Content-length: 39310 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
Date:         Wed 04 Dec 91 01:00:00 EST
From:         atavachron@morekypr
Subject:      Atavachron #14
To:           Jeff Preston 


Date:         Thu, 28 Nov 91 23:00:04 EDT
From:         PRESTON@morekypr
Subject:      Various comments

  Thanks to John McIntyre and Jim Trivellas for the additions to the
discography... at this rate, I'll never earn enough money to acquire
them all, hmm?  :)
  I received the new Chad Wackerman CD, _Forty Reasons_ from In House
Music a few days ago. I still want to take a few more listens to it, but
my first impression is that this is probably one of the best fusion
releases to come out in many years. I highly recommend it. Holdsworth
has some moments on here that surpass many of his solo efforts in terms
of all-out emotive playing. Don't miss it!
  We now have 32 subscribers - how about that?  :)  Let's hear from
you, folks... 31 others are counting on you!  :)

  Jeff Preston ("Mr. Atoz")
  Owner and moderator of Atavachron

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Date:         Tue, 03 Dec 91 14:30:01 EST
From:         Dero 
Subject:      A.H. observations.

The following observations are personal ones and are not meant to
reflect the opinions of anyone other than myself, nor are they meant
to be offensive. I have made every attempt to be objective in this
matter.

Prolific. So often this word is associated with musicians and or
composers who pen a multitude of audio art across their years.
Undeniably, Allan Holdsworth can certainly be considered a prolific
guitarist/composer. However, prolific does not always mean new or
revolutionary. Not having been a Holdsworth fan for only a few months
I have noticed that Holdsworth repeats certain solo phrases and
rhythmic structures in the material I have carefully listened to. For
example, Holdsworth has a certain penchant for ascending runs and
exotic phrases. (The latter almost sounds like string skipping at
times or a saxophone progression.) Plus, he works many of solos around
quick sixteenth note rhythmic structures. With the exception of his
clean and/or heavy ladden Synthaxe (tm) sounding pieces, the kind that
are usually very laid back in nature, there is very little in way of
airy, or spacey, solo lines and harmonized sequences. On the other
hand, his rhythm guitar organization is often anything but constant,
in terms of a flow of continuous sixteenth notes, and often quite
"catchy". Perhaps, this contradiction is done intentionally so that
his soloing doesn't get lost among the same tonal frequencies and
rhythm patterns. But, at what point does this sort of scheme become
repetitive and predictable? At what point does his prolific nature
become formula? Perhaps this is why he has always been involved with
various external projects. External projects may be just his way of
concentrating on being effective without the headache of being the
mover and shaker behind the entire project. Again, all conjecture on
my part.

Why, then, am I bringing this all to light? Merely to point out that
many of the Neo-Classical players and many Metal players over the last
six years have been accused of the same types of Holdsworth playing
that I have described, yet they receive very little respect.
Holdsworth in every review and interview I have read (interviews with
other musicians on Holdsworth) have nothing but fantastic things to
say about the man and his music. I do not mean to imply I have read
EVERY review or interview. I am sure there are bad "Holdsworth vibes"
out there. However, from what I have seen he is usually placed at the
top of the list for creativity and performance. Holdsworth is
incredible and that is something that anyone would be hard pressed to
dispute. But what separates him from other players of equal skill?
What places him above other shredders? The truth be told, Holdsworth
likes to shred. (Refer to the sixteenth note runs from the second
paragraph.) Yet, he has been a major influence on so many people. So
many try to be like him. So many really love his music. What magic
does Holdsworth's music have over an audience? (Audience in the most
generic and far reaching sense of the word.)

In closing, I would just like to say that I am one of the many who
loves his music. In spite of my observations, I believe he is one of
the best players around. Since really being exposed to Holdsworth,
which can all be credited to our list moderator Jeff Preston's
unwaning exaltation of the man, new musical doors have opened for me.
I think he deserves more monetary reward than he has ever be neglected
of. He should be in the limelight more, rather than these dime a dozen
bands/artists MTV and popular radio are trying to ram down our
throats. Again. it is just my opinion. One thing is for certain, I  am
really pleased that people like Jeff Preston take the time to support
the musicians they like, because it opens doors for others. -Dero

P.S.: Does anyone know if "Atavachron" means anything??

