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Atavachron Digest 10/93
Atavachron Digest - The Allan Holdsworth Discussion Digest
Volume 2, Number 63
Wednesday, 27 October 1993
TODAY'S TOPICS:
==============
AH transcriptions
Offer to try to get dates for Allan's next tour
I need seven seconds
COME TOGETHER
AH on CT
Gordon Beck
Re: Gordon Beck
Re: Gordon Beck
Tempest?
Guitar Player letter from AH
new Chad Wackerman
Two years under our belt: Time for a quiz!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Kingsley Durant Jr
Subject: AH transcriptions
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 93 13:23:27 EDT
Regarding my transcriptions posted in the 9/27 Atavachron
Digest: As I feared, a few minor spacing glitches cropped up.
In the 3rd line of "Looking Glass" some extra spaces were
deleted, which messed up the alignment. These spaces were
necessitated by several instances in which a note is played on
the B string following a full chord. If you download the file,
a few well-placed spaces should fix things - use the right
margin as a guide.
In "Wardenclyffe Tower," some of the lines were too long.
Re-connect them after downloading and things should be fine.
RE: Allan touring, it will be nice to get info from the source
- Jeff, I'm willing to beat the bushes again for a mid-atlantic
date, just let me know. (although by next June I may be
living in an entirely different part of the country)
<>
P.S. Any Leni Stern or Steve Khan fans out there? For the
David Torn fans, bad news: Karn, Torn, & co. have scrapped
plans for a US tour.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 21:25:30 -0500
From: Wot Gorrila?
Subject: Offer to try to get dates for Allan's next tour
Jeff,
Just like Kingsley, I am still willing to try to set up some tour dates
for any upcoming tour put on by Allan. Just let me know when he will be
coming around again, and his preferred timeframe for shows in the Central
Illinois/Midwest area, and I'll contact all the venues I think might be
interested in having him play there.
Take Care,
David
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Preston
Subject: I need seven seconds
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 93 11:08:41 EDT
Hi folks,
Things at Atavachron HQ look pretty slow at the moment, and the recent
tab posting by Kingsley made me decide to ask for some help in figuring
something out.
I've been in a bit of a guitar-playing rut lately, and I thought I'd
actually sit down and try to learn some of Allan's lines -- well, maybe
I should say that I was going to sit down and try to learn a few bits
of some of his lines which are playable by mortal beings -- in order to
spark a renewal in playing. I then starting mentally playing through
some of his lines which I might have the dexterity to play, with an
emphasis on two things:
1) It had to be, IMO, a very emotive phrase, and;
2) It had to be at or near the upper limit of my technical ability
to play. :)
I settled on a phrase from the solo in "Atavachron" (heh), beginning
at 3:43 and ending about 3:50, and it starts on the G at the 15th fret,
first string. Trouble is, I can't figure out much after that, and it
shouldn't be that difficult to decode, I know... I picked this one
because, to begin with, I *can* hum, sing and whistle this line! It
*should* be a piece of cake to get the mechanics of it, I know, but
I'm mentally stagnant at the moment... can anyone help me with this?
Forgive my lazy ways, but to be completely honest, I have been pretty
much doing my own guitar thing for the last six years or so, and have
not tried to figure out *anyone's* guitar parts for at least that long.
Any help certainly appreciated!
Jeff
--
Jeff Preston =*= Moderator of the Allan Holdsworth discussion forum
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= atavachron-request@msuacad.morehead-st.edu =*=*=*=
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 93 11:44:34 -0400
From: rardin%bad.dnet@auriga (R. Lynn Rardin)
Subject: COME TOGETHER
For those of you who have been eagerly awaiting the appearance of COME
TOGETHER GUITAR TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES... It's out. Tower Boston has loads
of copies. I suspect if it's not widely available now, it will be soon.
