Allan Holdsworth - 2017 "The Man Who Changed Guitar Forever" [12 CD Box]

The Man Who Changed Guitar Forever! The Allan Holdsworth Album Collection is a box set by the English jazz fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth. It was released by Manifesto Records on 7 April 2017.

The 12-CD collection contains remastered versions of 11 studio albums and a live album, along with a 40-page booklet by Christopher Hoard. In one of his last interviews, Holdsworth spoke to DownBeat magazine and explained that the title of the collection was not his idea, but also added that he was very pleased with the quality of the remastered tracks by Manifesto Records.

Twelve CD box set collection featuring all of Allan Holdsworth's solo albums from 1982-2003. That title is no hyperbole-it was a proclamation that ran on the cover of Guitar Player Magazine in 2008, and is a feeling shared by fans and guitarists all around the world. Still, though, Holdsworth remains largely under-rated; many who admire his most famous work have overlooked dozens of fascinating finds to be made on his decades of recordings. This collection is a treasure trove of such discoveries, as it brings you all 11 of his albums as a solo artist, producer and group leader since 1980 plus the live-in-Tokyo album Then! And a 40-page booklet full of liner notes and archival photos. You also get previously unreleased bonus tracks, and all these albums have been newly remastered from the original tapes: I.O.U. (1982), Road Games (1983), Metal Fatigue (1985), Atavachron (1986), Sand (1987), Secrets (1989), Wardenclyffe Tower (1992), Hard Hat Area (1993), None Too Soon (1996), The Sixteen Men Of Tain (2000), Flat Tire (2001) and Then! (2003). These albums, many of which have been out of print and very hard to find for years, include one intriguing composition, ethereal track, dazzling fusion rocker and daredevil guitar passage after another.

Allan Holdsworth was a true innovator, an absolute genius. His death has left a big hole which no one can fill. If you know a thing or two about harmony and rhythm, you know that he is untouchable. His loss is profound and it may be decades before one is able to catch up with his process. He was touched. He invented and spoke his own language. His influence is great among the gods of guitar, but take the instrument out of the equation and consider the notes that he chose. Long live Allan: the most spectacular guitarist/improviser probably ever! I've had these albums for years, but the fact that they are all being offered up in a box (his "life's work", as he said) is wonderful. The remasters sound remarkable! i.o.u., Atavachron and Sand greatly benefit from the tweaking!

Allan Holdsworth's music is, at the very least, - at the very least! - a must-listen for any serious student of that art form. far beyond that, though: for me, and many others, his music represents the very pinnacle of human achievement. holdsworth literally invented his own system, his own vocabulary, of music - john mclaughlin famously said "if i could figure out what he's doing, i'd steal every bit of it, but i can't figure it out." his technical facility was unmatched, but always applied musically, melodically - he never fell into the trap of technique for its own sake. there is deep and strange beauty in everything he wrote... he also never fell into the trap of commerciality; he was absolutely committed to the highest standards of artistic integrity, even though it cost him material wealth - he never compromised. the box set here in question is simply worth any amount of money, for what price can one put on the greatest art ever created?

If you think that title of this 12-disc boxed set rounding up the solo albums from 1982 – 2003 is mere hyperbole then you’d be wrong. With players as diverse as Eddie Van Halen, Carlos Santana, Frank Zappa, Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin, Joe Satriani and Tom Morello speaking his name in reverential tones, Bradford-born Holdsworth is truly special. While the spiralling escape velocity of his runs is breathtaking, the real mind-blowing quality to his work that has the luminaries of the guitar world picking up their jaws from the floor isn’t his speed but the harmonic construction within Holdsworth’s soloing and compositions. His dextrous command remains innovative with most left sprawled in his wake trying to figure out what just happened.

While progressive music fans will know him through Soft Machine, Bill Bruford, Tempest, UK, Gong and Tony Williams’ Lifetime, his own catalogue has tended to mix‘n’match between jazzy elan; 1996’s None Too Soon and fusion-friendly furrows and 1993’s Hard Hat Area being typical. That he has as many releases as this is not something to take for granted. Holdsworth has been notorious in his exacting, self-editing rigour, where even the vaguest hint of anything regarded by him as substandard is binned. It’s a pity because not only has it made his progress slower than it might otherwise have been, his rejects are better than most other people’s career-best takes.

