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Date: Wed 04 Dec 91 01:00:00 EST From: atavachron@morekypr Subject: Atavachron #14 To: Jeff PrestonDate: 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. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *