Wardenclyffe Tower

Allan Holdsworth | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1993)
• Original Release Date: October 20, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Restless Records
• ASIN: B000003BHI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,485 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. 5 to 10

2. Sphere of Innocence

3. Wardenclyffe Tower

4. Dodgy Boat

5. Zarabeth

6. Against the Clock

7. Questions

8. Oneiric Moor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Giant Heart from a Great Musician, August 28, 2003

By 

Satori Heart (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wardenclyffe Tower (Audio CD)

Holdsworth is an enigma. He's never really had the talent for writing music with universal appeal-- even the most accessible of his songs seems to fall, either gradually or all-too suddenly, into an other-worldly tangent, far from the beaten path. But interestingly enough, this is exactly what makes him a priceless gift to the seasoned musician who has "heard it all". I am a composer, pianist, and violinist. I've spent years studying not only classical scores but also jazz and world music. The first I heard of Holdsworth was back when I.O.U. was released. It was a breath of fresh air! His approach to jazz-fusion composition and his sense of melody were exotic and wonderful. I've watched him evolve over the years into what could only be described as a consummate guitar virtuoso.

Let's put aside the fact that Holdsworth threw away the acoustic sound nearly 20 years ago-or the fact that he has an unhealthy obsession for horn-like Synthaxe sounds which (let's be honest) make most of the dead, great jazz saxophonists roll over in their grave. It's not the "sound" that makes Holdsworth so great. It's his heart. On Wardenclyffe Tower, though I found myself shaking my head several times at his choice of instrumentation, I was also simultaneously jumping out of my skin at the raw emotions he was baring. A perfect example is in "Zarabeth". For those of you that don't know, Zarabeth is the name of a woman who lived in ancient times. Her story is told in a Star Trek episode as Spock goes back in a time portal and loses his "logic". He grows emotions and falls in love with Zarabeth and, as the story goes, eventually gives her a child. The pain of this story is when Spock must return through the time portal and leave Zarabeth behind, forever separated from her. I've never been a fan of Star Trek, but I can certainly say that "Zarabeth" perfectly captures the emotions of these two lovers. The song begins with a lilting melody supported by rich chordal guitar voicings. There is immediately the sense of a woman in the music, and Holdsworth's solo entrance is clearly the man entering the scene. Throughout the guitar solo in Zarabeth, Holdsworth paints a beautiful, deeply heartfelt picture of a man's feelings for a woman (Zarabeth). There is such a powerful feeling of love when Holdsworth hits the lowest note on his Baritone guitar and builds up from there one of the greatest melodies of his career. For anyone with a well-trained ear (and a wide-open heart), there is clearly more here than clever guitar work-there is all the makings for what will some day be a classic, regardless of what musical category it falls into.

Zarabeth is not the only gem, however, on this album. The next to last track, Questions, written by Chad Wackerman is another excellent example of Holdsworth's sensitivity to rhythm, form, and lyricism, tied together with an enormous amount of heart and feeling. Wardenclyffe Tower is still marred, in my opinion, by improper use of keyboards and Synthaxe. In the album Secrets, Holdsworth uses the Synthaxe to great affect, weaving a supreme extension of "theme and variations" on the title track. In Wardenclyffe Tower, however, it sounds as if he is trying to play a horn like a keyboard (with a guitar). WT's title track, though containing interesting rhythmic ideas, still comes off a little mechanical, losing the organic feeling that was beautifully developed in the previous track "Sphere of Innocence".

As with everything else Holdsworth produces, however, there are diamonds in the rough of this album. And that makes it an absolutely priceless fusion classic in my book.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing. . . . . Beautiful!!!!, May 27, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wardenclyffe Tower (Audio CD)

Everything about this CD is perfect! The songs are hauntingly melodic and extremely inviting. The production is top notch. Holdsworth seems particularly inspired on this album. His solos here are simply frightening. My favorite Holdsworth to date!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CLARIFICATION ON REMASTERED VERSION, November 5, 2010

By 

BOB (LOS ANGELES, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Secrets (Remastered) (Audio CD)

Unfortunately, Amazon has incorrectly linked the reviews for Wardenclyff Tower to this page. This page is for the 2007 remastered version of Secrets.

As to the CD itself, there also seems to be some misinformation:

1.) This remastered version of Secrets is one of two "Reissue Series" CD's that Holdsworth has released.

2.) Secrets IS remastered, but has no additional bonus material.

3.) Wardenclyff was also re-released with 3 extra tracks and new artwork, but is NOT remastered.

One of the three extra tracks on Wardenclyff is the Japan version of "Tokyo Dream". That track appears in remastered form on the "Against The Clock" compilation.

The mastering on this edition of Secrets is identical to that on Against The Clock, and in both cases, is excellent and worth purchasing, if you are interested in the best audio versions of Holdsworth.

Both Secrets and Wardenclyff were issued in glossy gatefold-style glossy digipaks. The are no plastic trays for the discs, and there are no booklets. All album credits are on the inside of the digipak cover.