========================================
*** End of Atavachron #14 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*                                                                     *
*  To have your posting distributed in the next issue of Atavachron,  *
*  send your posting to:  Atavachron@morekypr.morehead-st.edu .  All  *
*  comments made here  are the views  of the individual contributors  *
*  only.                                                              *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Received: from ukcc.uky.edu by morekyvm.morehead-st.edu (Mailer R2.05) with
 BSMTP id 8745; Thu, 05 Dec 91 04:54:14 EDT
Received: by UKCC (Mailer R2.08) id 4652; Thu, 05 Dec 91 03:59:06 EST
Date:         Thu 05 Dec 91 04:00:00 EST
From:         atavachron@morekypr
Subject:      Atavachron #15
To:           Jeff Preston 


Date: Wed, 4 Dec 91 09:12:33 -0500
From: barrett@astro.cs.umass.edu (Daniel Barrett)
Subject: Atavachron #14

>Date:         Tue, 03 Dec 91 14:30:01 EST
>From:         Dero 
>Subject:      A.H. observations.
>I have noticed that Holdsworth repeats certain solo phrases and
>rhythmic structures in the material I have carefully listened to....

	Sure.  Every musician uses his/her own cliches.  They are
inherent in the playing style.

>...many of the Neo-Classical players and many Metal players over the last
>six years have been accused of the same types of Holdsworth playing
>that I have described, yet they receive very little respect.

	I think the main difference between Holdsworth and many other
players is best embodied in a phrase I heard a few weeks ago.  I wish
I could remember which USENET reader said it to me; I think it was
Marc Webster @ xerox.com:

	"Holdsworth is a great musician who just happens to be fast."

Sure, I like watching Holdsworth or Morse burn up the strings when
they play.  But I find they have a musical maturity that many other
speed-guitarists lack.  Listen to Holdsworth's "Road Games" EP and
tell me if you think Eric Johnson or Ywngie Malmsteen (sp?) could have
written it.  (Maybe they could have *played* it, but I'm talking about
composition.)

	I should note that I am less impressed with Holdsworth's newer
compositions.  If you've listened only to the stuff from the last 3 years,
I recommend listening to "Road Games" if you can find a copy.  (It's not
on CD.)

	Just my opinion!

                                                        Dan

 //////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| Dan Barrett -- Grad student, Department of Computer & Information Science |
| University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA  01003  --  barrett@cs.umass.edu |
 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/////////////////////////////////////

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Date: Wed, 4 Dec 91 09:14:56 -0500
From: barrett@astro.cs.umass.edu (Daniel Barrett)
Subject: Atavachron #14

>
>Date:         Tue, 03 Dec 91 14:30:01 EST
>From:         Dero 
>P.S.: Does anyone know if "Atavachron" means anything??

	I'm sure you'll get lots of answers to this.  ATAVACHRON is
the name of the living time machine from the Star Trek episode "All
Our Yesterdays."  (Note that "All Our Yesterdays" is a track on the
ATAVACHRON album, and that A.H. is pictured wearing a Star Trek shirt
on the cover.)

                                                        Dan

 //////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| Dan Barrett -- Grad student, Department of Computer & Information Science |
| University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA  01003  --  barrett@cs.umass.edu |
 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/////////////////////////////////////

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Date:         Wed, 04 Dec 91 10:19:42 EST
From:         Dero 
Subject:      Items found