-Lynn (rardin@auriga.rose.brandeis.edu)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 93 21:58:38 -0400
From: rardin%cygnus.dnet@auriga (R. Lynn Rardin)
Subject: AH on CT
I put my copy of COME TOGETHER into the CD player a few minutes ago. As any
good Holdsworth fan would do, I skipped right to track 8. :) I think you'll
all be happy with Allan's contribution. He's accompanied by Gordon
Beck (keys), Gary Willis (b) and Kirk Covington (d). The track opens with a
couple slow passes through the melody with kind of a spacey feel. Then it
kicks into double time and Allan takes off on a guitar solo. The double time
part of the tune has a more acoustic feel, partly because of what Covington
is doing on the drums and also because Beck uses an acoustic piano sound on
keyboard. Beck gets a fairly long solo space, then Holdsworth brings back
the melody and they take tune out at the slower tempo. Pretty nice. I
wouldn't mind hearing Allan do some more work with this group. I haven't
listened to the rest of the CD yet, but reviews seem to indicate it should
be enjoyable.
-Lynn
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mley@acorn.co.uk (Martin Ley)
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 93 11:14:15 BST
Subject: Gordon Beck
Hi Jeff,
I made a big mistake yesterday: I bought "With a Heart in my Song"
- Allan playing with Gordon Beck. So far, I've loved just about everything
I've bought with Allan on, and revelled in the fact that my girlfriend hates
it all (how many women do _you_ know who claim to like Allan Holdsworth?)
with the single exception of Metal Fatigue (which is my fave track anyway!).
Yesterday, I was embarrassed into turning the CD off during my first listen.
Sure, Allan plays his heart out, as usual, but the general feel of the CD
can only be described as "cheesey". Some of it would have made great background
music to Miami Vice. The lack of any rhythmn section played a big part in my
non-enjoyment. Gordon Beck's solo piece had some synthesised drums and bass
on it, which nearly helped, but the song just droned on and on and in the
end I fast-forwarded it.
I think the biggest problem was the lack of any dynamics. I found it very
difficult to distinguish one song from the next. If anyone is thinking of
buying this CD, I'd recommend tring to listen to a couple of tracks first.
The only saving grace for me was the version of 54 Duncan Terrace. This
might be because Gordon doesn't play on it (!).
I might try listening to the CD again, to give it a fair hearing, but at the
moment, I can't say I'm looking forward to it. Anybody else got any views on
the CD? I never thought I'd hear myself doing Allan's work down.
Martin
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Preston
Subject: Re: Gordon Beck
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 93 7:08:28 EDT
> From: mley@acorn.co.uk (Martin Ley)
> Subject: Gordon Beck
> I made a big mistake yesterday: I bought "With a Heart in my Song"
> - Allan playing with Gordon Beck. So far, I've loved just about everything
> I've bought with Allan on, and revelled in the fact that my girlfriend hates
> it all (how many women do _you_ know who claim to like Allan Holdsworth?)
> with the single exception of Metal Fatigue (which is my fave track anyway!).
> Yesterday, I was embarrassed into turning the CD off during my first listen.
> Sure, Allan plays his heart out, as usual, but the general feel of the CD
> can only be described as "cheesey". Some of it would have made great background
> music to Miami Vice. The lack of any rhythmn section played a big part in my
> non-enjoyment. Gordon Beck's solo piece had some synthesised drums and bass
> on it, which nearly helped, but the song just droned on and on and in the
> end I fast-forwarded it.
Well, I can't agree with the "Miami Vice" comment, but I'll freely
admit this is one of my least-played CDs. Of all the things I have
which feature Holdsworth, I'd probably say only _MVP: Truth In
Shredding_ gets less air-time in my CD player. :)
> I think the biggest problem was the lack of any dynamics. I found it very
> difficult to distinguish one song from the next. If anyone is thinking of
> buying this CD, I'd recommend tring to listen to a couple of tracks first.
The dynamics problem is even more a problem of timbres, IMO; here you
have Allan and Beck both playing synthesizers, for the most part. Yes,
this causes the rhythm section to be sorely missed! It gives the whole
album a very understated, somber feel.
> The only saving grace for me was the version of 54 Duncan Terrace. This
> might be because Gordon doesn't play on it (!).
Ah, but he *does* play on it! The only piece Beck does not appear
on is "Sundays," which is Allan's solo piece. The piano patch you
hear is Beck. If you listen to it again, you'll probably be able to
tell it isn't Allan playing that part... it's not at all his style.
> I might try listening to the CD again, to give it a fair hearing, but at the
> moment, I can't say I'm looking forward to it. Anybody else got any views on
> the CD? I never thought I'd hear myself doing Allan's work down.
