No Record Contract, No Big Hoopla, But The Fans Have Kept The Faith For Allan Holdsworth (Guitar World 1982): Difference between revisions
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I happen to think he's really great. But ask Eddie Van Halen, ask Neal Schon, ask Carlos Santana or Andy Summers. They say he's great, in print, right in their interviews. Ask all the people who stood in line for his shows in New York and L.A. Allan Holdsworth is a legend, and he's been gone for three years. | I happen to think he's really great. But ask Eddie Van Halen, ask Neal Schon, ask Carlos Santana or Andy Summers. They say he's great, in print, right in their interviews. Ask all the people who stood in line for his shows in New York and L.A. Allan Holdsworth is a legend, and he's been gone for three years. | ||
Allan Holdsworth wasn't Stateside for long. But he had a new band this tour, his own. The vocalist, Paul Williams, first appeared with Allan ten years ago in a heavy metal band, Tempest, on the same bill as the old Fleetwood Mac at the Fillmore East. Tempest didn't make it big, and the next time Holdsworth appeared in the U.S. he was filling the chair formerly occupied by another British guitarist, John McLaughlin, in drummer Tony Williams' Lifetime. Holdsworth was already a guitar legend, having recorded in Europe with Soft Machine, the prototypical jazz-rock fusion outfit. Guitar fans strained to hear Allan's outrageous lines, which were buried in a muddy stage mix. After all, it was the drummer's gig! | Allan Holdsworth wasn't Stateside for long. But he had a new band this tour, his own. The vocalist, [[Paul Williams]], first appeared with Allan ten years ago in a heavy metal band, [[Tempest]], on the same bill as the old Fleetwood Mac at the Fillmore East. Tempest didn't make it big, and the next time Holdsworth appeared in the U.S. he was filling the chair formerly occupied by another British guitarist, John McLaughlin, in drummer [[Tony Williams]]' Lifetime. Holdsworth was already a guitar legend, having recorded in Europe with [[Soft Machine]], the prototypical jazz-rock fusion outfit. Guitar fans strained to hear Allan's outrageous lines, which were buried in a muddy stage mix. After all, it was the drummer's gig! | ||
Gone almost as soon as he'd arrived, Allan returned to England to become a touring and recording member (for one lp) of UK, the supergroup formed by Roxy Music's Eddie Jobson, Yes' Bill Bruford and King Crimson's John Wetton. Everywhere they played, more and more listeners looked up in amazement at what they heard. When Bruford left UK to go on his own, Allan went with him, and cut the first Bruford lp. Along the way, Allan recorded with the progressive Continental ensemble Gong - and his solos stand out, unique. Then he was featured with Jean-Luc Ponty, and guitar lovers waited through all the other music, just to hear Allan play. | Gone almost as soon as he'd arrived, Allan returned to England to become a touring and recording member (for one lp) of UK, the supergroup formed by Roxy Music's [[Eddie Jobson]], Yes' [[Bill Bruford]] and King Crimson's [[John Wetton]]. Everywhere they played, more and more listeners looked up in amazement at what they heard. When Bruford left UK to go on his own, Allan went with him, and cut the first Bruford lp. Along the way, Allan recorded with the progressive Continental ensemble [[Gong]] - and his solos stand out, unique. Then he was featured with [[Jean-Luc Ponty]], and guitar lovers waited through all the other music, just to hear Allan play. | ||
Holdsworth, unlike, say, Tony Mottola, isn't even a contender for the Most Recorded Guitarist award. But his fans held out for every note. After Ponty, there was silence. | Holdsworth, unlike, say, Tony Mottola, isn't even a contender for the Most Recorded Guitarist award. But his fans held out for every note. After Ponty, there was silence. | ||
Silence, that is, until last spring, when he returned to the States with his band I.O.U. He repaid the fans who'd kept the faith and waited, fans who'd kept his name from disappearing entirely. Allan's achievements had become obvious - so obvious that guitar king Eddie Van Halen asked to jam with Allan during his gigs at New York's Roxy. What? Eddie asking for a guest spot? Yes, and it was like a student asking to sit in with his teacher. News of the apocryphal encounter spread far and wide. | Silence, that is, until last spring, when he returned to the States with his band I.O.U. He repaid the fans who'd kept the faith and waited, fans who'd kept his name from disappearing entirely. Allan's achievements had become obvious - so obvious that guitar king [[Eddie Van Halen]] asked to jam with Allan during his gigs at New York's Roxy. What? Eddie asking for a guest spot? Yes, and it was like a student asking to sit in with his teacher. News of the apocryphal encounter spread far and wide. | ||
Because Holdsworth has redefined his ax, turning it into a smooth, agile singing voice, and to play the melodies and flurries of a saxophone. When Allan walked onstage at a New York concert club, from his first chord we knew that a master was in the house. The only unhappy person might have been Larry Coryell, who had to follow Holdsworth. Too bad. | Because Holdsworth has redefined his ax, turning it into a smooth, agile singing voice, and to play the melodies and flurries of a saxophone. When Allan walked onstage at a New York concert club, from his first chord we knew that a master was in the house. The only unhappy person might have been Larry Coryell, who had to follow Holdsworth. Too bad. | ||