Believe it or not I found _The MVP Project: Truth In Shredding_ for
$10 on cassette in a music chain where I live. I couldn't believe it!
It was under the ROCK section. They didn't have it on CD so I picked
up the cassette. For $10 I couldn't complain! It wasn't even considered
an IMPORT. These generic record chains are so screwy. Stuff that should
be dirt cheap often isn't. Things that should be IMPORTS sometimes
aren't. INDEPENDENT releases that are supposed to be near impossible to
order often appear on the shelves at some point. (Of course, no one in
the store knows how it got there, so there's no hope of ordering others
like it.) As for MVP, if I had to describe it to someone, i.e. put a
label on it, I would call it Jazz Metal. Seriously. It rocks too much
for just a Rock title, and it's too straight ahead and shreddy for a
pure Jazz title. Talk about your self indulgent guitar recordings! The
title is more than appropriate. And I am glad to see that A.H. didn't
just use the ole Synthaxe (R) everywhere. I enjoyed it. A.H. die-hards
will probably want it to complete the collection, but Jazz people may
find it a bit tough to stomach. Progressive Metalers and guitar music
fans should probably really like it.

Also, I found a A.H./Gordon Beck relase, titled _With A Heart In My
Song_. It's got some solo pieces by Beck and A.H. I picked it up on CD
for just $16. I haven't heard it yet, as it is a Christmas present.
(Yup, I pick up stuff for other people for me for Christmas. I'm happy
and it saves them some time!) Once I actually can play it I'll send some
thoughts out.

========================================
*** End of Atavachron #15 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*                                                                     *
*  To have your posting distributed in the next issue of Atavachron,  *
*  send your posting to:  Atavachron@morekypr.morehead-st.edu .  All  *
*  comments made here  are the views  of the individual contributors  *
*  only.                                                              *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Received: from ukcc.uky.edu by morekyvm.morehead-st.edu (Mailer R2.05) with
 BSMTP id 0254; Fri, 06 Dec 91 03:19:00 EDT
Received: by UKCC (Mailer R2.08) id 1605; Fri, 06 Dec 91 02:23:46 EST
Date:         Fri 06 Dec 91 02:26:00 EST
From:         atavachron@morekypr
Subject:      Atavachron #16
To:           Jeff Preston 


Date:         Thu, 05 Dec 91 07:01:16 EDT
From:         PRESTON@morekypr
Subject:      Closer examinations

>Date:         Tue, 03 Dec 91 14:30:01 EST
>From:         Dero 
>Subject:      A.H. observations.

>                                          With the exception of his
>clean and/or heavy ladden Synthaxe (tm) sounding pieces, the kind that
>are usually very laid back in nature, there is very little in way of
>airy, or spacey, solo lines and harmonized sequences.

  To hear some of his harmonized work, you might want to check out
the new Chad Wackerman release, _Forty Reasons_ (for which I'm still
trying to find time for writing up a review!). There are several solos
on that which have Holdsworth using a harmonizer. There are some other
pieces on other albums (I'm pretty sure "Mental Medication" from the
first U.K. album is one example) where he harmonizes some of his
melody lines.

>                                                       On the other
>hand, his rhythm guitar organization is often anything but constant,

  I tend to believe that he intentionally abandons the traditional
approach to "rhythm guitar playing". Much of his work is centered
around rather interesting chordal patterns, chord fragments and
intervals, but the rhythmic base of his music is usually left up to
the bassist and drummer, as you find in other, more traditional
jazz combo settings. As a soloist, this allows him a great amount of
freedom to "explore the envelope". If you think of him as the world's
first six-string saxophonist (heh), that might help.  :)

>                 But, at what point does this sort of scheme become
>repetitive and predictable? At what point does his prolific nature
>become formula?

  If you mean "predictable" in terms of instantly being able to
recognize that it is he who is playing the guitar, that shouldn't
take anyone very long at all. As for his note, chord and scale
selection, I can't say that I've ever been able to second-guess
what he's about to do. For the uninitiated listener of *any* type
or style of music, it's often difficult to discern the nuances
until a certain degree of familiarity with the style/artist is
acquired.

>Why, then, am I bringing this all to light? Merely to point out that
>many of the Neo-Classical players and many Metal players over the last
>six years have been accused of the same types of Holdsworth playing
>that I have described, yet they receive very little respect.
>Holdsworth in every review and interview I have read (interviews with
>other musicians on Holdsworth) have nothing but fantastic things to
>say about the man and his music.