Joined by a variety of empathetic players, including explosive drumming from both Chad Wackerman and Gary Husband and UK jazz veteran Gordon Beck on piano, Holdsworth albums are always going to be classy affairs, with 2000’s The Sixteen Men Of Tain being one of his most incisive of this collection both as player and composer.

Whether Holdsworth’s extensive use of guitar synth technology is a good thing will depend on your taste. As with other exponents, including McLaughlin, Metheny or Fripp, it works best and to most telling effect, when used sparingly. This isn’t a viewpoint especially Holdsworth shares. His fascination in getting his native instrument to emulate keyboards, strings, brass and even, God forbid, a herniated pan-pipe on 2001’s Flat Tire: Music For A Non-Existent Movie, and elsewhere, sounds like the tail wagging the dog.

Such matters of individual preference aside, there’s no getting away from the fact the bulk of his work represents an astonishingly original talent at work. If the 12-disc set is more Holdsworth than you’d like then the two-disc compilation, Eidolon is a very useful snapshot of highlights chosen by the man himself.

Rest In Peace Allan, there will not be another like you.

Album listing:

    I.O.U. (1982)
    Road Games (1983)
    Metal Fatigue (1985)
    Atavachron (1986)
    Sand (1987)
    Secrets (1989)
    Wardenclyffe Tower (1992, 2007 Japanese Edition)
    Hard Hat Area (1993)
    None Too Soon (1996)
    The Sixteen Men of Tain (2000, 2003 Special Edition)
    Flat Tire: Music for a Non-Existent Movie (2001)
    Then! (2003, 2014 Japanese Edition)

 Album/Track listing:

    I.O.U. 1982

1-1     The Things You See (When You Haven't Got Your Gun)    
1-2     Where Is One    
1-3     Checking Out    
1-4     Letters Of Marque    
1-5     Out From Under    
1-6     Temporary Fault    
1-7     Shallow Sea    
1-8     White Line

Personnel:

Paul Carmichael / bass
Allan Holdsworth / guitar, violin
Gary Husband / drums, piano
Paul Williams / vocals

   
    Road Games 1983

2-1     Three Sheets To The Wind    
2-2     Road Games    
2-3     Water On The Brain Pt. 2    
2-4     Tokyo Dreams    
2-5     Was There?    
2-6     Material Real

Personnel

Allan Holdsworth – guitar, production
Paul Williams – vocals (track 2)
Jack Bruce – vocals (tracks 5, 6)
Chad Wackerman – drums
Jeff Berlin – bass
Joe Turano – background vocals
Paul Korda – background vocals

   
    Metal Fatigue 1985

3-1     Metal Fatigue    
3-2     Home    
3-3     Devil Take The Hindmost    
3-4     Panic Station    
3-5     The Un-Merry-Go-Round    
3-6     In The Mystery

Personnel:

Allan Holdsworth – guitar, engineering, production
Paul Williams – vocals (tracks 1, 4)
Paul Korda – vocals (track 6)
Alan Pasqua – keyboard
Chad Wackerman – drums (except tracks 5, 6)
Gary Husband – drums (track 5)
"Mac Hine" – drum machine (track 6)
Jimmy Johnson – bass (except track 5)
Gary Willis – bass (track 5)

   
    Atavachron 1986

4-1     Non Brewed Condiment    
4-2     Funnels    
4-3     The Dominant Plague    
4-4     Atavachron    
4-5     Looking Glass    
4-6     Mr. Berwell    
4-7     All Our Yesterdays

Personnel:

Allan Holdsworth – guitar, SynthAxe, engineering, mixing, production
Rowanne Mark – vocals (track 7)
William Edward Childs – keyboard (tracks 2, 5)
Alan Pasqua – keyboard (tracks 3, 4, 6)
Gary Husband – drums (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6)
Chad Wackerman – drums (tracks 3, 7)
Tony Williams – drums (track 5)
Jimmy Johnson – bass

   
    Sand 1987

5-1     Sand    
5-2     Distance Vs. Desire    
5-3     Pud Wud    
5-4     Clown    
5-5     The 4.15 Bradford Executive    
5-6     Mac Man

Personnel:

Allan Holdsworth – guitar, SynthAxe, engineering, mixing, production
Alan Pasqua – keyboard
Gary Husband – drums (tracks 1, 3)
Chad Wackerman – drums (tracks 4, 5), percussion (track 6)
Jimmy Johnson – bass (except track 6)
Biff Vincent – Roland Octapad bass (track 6)