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"Well," he answered, "it's flattering! It's really nice, you know. When we got to Los Angeles I couldn't believe all these people. I'm glad to be able to continue that even further, eventually. It's great." | "Well," he answered, "it's flattering! It's really nice, you know. When we got to Los Angeles I couldn't believe all these people. I'm glad to be able to continue that even further, eventually. It's great." | ||
Guitar history was made in Los Angeles. where Van Halen jammed with Holdsworth at one of his shows, and acknowledged the Englishman as a champion of the guitar. Allan didn't brag about it; rather, he concentrated on his appreciation of such a gracious gesture. He explained to me how it came about: "Jeff Berlin and his band were playing with us that night, and we just thought it would be nice if Eddie would play with us. I met Ed originally about three or four years ago while I was working with UK. Just briefly. you know, I didn't get to know him that well then. At my first Roxy gig we talked, and Ed - he's really a great guy. I said, 'Come on down in the afternoon when we're playing,' and he and Jeff came down and we had a bit of a fertile afternoon session. Then we came up with the idea that we should all get up and play a bit at the end of the show. Eddie worked out this tune, and we did it that night in L.A." | Guitar history was made in Los Angeles. where Van Halen jammed with Holdsworth at one of his shows, and acknowledged the Englishman as a champion of the guitar. Allan didn't brag about it; rather, he concentrated on his appreciation of such a gracious gesture. He explained to me how it came about: "[[Jeff Berlin]] and his band were playing with us that night, and we just thought it would be nice if Eddie would play with us. I met Ed originally about three or four years ago while I was working with UK. Just briefly. you know, I didn't get to know him that well then. At my first Roxy gig we talked, and Ed - he's really a great guy. I said, 'Come on down in the afternoon when we're playing,' and he and Jeff came down and we had a bit of a fertile afternoon session. Then we came up with the idea that we should all get up and play a bit at the end of the show. Eddie worked out this tune, and we did it that night in L.A." | ||
Since he's now touring under his own name. I asked Holdsworth to reflect on past ensembles, Where he was a featured sideman. What he now enjoys is a certain freedom and impact that some previous configurations would not allow. | Since he's now touring under his own name. I asked Holdsworth to reflect on past ensembles, Where he was a featured sideman. What he now enjoys is a certain freedom and impact that some previous configurations would not allow. | ||
For example, what I did with UK was a total disaster as far as I was concerned - I should have never done it in the first place except for the fact that maybe a few more people got to hear me. But I hated it! Because I really had no space in it, I had no being in the band. They wanted me to play the same solo, and there was no way that whatever I did would affect what went on. I couldn't play something and then add another chorus or it would go off and do something else - I couldn't do anything like that. I had to do it just as I was playing on a record. It made me sick. But that was the way the music was written, in bits and pieces, not real compositions, composed like violin variations, but bits and pieces thrown together. It made the music kind of non-organic and sterile to me, and I was miserable most of the time. I used to just get drunk. Half the time I couldn't remember which tune we were playing! Basically, I enjoyed making the album with Bill, and I hated UK! I just wanted to escape the 'Tricky | For example, what I did with UK was a total disaster as far as I was concerned - I should have never done it in the first place except for the fact that maybe a few more people got to hear me. But I hated it! Because I really had no space in it, I had no being in the band. They wanted me to play the same solo, and there was no way that whatever I did would affect what went on. I couldn't play something and then add another chorus or it would go off and do something else - I couldn't do anything like that. I had to do it just as I was playing on a record. It made me sick. But that was the way the music was written, in bits and pieces, not real compositions, composed like violin variations, but bits and pieces thrown together. It made the music kind of non-organic and sterile to me, and I was miserable most of the time. I used to just get drunk. Half the time I couldn't remember which tune we were playing! Basically, I enjoyed making the album with Bill, and I hated UK! I just wanted to escape the 'Tricky Dick,' to try and find a musical thing, where I had more of substance to do rather than parts, because anybody can learn parts. | ||
"That's my feeling, anyway. I was becoming so despondent about the whole thing that I didn't care whether I was doing the job well - which is why I knew I had to leave, because it was really self-destructive. I knew I had to go." | "That's my feeling, anyway. I was becoming so despondent about the whole thing that I didn't care whether I was doing the job well - which is why I knew I had to leave, because it was really self-destructive. I knew I had to go." | ||