  Here, I suppose it's one of those "what's your favorite color"
questions - I can tell you that I like blue, but can I tell you why?
Not really. I don't think we can blame Allan Holdsworth if the music
press fails to heap praises on, say, Nuno Bettencourt (simply as an
example).  :)  Traditionally, there seems to be more reverence for
jazz as a serious musical form than rock, in general, but again I
don't think this is the fault of the musicians involved - it's has
more to do with the attitudes found in academia, and even more to
do with the music press and its portrayal of "what's hot" (with all
due apology to Frank Zappa, who voiced this very same opinion in a
recent _Musician_ magazine interview).

>What places him above other shredders? The truth be told, Holdsworth
>likes to shred.

  I like the quote that Daniel Barrett used about Holdsworth being
"a great musician who just happens to be fast". I agree with that.
I hesitate to try to come up with examples, but I've heard my share
of guitarists who (to me) sound as if they are trying to play fast
just for the sake of proving that it can be done. Not that it isn't
an impressive display of technique to blaze off 300 notes in the
course of 30 seconds, but there aren't a huge number of people that
are capable of doing it *and* staying within the tasteful bounds of
the accompanying music. I find that Holdsworth's "shredding" is not
found in excessive amounts, and his phrasings and scales are, for
the most part, melodic masterpieces; perfect melodic compliments to
the rest of the music. It amazes me that a guitar solo such as the one
in "Holiday Insane" or "Five G" or "Atavachron" didn't require weeks
of practicing the lines, over and over again... but merely plugging in
and playing the part on the spot. There's a mastery in that which
can be approached by very few in any genre.

>In closing, I would just like to say that I am one of the many who
>loves his music. In spite of my observations, I believe he is one of
>the best players around. Since really being exposed to Holdsworth,
>which can all be credited to our list moderator Jeff Preston's
>unwaning exaltation of the man, new musical doors have opened for me.

  I'm proud to have been of service... thanks for the (all-too-) kind
words.  :)
  I've found that one effective way to gain a better appreciation for
many players is to make a tape or two that encompasses that artist's
works in a chronological order. In that way, you can see how certain
nuances develop in their playing, and in cases such as Holdsworth's,
recognition that the formula is really *no* formula, but instead it
is a building process and a defining of personal style from one phase
to the next. I usually suggest that more time be devoted on such tapes
to the more difficult, less accessable periods... but not so much that
it is a chore to listen to from the onset. If I can help anyone with
suggestions for such a tape, please let me know.

  Jeff Preston ("Mr. Atoz")
  Owner and moderator of Atavachron

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Date: Thu, 5 Dec 91 11:25:29 PST
From: adac!wizard!farrar@uunet.UU.NET (richard farrar)
Subject: RE: A.H observations

I also listen to a lot of "shredder" music.  I love the first Yngwie album.
I also really dig the _Edge_of_Insanity_ album by Tony MacAlpine.  The music
has great energy, really intense, and they play so damn FAST.  The thing I like
about Holdsworth, though, is his ability to step beyond the boundaries of the
structure of the song.  Some of his solos, I don't know where the melodies come
from.  He said something about this once, something like, "Everybody has the
same twelve notes, I just try to put them together differently."  He also said
that when he was younger, he heard Coltrane, and he has always wanted to play
sax.  He would spend most of his time trying to play Coltrane solos on the
guitar.  One of my favorite solos of his is on "Funnels", and you can really
hear the Coltrane sax influence at the end of the first solo.  Really tasty.
His ability to solo over constantly changing time signatures and chord
progressions is astounding as well.  One of the things that impressed me the
most when I saw him live was the interplay between Allan and Chad.  Chad would
really screw around with the time on practically every other measure and Allan
would be right there every time.  He also demonstrates this ability in his
playing with Tony Williams, another drummer who constantly tries to pull the
rhythmic rug out from under you.  Most of the neo-classical and metal guitarists
I have heard play solos over very consistent yet fast 4/4 or 3/4 beats.  You
don't have to try to listen or keep up very much to solo.  Also, the chord
progressions they solo over are not nearly as difficult as most of the
Holdsworth compositions.  I'm not saying that the shredders couldn't do it, but
I have never heard one try.  I would like to see Tony MacAlpine tackle "City
Noghts" off of _Secrets_.  Not to play the Holdsworth solo note for note, but
to improvise something.  THAT would really impress me.
I don't mean to take away from the "shredders", but they play different styles
of music.  I think Holdsworth would be out of his idiom if he played stuff like
"Far Beyond the Sun" or "Wheel of Fortune".