Well, they can't all be winners, can they? ;) Over time, I've just
realized that this album makes me feel rather depressed... it seems to
convey to me a sense of loss (and that may be the absence of drums and
bass, but I think it goes deeper than that).
Speaking of Gordon Beck: I received Jerry Morrow's package Friday
morning -- _Wardenclyffe Tower + 3_. I found Beck's playing on the
re-vamped "Tokyo Dream" and "The Un-Merry-Go-Round Part 4" to be
vital and vibrant, but these tunes have more energy and tension
than anything on _With A Heart In My Song_. This has really got me
looking forward to hearing "Michelle," especially after seeing Lynn's
review. I suppose I like hearing Allan play in a variety of different
settings -- even if they don't all peg the "sheer excitement meter."
Then again, I would not be recommending this CD to most people... not
to fans, even.
Jeff
--
Jeff Preston =*= Moderator of the Allan Holdsworth discussion forum
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= atavachron-request@msuacad.morehead-st.edu =*=*=*=
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1993 09:55:35 -0500
From: Wot Gorrila?
Subject: Re: Gordon Beck
Martin,
I feel the same way about With a Heart in My Song. Somehow the music just
seems flat and uninspired. Because of this, I haven't been able to convince
myself to shell out the $25 it would take to get the other Holdsworth/Beck
collaboration. Maybe someone out there can tell me if Sunbird/(the other
one I can't remember right now) is similar to With a Heart in My Song. If
not, what is Sunbird like. Thanks in advance for any information.
Take Care,
David
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Tempest?
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 93 21:39:35 PDT
From: John Stimson
Does anyone have a disc by the band Tempest? I saw one in Rasputin's
in Berkeley this summer, and I am curious about what they sound like.
It was a British import - worth $26? You tell me...
John
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: wcsanil@ccs.carleton.ca (Anil Prasad)
Subject: Guitar Player letter from AH
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 22:22:42 EDT
Here's a nifty item from Guitar Player's Nov. '93 mailbag.
---
CALIFORNIA WEENIE VS. MR. TERDLEY
In feedback, May '93, Wayne Terdley of Coffee Corner, MD, complained
of Allan Holdsworth: "Holdsworth always says the same thing: 'Oh, I'm
no good. I can't take this music biz anymore. I'm gonna have to find a
real job.' Poor baby...before you do another interview, chuck the
piss-and-moan attitude and count your blessings, you weenie."
Holdsworth responded with the above headline and the following:
Whilte 'tis true that I do main a lot, 'tis also true that I get off
my ass, get out there, get on with it, and have done so for the past
30 years, as well as doing countless day jobs. Were it not for the
fact that I make my own records (with the help of some of the most
wonderful musicians who generally work for jack cheese or less) there
would not be any Allan Holdsworth albums. Perhaps if you'd get off
yours and do the same, we could all look forward to hearing your music
along with an awe-inspiring, eye-opening interview with the Coffee
Corner wuss in Guitar Player. No offense.
-- Allan Holdsworth
-----
Gotta love it...
--
Anil Prasad/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\wcsanil@ccs.carleton.ca
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 93 23:24:09 -0400
From: rardin%cygnus.dnet@auriga (R. Lynn Rardin)
Subject: new Chad Wackerman
Chad Wackerman's new CD, THE VIEW (CMP CD 64) hit stores today. Haven't heard
it yet, but Allan is featured on 6 of the 13 cuts. Carl Verheyen is the
guitarist on the other 6 tracks (one track is evidently a drum solo).
-Lynn (rardin@auriga.rose.brandeis.edu)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Preston
Subject: Two years under our belt: Time for a quiz!
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 4:19:18 EDT
To celebrate the start of Atavachron's third year, I thought it
might be fun to put together a trivia quiz. Below you will find
twenty questions never before asked in the National Enquirer, nor
any other tabloid magazine. Your mission -- should you decide to
accept it -- is to answer as many of the questions correctly as
you possibly can, and to return your answers to me (at my "home"
address of preston@msuacad.morehead-st.edu) before November 30th,
1993. The person who answers the most questions correctly by that
date will be declared the winner, and will receive something very
interesting in the mail... for this reason, PLEASE include a reliable
e-mail address and/or your snail-mail address so we can work out
delivery of said something, should you win. In the event of a tie,
the winner will be selected by random drawing from amongst the
entries tied for first place. The answers and name of the winner
will be posted in the digest following the deadline of 11/30/93.
