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25 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb. But Allan, Why Not Turn Up Your Amp?, November 9, 2003
Allan Holdsworth is so transcendently excellent as a jazz/rock guitarist, so inventive, so hard on himself, and so exploratory, that his fan base is minimal. However, those "in the know" heap upon him the highest praises. In other words, he is so good, few people like him; but those that do heep one superlative after another in their attempts to capture something of his art in words.Mr. Holdsworth's music is not easy to find, at least in the US, so I cannot rate this against his entire corpus of work. However, I find it to be the best I have heard thus far and the best band and venue. A note on the wrapping claims this is Mr. Holdsworth's first live CD. I have "I.O.U Live" (which is superb, and feature the same line up with the addition of Paul Williams on vocals), but apparently that was a bootleg, according to the official Allan Holdsworth web page (www.therealallanholdsworth.com). There are no vocals on this recording, which allows all the bandmates to stretch out and up. The songs all allow for--in fact, demand--extended improvization, a challenge well heeded by Mr. Holdsworth, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Wackerman. The latter is mixed very hot with stellar fidelity, which is apt given both his power and subtlety. He plays with a large set, laden with tom-toms and cymbols (including very small, chime-sounding ones), but plays them in a more jazz-like way than any heavy metal drummer with a comparable drum kit. Holdsworth is an unending wellspring of creativity, weaving mostly legato textures at breakneck speeds without ever shredding just for the sake of speed alone. Call it high velocity tastefullness. He also displays his symphonic sense a few times on the synthaxe, although this is not credited on the CD itself. He is listed only as playing "guitar." The only surprising thing is the low volume of Holdsworth's guitar at times. It is noticeable on the very first solo. Wackerman is mixed higher than Holdsworth, although he never drowns him out. Unlike a Satriani recording, where he tends to dominate all other instruments, this is a jazz setting, so the lower volume probably testifies to the ethos of group improvization. Holdsworth is, to tease out a cliche, in a category by himself. Consider some three players that one might want to compare him with. 1. Steve Morse. Mr. Morse is lightening fast and often quite satisfying, but more in the rock idiom. He relies on false harmonics and echo effects. Not so for Mr. Holdsworth, who trades more on the actual notes than any effects given to them. Moreover, although the Dregs have a jazz sensibility at times, Morse could never sustain the kind of free-wheeling jazz soloing that is the heart of Holdsworth's playing. Steve Morse Band songs are seldom over five minutes long. 2. Eric Johnson. While his style is fast and fluid, his songs are not as technically challenging as Holdsworth's. Moreover, he is really rooted in blues and rock, not jazz. Of course, the tone and vibratto are beautiful. (But those inane vocals!) 3. Joe Satriani. Most of Joe's speed comes from tapping. He is the king of power chords and special effects (who plays the wah-wah pedal better today?), and is a very emotional player. That comes from the blues. However, there is almost no group improvisation in his music--except the power endings to some songs live. He would be lost in almost any Holdsworth piece. One could go on...but I won't. If you desire guitar virtuosity and group improvisation with a hard, electronic edge, buy this CD! You will not be disappointed. Douglas Groothuis
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~ Allan Holdsworth
~ Jeff Beck
DVD ~ Allan Holdsworth
DVD ~ Allan Holdsworth
~ Allan Holdsworth
by Allan Holdsworth 