This is all IMveryHO.  Actual mileage may differ.

Rich

========================================
*** End of Atavachron #16 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*                                                                     *
*  To have your posting distributed in the next issue of Atavachron,  *
*  send your posting to:  Atavachron@morekypr.morehead-st.edu .  All  *
*  comments made here  are the views  of the individual contributors  *
*  only.                                                              *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Received: from ukcc.uky.edu by morekyvm.morehead-st.edu (Mailer R2.05) with
 BSMTP id 3662; Sun, 15 Dec 91 13:02:35 EDT
Received: by UKCC (Mailer R2.08) id 6177; Sun, 15 Dec 91 12:07:36 EST
Date:         Sun 15 Dec 91 12:08:00 EST
From:         atavachron@morekypr
Subject:      Atavachron #17
To:           Jeff Preston 


Date:         Fri, 13 Dec 91 02:59:28 EDT
From:         PRESTON@morekypr
Subject:      What does Atavachron mean?

>Date: Wed, 4 Dec 91 09:14:56 -0500
>From: barrett@astro.cs.umass.edu (Daniel Barrett)
>Subject: Atavachron #14

>	I'm sure you'll get lots of answers to this.  ATAVACHRON is
>the name of the living time machine from the Star Trek episode "All
>Our Yesterdays."  (Note that "All Our Yesterdays" is a track on the
>ATAVACHRON album, and that A.H. is pictured wearing a Star Trek shirt
>on the cover.)

>                                                        Dan

  I hope Dan will forgive one small correction: the Atavachron was not
living. It was a device which was operated by Mr. Atoz in the original
Star Trek episode "All Our Yesterdays" (as mentioned by Dan) to prepare
the inhabitants of Sarpeidon for travel into their planet's past.
Their sun was going nova, and this was the only means they could
conceive of to save the population of the planet. Mr. Atoz also was in
charge of a library of discs, on which the various time periods of
Sarpeidon's past were kept. By selecting one of the discs, and
proper preparation by the Atavachron, the time traveller could safely
remain in the past.
  I believe the time machine that Dan was referring to was the Guardian,
seen in the original Star Trek episode "City on the Edge of Forever",
which is considered by most to be the best Star Trek episode ever.
  Sorry to rattle on like this about a subject that's seemingly
unrelated to Allan Holdsworth, but I, like Holdsworth, have been a fan
of Star Trek ever since its inception in 1966. It was quite a surprise
when I first saw the cover of _Atavachron_ .

  Administrative stuff: I will be here throughout most of the holiday
season, so if anyone feels like posting, I will be here to put the
digest together. I don't think anyone's disk quota is going to be in
trouble from the volume we've seen thusfar on Atavachron, but if you
are concerned, please send a "signoff" note to me... I can re-subscribe
you when you return if you wish.
  33 subscribers so far - let's hear from you!

