guitar |
K2 | Book Of The Dead [87] | 2004 | Session, 4 tracks | Guitar |
Riptyde | Sonic Undertow [88][89] [90] [91] | 2004 | Session/featured soloist | Guitar |
David Hines | Nebula [92] [93] | 2005 | Session, 2 tracks | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | Against The Clock [94] [95] | 2005 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Tempest | Under The Blossom: The Anthology [96] | 2005 | Band member | Guitar |
Soft Machine | Floating World Live [97] | 2006 | Band member | Guitar, violin, composer |
Bruford | Rock Goes To College [98] | 2006 | Band member | Guitar |
Planet X | Quantum [99] [100] | 2007 | Session, 2 tracks | Guitar |
Jean-Luc Ponty | The Acatama Experience [101] | 2007 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Dan Carlin & Friends | Prowlin’ [102] | 2007 | Session, 1 track | Guitar, SynthAxe |
Chris Buck | Progosaurus [103] | 2008 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Holdsworth, Pasqua, Haslip, Wackerman | Blues For Tony [104] | 2009 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
Danny Thompson, Allan Holdsworth, John Stevens | Propensity [105][106] | 2009 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
Snew | Highway Star [107] | 2009 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Paul Korda | Early Years [108] | 2009 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Eric Keyes | No One Knows My Thirst [109] | 2009 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Gary Husband | Dirty And Beautiful Volume 1 [110] | 2010 | Session, 3 tracks | Guitar |
Corrado Rustici | Deconstruction Of A Postmodern Musician [111] | 2010 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Level 42 | Living It Up | 2010 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Gary Husband | Dirty And Beautiful Volume 2 [112] | 2012 | Session, 1 track | Guitar |
Chad Wackerman | Dreams Nightmares And Improvisations [113] | 2012 | Band member | Guitar, SynthAxe, Starr Switch |
Soft Machine | Switzerland 1974[114] | 2015 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
U.K. | Ultimate Collector's Edition | 2016 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
Allan Holdsworth | Tales From The Vault [115] | 2016 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Allan Holdsworth | Eidolon [116] | 2017 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Allan Holdsworth | The Man Who Changed Guitar Forever [117] | 2017 | Solo artist | Box Set |
MSM Schmidt | Life [118] [119] | 2017 | Session, 2 tracks | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | Live In Japan 1984 [120] | 2018 | Solo artist | Guitar, composer |
Peter Lemer | Jet Yellow [121] | 2019 | Session, 1 track. | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | Warsaw Summer Jazz Days '98 [122] | 2019 | Solo artist | Guitar, composer |
Holdsworth/Warleigh/Mathewson/Spring | Warleigh Manor [123] | 2020 | Group member | Guitar, violin, composer |
PAZ with The Singing Bowls of Tibet | Live In London '81: The Ron Mathewson Tapes Vol. 2 [124] | 2020 | Group member | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | Frankfurt '86 [125] | 2020 | Solo artist | Guitar, SynthAxe, composer |
Lockwood/Beck/Holdsworth/Jenny-Clark/Romano | The Unique Concert [126] | 2020 | Group member | Guitar, composer |
Soft Works | Abracadabra In Osaka [127] | 2020 | Group member | Guitar, composer |
Allan Holdsworth | Leverkusen '97 [128] | 2021 | Solo artist | Guitar, composer |
Allan Holdsworth | Leverkusen 2010 [129] | 2021 | Solo artist | Guitar, composer |
Nucleus | Live At The BBC (Nucleus album) | 2021 | Session | Guitar |
Allan Holdsworth | Jarasum International Jazz Festival 2014 [130] | 2022 | Solo artist | Guitar, composer |
Holdsworth, Pasqua, Haslip, Wackerman | Proto-Cosmos (live album) [131] | 2022 | Band member | Guitar, composer |
Christy Coobatis | The Dreamer (single) [132] | 2023 | Session | Guitar |
Pat Smythe Quartet | New Dawn: Live 1973 [133] | 2023 | Band member | Guitar |
Pat Smythe Quartet | This Is British Progressive Jazz [134] | 2024 | One track | Guitar |
(Note: A first draft of compilations is found here: Allan Holdsworth discography: Noteworthy compilations)
A note on the YouTube links
In March 2020, YouTube links were added to the discography. YouTube was chosen as it is presumably the most widely available resource available to audiences all over the world. I have tried to locate officially licensed versions where available. I have tried to link to full album playlists where this seemed most pertinent, and to single tracks where this seemed most pertinent, but you may need to do some extra clicking to get to Allan's tracks. In some single cases, I have made links to other platforms. I hope you enjoy. It is in the nature of YouTube that links change and videos get deleted, so I expect some links to be out of order in time. The official "channel" named as "Allan Holdsworth Topic" is found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiyDXNsExWcKTDv_EsBJ_Dw
Discography notes
There are many ways of doing a discography. For this version, the following applies:
The listing includes music released officially on vinyl, compact disc and digitally. Though some records were released officially, their legality was contested by Allan, and some were withdrawn from the market, such as reissues of “Velvet Darkness”. More information on this will eventually appear in the articles.
Outright bootlegs will not be listed. Films and books will go on a separate list. Allan in the capacity of producer, engineer or other tasks will go on a separate list (with some notable exceptions.)
The list is categorized by artist, album name, year of release, Allan’s role, and by the type of performance, as follows:
- Artist and album name are listed as it appears on the cover. This means that ”Belladonna”, for example, is listed as an Ian Carr release, and not Nucleus.
- The albums are listed chronologically on the year of original release. The chronology is sometimes dubious, but is intended to show the records roughly in the order they were released.
