None Too Soon

Allan Holdsworth | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 24, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Restless Records
• ASIN: B000003BL8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #218,956 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Countdown

2. Nuages

3. How Deep Is the Ocean?

4. Isotope

5. None Too Soon, Pt. 1/Interlude/None Too Soon, Pt. 2

6. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

7. Very Early

8. San Marcos

9. Inner Urge

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Its nice to hear Allan do some blowing on standards, March 13, 2005

By 

disgustipated "disgustipated" (Melbourne, Aust) - See all my reviews

This review is from: None Too Soon (Audio CD)

This album was the last thing I expected when it came out.
I saw it on the net one day when doing a search on "Allan Holdsworth". Needless to say, I was not sure if it was for real at first. Who would have thought that he would bring out an album of relatively straight-ahead jazz standards ?

But it was a pleasant surprise, and already being familiar with these songs, I was curious to hear his treatment of them. I was not disappointed - the familiar changes gave me some valuable insights into some of the devices Allan uses in his solos due to my ears hearing them in a more conventional harmonic context.

It is always nice to hear how a player handles "Coltrane Changes" (ie the type of chord changes in 'Countdown' or 'Giant steps'), and as you would expect, AH just tears them apart on "Countdown". What I found interesting was the free section before and after the head. I though this was a nice touch and made the whole arrangement sound more "allan-esque".

"Isotope" is interesting too. You don't often get to hear AH play a 12-bar !! As you would expect, its not exactly Muddy Waters, but its a very interesting blues solo. Gary Willis plays a nice solo in this track too.

The title track, "None Too Soon" is a more typical Holdsworth tune, but with a swing feel. There is a really pretty bit in the middle which gets interrupted by an annoying dissonant synth-noise (at around 5:30) which I cannot get used to, no matter how many times I listen. Overall, however, I love this track.

"Norwegian Wood" gets a modal treatment, and "Very Early" has a very relaxed tempo and a nice arrangement with Gary Willis playing the head on bass. Allan doesn't actually take a solo on this one, but comps and plays the head-out on synthaxe.

On the downside, I think that Gordon Beck's Piano Sound is really tinny and crappy. I would have liked to hear a 'real' piano at least !

Its hard to say who this album would appeal to - the "JAZZ POLICE" would probably hate it. I guess the target audience is jazz guitarists, since the main attraction is the brilliant and quirky guitar man himself.

This album is definitely worth checking out unless you are a purist that believes it is "Not Jazz" unless the guitarist plays an archtop. If this is the case then please don't bother writing your review - just leave it alone and let everyone else enjoy the music. OK ? Good. Thanks for that.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Back to Jazz!, June 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: None Too Soon (Audio CD)

Well, Allan throws us another curve....and no 'Hold's barred! This is what Scott Henderson wishes he could sound like.....very contemporary sounding, but with the usual Holdsworth flare...his dexterity is rivaled by no other soooo smooth. exceptionaly fluid.I first saw Allan in the mid to late '70s with his I.O.U. band, after that i never missed him coming to Columbus, Ohio again....8 more times! plus I have had the honour to speak with Allan on 4 seperate occasions, once even having coffee and snacks before a show at Stache and Little Brothers, a small venue here..he is very modest...and thinks he can do better, saying he really pays attention to what his audience wants to hear..always thinking he fell short. My first meeting with him was quite an eye opener...I asked him why his album (this was before cd's) 'Velvet Darkness' had no credits. Well it seems this was a "Creed Taylor" bootleg ...the original was a fold out ..that gave the musicians names...(I was wondering who played the violin on it...it was allan). Allan told me he gets no money from that album and to take that album and, motioning with his hands told me to break it over my knee......needless to say I found the right one, I keep the other album the bootleg just cause I thot it might be rare..heh heh....sorry Allan.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The first guitar record to blow me away in a long time., August 15, 2007

By 

Ben (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: None Too Soon (Audio CD)

Last night, I slowed down Holdsworth's solo on Isotope to half speed and tried to understand what was going on. I could hear the lines in my head, and everything seemed musically logical, but it wasn't until I tried to play it on the guitar that I fully appreciated the depth of his playing. The last time I had an experience like that was about five years ago, when I heard Wes Montgomery for the first time.

Holdsworth's guitar playing here is absolutely stunning. Although he has seemingly limitless technique, he uses it musically, as evidenced on his well-paced outing on Nuages. He has a great command of Coltrane's harmonies and chord substitutions, but it sounds intuitive and melodic, not forced or clinical. Simply put, I can't think of any other guitar player who could conceive of, or execute, the music that Holdsworth creates on this recording.

The supporting musicians are great as well, especially the bass player.

Unfortunately, the digital piano on this recording sounds dated, as do the tones that Holdsworth chooses for his SynthAxe work, and it can distract from the recording. So five stars for the playing and three stars for the sounds.