  Jeff Preston ("Mr. Atoz")
  Owner and moderator of Atavachron

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Date:         Sun, 15 Dec 91 12:00:04 EDT
From:         PRESTON@morekypr
Subject:      Chad Wackerman's _Forty Reasons_

  The new Chad Wackerman release, _Forty Reasons_ (CMP), is by far the
best CD I've bought this year. After hearing the opening track ("Holiday
Insane") just once, I knew this was going to be a jazz-rock/experimental
release to remember.
  Although the track time is pretty short for a CD (just under 45 minutes),
it's packed with goodies. There are 11 tunes on here, including 5 tunes
that I would call "experimental" - these are basically short, improvised
tunes (4 are under 2 minutes each) which really show you just how quickly
these guys can switch operating modes. You can tell there was no one
nodding off when this was recorded, that's for sure.
  The high points: "Holiday Insane" - a straightforward fusion masterpiece
that features the best guitar solo ever played by Allan Holdsworth. Jim Cox
also has an admirable organ solo, and Mr. Wackerman pulls out all the stops.
  "Forty Reasons" - this tune starts simply enough, but by the time you
get to the guitar solo, everything is coming to a slow boil. There's
something familiar about the "chorus" part of this tune, but can't place it.
  "Quiet Life" - a dark but beautiful ballad. Jimmy Johnson really puts the
bass to good use here. His playing on this tune is in a completely different
realm than his playing on Holdsworth's solo stuff.
  "Tell Me" - this one's the rocker on the disc. I got to see Allan and
Chad do this one back in September in concert. The guitar solo recorded
on here is nothing compared to the one Holdsworth pulled off live, but
it's still pretty hot. This almost reminds me of something Bruford might
have done.
  I was impressed overall with the quality of the writing on _Forty
Reasons_ - Mr. Wackerman is very skilled in this area. He wrote 5 of
the 11 tunes, and co-wrote the remaining 6 with various members of
band assembled for this project. It should sound obvious to anyone
that Holdsworth really enjoyed playing on this one, as his guitar
playing hasn't sounded this free and emotive in a long time. I was also
taken with the fact that there wasn't any SynthAxe on here; it really
sounds as if he's made a renewed committment to the guitar, and if
this is what we can expect from him in the future, it's a welcome
development.
  All in all, this should be at the top of any Holdsworth fanatic's
Christmas wish list.

  Jeff Preston ("Mr. Atoz")
  Owner and Moderator of Atavachron

========================================
*** End of Atavachron #17 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*                                                                     *
*  To have your posting distributed in the next issue of Atavachron,  *
*  send your posting to:  Atavachron@morekypr.morehead-st.edu .  All  *
*  comments made here  are the views  of the individual contributors  *
*  only.                                                              *
*                                                                     *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Received: from ukcc.uky.edu by morekyvm.morehead-st.edu (Mailer R2.05) with
 BSMTP id 1945; Sat, 28 Dec 91 22:35:03 EDT
Received: by UKCC (Mailer R2.08) id 4193; Sat, 28 Dec 91 21:26:00 EST
Date:         Sat, 28 Dec 91 05:10:00 EST
From:         atavachron@morekypr
Subject:      Atavachron #18
To:           Jeff Preston 


Date: Friday, 20 December 1991 2:41pm ET
From: David.Motes@emc2-tao.fisc.com
Subject: Short Reviews


 Over the past few months I have acquired several CD's mentioned
 in the Allan Holdsworth discography and thought I would describe
 them in case anyone else was wondering about getting them.
 (Also generating some activity on the list)

 Ian Carr  - Belladonna - released 1972
 The word improvisational has been used several times on the list
 to describe some of the things A.H. has played on but it is the
 only word that can be used to describe this CD. These guys must
 have worn out Miles Davis' Bitches Brew album before cutting this.
 If there is one recognizable riff on this it is never repeated.
 If you like the 1968-1975 Miles Davis you will like this.
 Mostly trumpet and sax. A.H. knocks off 2 great solos and can be
 heard on most of the songs playing rhythm. This is the only album
 I have ever heard a keyboard player try to improvise with A.H.
 when he is soloing. Gordon Beck is on 3 songs, this must be where they
 met.

 Gong - Gazeuse - Released 1976
 This is a great CD. It has got a little of everything on it.
 Several A.H. solos, great percussion, some sax, some flute.
 The first song on the CD is one of the best A.H. has been on.
 The song Gattox from the Velvet Darkness album gets reworked
 on this. If you like the 2 Bruford albums A.H. is on you will
 like this. I would consider putting this on the must have list.