   
    Secrets 1989

6-1     City Nights    
6-2     Secrets    
6-3     54 Duncan Terrace    
6-4     Joshua    
6-5     Spokes    
6-6     Maid Marion    
6-7     Peril Premonition    
6-8     Endomorph

Personnel:

Allan Holdsworth / guitar, Synthaxe (2,5,8), spoken voice (7), producer & mixing
Rowanne Mark / vocals (2)
Craig Copeland / vocals (8)
Gary Husband / keyboards (1)
Alan Pasqua / piano (3)
Steve Hunt / keyboards (4,6)
Jimmy Johnson / bass (1-6,8)
Bob Wackerman / bass (7)
Vinnie Colaiuta / drums (1-6,8)
Chad Wackerman / drums & keyboards (7)
Claire Holdsworth / spoken voice, in French (7)
Jeffrey Ocheltree / "hammer" (7)

   
    Wardenclyffe Tower 1992

7-1     5 To 10    
7-2     Sphere Of Innocence    
7-3     Wardenclyffe Tower    
7-4     Dodgy Boat    
7-5     Zarabeth    
7-6     Against The Clock    
7-7     Questions    
7-8     Oneiric Moor    
    Bonus Tracks
7-9     Tokyo Dream    
7-10     The Un-Merry-Go-Round Part 4    
7-11     The Un-Merry-Go-Round Part 5

Personnel:

Allan Holdsworth / guitar, SynthAxe (1,3,6), producer
Joel Schnebelt / spoken vocals (1)
Naomi Star / vocals (6)
Steve Hunt / keyboards (1,2,4,5)
Jimmy Johnson / bass
Gary Husband / drums (2,4), keyboards (3)
Chad Wackerman / drums (1,3,5,7), keyboards (7)
Vinnie Colaiuta / drums (6) 

   
    Hard Hat Area 1993

8-1     Prelude    
8-2     Ruhkukah    
8-3     Low Levels, High Stakes    
8-4     Hard Hat Area    
8-5     Tullio    
8-6     House Of Mirrors    
8-7     Postlude

Personnel:

Allan Holdsworth – guitar, SynthAxe, engineering, mixing, production
Steve Hunt – keyboard
Gary Husband – drums
Skúli Sverrisson – bass

   
    None Too Soon 1996

9-1     Countdown    
9-2     Nuages    
9-3     How Deep Is The Ocean    
9-4     Isotope    
9-5     None Too Soon Pt. 1 Interlude/None Too Soon Pt. 2    
9-6     Norwegian Wood    
9-7     Very Early    
9-8     San Marcos    
9-9     Inner Urge

Personnel:

Allan Holdsworth – guitar, SynthAxe, engineering, mixing, production
Gordon Beck – digital piano
Kirk Covington – drums
Gary Willis – bass

   
    The Sixteen Men Of Tain 2000

10-1     San Onofre    
10-2     0274    
10-3     The Sixteen Men Of Tain    
10-4     Above And Below    
10-5     The Drums Were Yellow    
10-6     Texas    
10-7     Downside Up    
10-8     Eidolon    
10-9     Above And Below (Reprise)    
10-10     Material Unreal

Personnel:

Allan Holdsworth – guitar, SynthAxe, engineering, mixing, production
Gary Novak – drums (except track 6)
Chad Wackerman – drums (track 6)
Dave Carpenter – bass
Walt Fowler – trumpet

   
    Flat Tire 2001

11-1     The Duplicate Man (Intro)    
11-2     The Duplicate Man    
11-3     Eeny Meeny    
11-4     Please Hold On    
11-5     Snow Moon    
11-6     Curves    
11-7     So Long    
11-8     Bo Peep    
11-9     Don't You Know    

Personnel:

Allan Holdsworth – guitar, SynthAxe, drum programming, production
Dave Carpenter – bass (tracks 3, 8)


    Then! 2003

12-1     Zone 1    
12-2     Proto-Cosmo    
12-3     White Line    
12-4     Atavachron    
12-5     Zone 2    
12-6     Pud Wud    
12-7     House Of Mirrors    
12-8     Non-Brewed Condiment    
12-9     Zone 3
        Bonus track
12-10   Funnels

Personnel:

Allan Holdsworth – guitar, SynthAxe, mixing, production
Steve Hunt – keyboard
Gary Husband – drums
Jimmy Johnson – bass