- Allan is listed according to whether he appears as a band member, a session musician, or a solo artist. These definitions are somewhat subjective, but as a general rule, albums with only one or two tracks will count as sessions. On these albums, the number of tracks where Allan appears is listed. Where Allan appears throughout the album he will generally be listed as band member. He is listed as a solo artist on recordings released in his own name alone.
- For the performance category, Allan is listed as to whether he contributed with guitar, SynthAxe, violin or vocals. Albums featuring his compositions are also noted.
The list does not contain albums with re-releases and compilations of previously released material, except where the new releases also contain previously unreleased music. That means that the Tempest anthology “Under The Blossom” is listed, for example, as it contains previously unreleased recordings from the BBC. Also, “Wardenclyffe Tower +3” is listed as a separate release. An exception is made for the 2017 box set.
Updates, errors and omissions: A discography will usually be based on some subjective criteria, which may also be revised. This is by no means an "official" discography. Allan disowned several of the albums listed here. This discography is an attempt to list albums that were released "normally": That is, they have been entered into public records. The most important point here is that they EXIST. Even though Allan vehemently hated "Velvet Darkness", the story of the album needs to be told. Most of these albums have or have had some sort of distribution. A few of the later albums only have digital releases. The point here is that you may disagree with the list as it is presented here. You are of course free to make your own list based on your won criteria. I have tried to be up front on the criteria I've used here.
BBC sessions
Allan did a number of sessions for the BBC. These have been heavily bootlegged, but never officially released, with some exceptions. Here is a list of known unreleased sessions: Allan Holdsworth BBC sessions.
Unreleased albums
Allan made numerous references to albums that he was working on that were not finished. One of these projects was referred to as Snakes And Ladders.
Allan recorded a full album's worth of guitar parts for Soma's second album. At present, this album remains unreleased, but bootleg copies of rough mixes circulate. More information can be found on the Soma page.
Non-appearances
Allan is credited on some works where he does in fact not appear:
Speed: Allan is credited as soloist on the soundtrack for the movie "Speed". Apparently, the score composer was a fan, and commissioned some work from Allan. He delivered some SynthAxe material, which was ultimately not used in the final film. It may have had to do with some technical issues. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0390380/?ref_=nv_sr_2
Steve Morse Band: Stand up. Allan was slated to appear on Steve Morse's album "Stand Up", but for some reason he was not able to deliver his tracks in time. Curiously, the cassette tape cover was already sent to the printer when this happened, and thus the cassette cover lists Allan as appearing on "English Rancher". https://www.discogs.com/Steve-Morse-Band-Stand-Up/release/8933270
Also, there has been a persistent rumour that Allan played on Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man". This rumour has been disproved by Allan himself and his associates. It's probably worth an article of itself, though.
Other discographies
There are a number of sites that present Holdsworth discographies. Below, I have included links to some of these, with a few comments.
Wikipedia Discography: The Wikipedia discography is at the time of writing divided up into "Solo albums", which are subdivided into studio, live and collaborations, and the third main category is "With other artists", with the latter ordered in a format it took me some time to figure out. It starts with the group Igginbottom and lists their 1969 album. Then, it moves chronologically until we come to Soft Machine. All of Allan's albums with the Softs are then listed chronologically, before Allan's albums with Tony Williams are listed chronologically. I find this format confusing. Furthermore, due to its policy on "notability", Wikipedia does not list all albums featuring Allan. Most critically, some albums released posthumously are not listed as a result of this policy.
Discogs Discography: Discogs is a user-submitted site, which means it contains a lot of entries, but which also means that it's prone to errors. That said, Discogs is probably the main source used for the discography on this site. It allows sorting and filtering by many criteria. The link provided lists appearances chronologically, much like the present discography. However, it includes compilations, which makes it somewhat confusing to me. The site lists some outright bootlegs, which I find to be a drawback. You can search for other things than appearances, such as listings for production. With a little clicking around, you can find complete lineups for recordings, composer credits and lots of other stuff. There are some minor errors, but overall, this is my favorite.
I spotted the following errors: Allan is listed as appearing on Steve Morse Band's "Stand Up". The wrong track is listed on Masi's "Attack Of The Neon Shark". Allan is listed on "Hurdy Gurdy Man".
AllMusic Discography Allmusic is similar to Discogs in many respects. From what I understand, the listings are editorial, which should ideally mean less errors. However, this is not necessarily the case. For example, AllMusic lists Dononvan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man", although the claim that Allan played on this record has been refuted (which I should probably write about!). It also lists Allan as playing on a Kip Winger album, which I have no other info on. The credits also mix appearances, songwriting, production and everything else into one list. That said, it's a good source, especially for cover versions, although not all the composer listings are correct.
Allan Holdsworth - A Listening Guide
Tribute albums and covers
There has been released several tribute albums to Allan, and here is a short list:
- Gary Husband: The Things I See (Interpretations Of The Music Of Allan Holdsworth)
- Allan's Legacy: The Nineteen Men Of Tain
- Above and Below: The Music of Allan Holdsworth
- Y.O.U. (tribute album)
Additionally, there have been recorded several cover versions or interpretations of Allan's tunes. This website does not have the ambition to list them all, but a few notable ones are:
- https://www.discogs.com/release/9883161-Prism-1977-Live-At-Sugino-Kodo
- https://www.discogs.com/release/6681637-Refuge-Trio-Refuge-Trio
- https://www.discogs.com/release/13592153-The-Trio-Of-Stridence-Auditur-Periculosum
- https://www.discogs.com/release/11219052-Kjetil-Jerve-Tim-Thornton-5-Anders-Thor%C3%A9n-Circumstances
- https://www.discogs.com/release/19045534-Logan-Kane-Nonet-NopeScience