 Stuart Hamm  - Radio Free Albemuth - release 1988
 I was not familiar with Stuart Hamm so when I saw this at a used
 CD store I got it. Most fusion albums are a fusion of jazz and rock
 this is more of a fusion of classical and rock. There are 2 jazz-rock
 fusion songs. A.H. on one but dont bother buying the CD for his
 performance. He does a solo thru some synthesizer effect and it does
 not really sound like him. Not bad not great. Joe Satriani solos on
 the other fusion song and also on a slow ballad kind of thing.
 The other songs are bass and keyboard with more of a classical feel.
 With the exception of a "country" song where Stuart Hamm tries
 to play what sounds like a version of the theme from the Beverly
 Hillbillies on the bass (its actually one of the more interesting songs
 on the cd). This is an enjoyable CD but not a classic.

 Chad Wackerman - 40 Reasons  - release 1991

 Jeff covered this one pretty well. It sounds like a progression from
 the A.H. Sand and Secrets CDs. A.H. does some great work on this.
 I was really impressed by the keyboards. They are very interesting
 using unusual synthesizer tones and also organ. It sounds like
 when they went into the studio they were interested in doing something
 interesting and not just cutting the same old thing....
 Another must have..
 I am not sure about Jeff's comment about A.H.'s best solo is on
 this CD.

 Every one knows his best work is on the Tony Williams Lifetime Believe
 It album :)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Date:         Sat, 28 Dec 91 05:00:28 EDT
From:         PRESTON@morekypr
Subject:      Level 42's _Guaranteed_

  I was lucky enough to have received the Level 42 CD, _Guaranteed_ as a
Christmas gift from a dear Canadian friend. As you might have heard, this
release features Allan Holdsworth on guitar on a number of cuts, and as
far as I've been able to tell, it is not yet available in the U.S. (but
seems to have been released in the U.K. and Canada on BMG/RCA). I've been
listening to it quite a bit since Wednesday (yes, she labelled the
package "Do not open until December 25th", and like the sap that I am,
I held off - at least it wasn't what the customs declaration claimed
it was: "100 Christmas Carols for Accordian and Bigpipes").  :)
  Although Holdsworth isn't prominently featured (as far as I can tell,
he plays on five out of twelve tunes; "Seven Years", "A Kinder Eye",
"She Can't Help Herself", "If You Were Mine", and "With A Little Love"),
it's a very worthwhile purchase... especially if you like the occasional
bit of dance-pop. The other guitarist appearing on _Guaranteed_ is
Dominic Miller, whom I've been told has been recently playing with Sting.
Not surprisingly, it's pretty easy to tell which guitar parts are whose...
not to mention that it doesn't sound as if Holdsworth and Miller share
any common tracks on the disc. Miller has a very nice style and plays very
effectively in this setting. I would say it was a good move on the
part of the band to not have Holdsworth doing all of the guitar parts
here, since his style would tend to pull the focus away from this
rhythmically-oriented music. His solos are, however, very appropriate
and fit unbelievably well in these tunes.
  In case anyone is asking the question "just how in the world did
Allan Holdsworth end up on a Level 42 album?", the story was told in
a recent issue of _Modern Drummer_ magazine by Gary Husband, who also
plays drums for Level 42 when he's not working with Allan. He said that
the band had most of the material together for this album, when their
regular guitarist died unexpectedly (sorry, I've misplaced the article
and can't remember his name). Mark King, the bassist, asked Gary if
he thought Allan would be interested in doing the record, and much to
everyone's surprise, he was quite glad to do it (in fact, he played
5-6 live dates with the band before they found a regular replacement).
  My favorites on the CD so far are "Seven Years", "My Father's Shoes",
"If You Were Mine" and "With A Little Love". As I said, this is highly
worth a listen to; the melodies are intelligent and the recording is
exceptional; like all the other Level 42 recordings I've heard, the
production in faultless. Having Holdsworth on the disc makes it that
much more of a treat.

