Flat Tire

Allan Holdsworth | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 6, 2001)
• Original Release Date: December 6, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• ASIN: B00006LWTE
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #495,114 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The Duplicate Man [Intro]

2. The Duplicate Man

3. Eeny Meeny

4. Please Hold On

5. Snow Moon

6. Curves

7. So Long

8. Bo Peep

9. Don't You Know

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Otherworldly, December 29, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Flat Tire (Audio CD)

Flat tire has a very personal, reflective, searching and atmospheric feel to it. Allan utilizes almost exclusively (except the 1st track) on this disc an interesting and rarely used, almost extinct piece of technology/instrument, the Synthaxe. In fact, the model he uses is long out of production, it's like a musical fossil. Anyway, some pieces and area's of the disc sound very symphonic like 'Don't You Know' but don't be fooled it's just Allan and his Synthaxe, playing knuckle knotty chords and letting the tones sustain, shift, mesh and drift into one another creating huge textures that resemble a 100 violins, amazing. Snow Moon is an epic track jammed with amazing directions and ideas which eventually leads to frantic yet intricate drum programming that follows his out of this world solo lines. Then you have the brassy sounds on 'The Duplicate Man', the jazzy 'Bo Peep', the fun syncopations of 'Curves' (killer track!). Lots of great stuff here, this disc really sticks out and is quite different from anything else in Allan's body of recorded work. I hope there will be a sequel to this movie for your ears. Highlights include; The Duplicate Man, Curves, Bo Peep, and the 2 epic's Snow Moon & Don't You Know.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing flat about this tire!!, November 14, 2002

By 

daniel watanabe (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flat Tire (Audio CD)

Once again Allan has produced something that is truly magical. From the opening track, an almost ethereal guitar sound, to the last, the magnificent 'don't you know', wow! This is by far Allan's most personal CD, you can tell by his passionate words on the inside cover that it is a true labor of love. Truly stunning.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the place to start..., January 12, 2005

By 

Dan A. Bobrowski "boceephus" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flat Tire (Audio CD)

Collectors and fans only... My suggestion is for you to buy "Metal Fatigue," "Secrets" and the "Sixteen Men of Tain." Listen, learn to appreciate an acquired taste. Study the sounds, complex melodies and unearthly rhythms. Get to know the man; read the many bios, articles and comments by guitarists and guitar historians. After you've become well versed, seek and find Flat Tire... Only then can you unlock the beauty of this disc. On first listen I was completely underwhelmed. The Synthaxe is not your everyday instrument. It's a bit harsh and cold at first. It took me a while to accept the sound and get to the music.

This is the one man show, much like the guy with a kick drum, accordian and harmonica. Allan plays all the drum parts using the Synth triggers, a tube that Allan blows through, controls the power of a note and adds sustain. The tunes really dance and flow with an emotion which is deep and personal. You must keep in mind that this album serves as a soundtrack, the actual sub-title is: "Music for a Non-Existent Movie." There are a lot of ambient passages and chord washes that swell and spin, but Allan's solos are lilting and fiery.

Dave Carpenter adds bass on two tracks, which gives those tracks a bit of warmth which is missing throughout.

Check out the 4 star Allan Holdsworth discs first. If you can't get enough, then get this one.