  Obligatory Guitarist's Note: I've been fooling around in my home
"microstudio" over the break, and I've been playing around with a
recent addition: a new Zoom 9002 digital signal processor. It has a
lot of goodies packed into its miniscule case, one of which being a
harmonizer/pitch shifter, which until I bought the Zoom, I'd never
had the pleasure of messing with. Anyway, for those of you who fool
with guitars and things of that ilk, you might want to try this if
you ever have access to a harmonizer: set the harmonizer to add a
note that's two semitones (a whole step) below the note you will play
on the guitar. Then, strike an A major chord barred at the 5th fret.
Voila!  The beginning of "Metal Fatigue". The line just after isn't
too difficult to figure out, either. What fun...  :)

  Jeff Preston ("Mr. Atoz")
  Owner and moderator of Atavachron

========================================
*** End of Atavachron #18 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*                                                                     *
*  To have your posting distributed in the next issue of Atavachron,  *
*  send your posting to:  Atavachron@morekypr.morehead-st.edu .  All  *
*  comments made here  are the views  of the individual contributors  *
*  only.                                                              *
*                                                                     *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Received: from ukcc.uky.edu by morekyvm.morehead-st.edu (Mailer R2.05) with
 BSMTP id 2657; Tue, 31 Dec 91 05:24:09 EDT
Received: by UKCC (Mailer R2.08) id 1286; Tue, 31 Dec 91 04:29:33 EST
Date:         Tue, 31 Dec 91 04:30:00 EST
From:         atavachron@morekypr
Subject:      Atavachron #19
To:           Jeff Preston 


Date:   Sat, 28 Dec 1991 23:33:08 -0500
From:   wcsanil@ccs.carleton.ca (Anil Prasad)
Subject: TEMPEST

I have seen a CD by Tempest at a used store that has Allan H. on it.

I had the salesman play a few cuts that I found rather horrible.

Can someone give me a synopsis on what this band is about? Should
I get this disc? It's a CD with two Tempest albums squished onto it,
one album features AH. Let me know!

Anil Prasad
wcsanil@ccs.carleton.ca

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Date:         Tue, 31 Dec 91 04:18:48 EDT
From:         PRESTON@morekypr
Subject:      Many thanks to one and all

  Well, the end of 1991 is at hand, and today marks the end of the
second month of Atavachron's existence. In just 60 days, this list
has brought me a lot of valuable information (no matter how much I
complain about the lack of interactive discussion, heh heh). One
thing that I'm particularly thrilled with has been the response to
the discography file; I now have a list of 39 releases on which
Allan Holdsworth has appeared (nearly a third of which I have
discovered thanks to the list members of Atavachron). As if that
were not enough, I have heard 7 previously-unheard albums that
feature Holdsworth since the inception of the list - most of which
were due to the efforts of one or more Atavachron subscribers. For
this I owe each of you a hearty thanks... without your participation,
none of this could have come about so quickly; perhaps not at all.
  I have high hopes for Atavachron in 1992. In just two months time,
we have 34 subscribers from 4 countries - over 60 percent of which
have sent in at least one posting to the list. I would like to urge
everyone to share their thoughts with us, and to help "spread the
word" about the list to other Holdsworth fans this year.

  New News: Allan's latest solo release should be hitting the stores
sometime in January - I hope everyone will be watching for it and let
the rest of us know if they should see it. If someone could post the
phone number for Relativity Records, I'll give them a call and find
out the release date.

  Thanks again, and have a safe and happy New Year!

  Jeff Preston ("Mr. Atoz")
  Owner and moderator of Atavachron

========================================
*** End of Atavachron #19 *** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*                                                                     *
*  To have your posting distributed in the next issue of Atavachron,  *
*  send your posting to:  Atavachron@morekypr.morehead-st.edu .  All  *
*  comments made here  are the views  of the individual contributors  *
*  only.                                                              *
*                                                                     *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Web site hosted by ADdimension, Inc., Nashville, TN