A final note about the quiz: Claire Holdsworth has confirmed all
the answers for the questions, so her answers are the ones we will
consider as correct (I don't suppose anyone will have any trouble
with that stipulation!). Also, anyone with full Internet resources
should be able to score very highly (hint hint). Without further
adieu, I give you...
The Toughest Allan Holdsworth Trivia Quiz
Ever Presented On Atavachron!
=============================
Throughout his career, Allan has continually searched for better
tools with which he can express himself. That search has presented
him with instruments from many different manufacturers and luthiers.
#1) Name the company that actually built a production model of
a guitar bearing Allan's initials.
In the "entirely optional Atavachron reader's survey" conducted
last year, Atavachron readers were asked to rate all of the then-known-
to-be-released albums on which Allan had appeared.
#2) Which album was not only rated highest by the respondents,
but also tied for top place in the *number* of responses given
overall?
Allan and his most recent touring band (Steve Hunt, Gary Husband and
Skuli Sverrisson) plays a tune in concert that no one in the band
wrote, nor is it on any of Allan's solo releases.
#3) What is the name of this tune?
#4) Who wrote it?
Longtime Holdsworth associate, bassist Jimmy Johnson, also fronts
a band of his own.
#5) What is the band's name?
#6) For what landmark in studio recording history are they
known?
Another of Allan's associates was in the "house band" on a nationally
(U.S.) syndicated talk show last year.
#7) Who was the musician?
#8) Who was the host of the show?
While Allan's music has won critical acclaim in the press, he has
gone relatively unrecognized by the mainstream music industry. One
of his releases was, however, nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best
Rock Instrumental."
#9) Which Holdsworth release was nominated for a Grammy award?
Allan's tune "Zarabeth" from _Wardenclyffe Tower_ was named for a
fictional character from an original Star Trek series episode.
#10) What was the name of the episode?
#11) What is the name of the actress who played the part of
Zarabeth?
In the liner notes to _The Collection_, a double-length Columbia
Jazz Contemporary Masters release combining _Believe It_ and _Million
Dollar Legs_ by Tony Williams Lifetime, Matt Resnicoff wrote a
synopsis about the mid-'70s version of Lifetime (more accurately
known as "New Lifetime"). A good portion of this article focuses on
Allan, and how he came to be in Tony Williams' New Lifetime.
#12) To whom does Resnicoff give credit for initially referring
Holdsworth to Williams?
One of the most surprising collaborations Allan was involved in
was with ex-Night Ranger guitarist Jeff Watson.
#13) What was the name of the unlikely 1976 radio hit which they
covered?
#14) What band originally recorded this tune?
Allan's use of the SynthAxe is well-known, but it was not his first
use of guitar-synthesis technology.
#15) On what album does Allan's first *recorded* use of a guitar
synthesizer appear?
One of Allan's solo albums was recorded in a studio which was built
in a converted barge.
#16) Name the album.
In 1991, Allan contributed to _MVP: Truth In Shredding_, a release
featuring Frank Gambale. In the credits, Allan's home studio, The
Brewery, is mentioned.
#17) According to these credits, in what California community is
The Brewery located?
Allan was credited with playing on a tune on the cassette version
of the 1986 album _Stand Up_ by Steve Morse, but due to a problem
with the tape synchronization, Allan's part was not actually
included.
#18) What was the name of this tune?
The album _Wardenclyffe Tower_ derives its title from a device
which inventor Nikola Tesla envisioned as a mass collector of
electrical current from the atmosphere itself.
#19) In which U.S. state did Tesla start construction of
Wardenclyffe Tower?
Geometry question:
#20) How many strings are on a standard SynthAxe?
Good luck... may the most resourceful person win! :)
Jeff
--
Jeff Preston =*= Moderator of the Allan Holdsworth discussion forum
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= atavachron-request@msuacad.morehead-st.edu =*=*=*=
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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/ :: ] ::: [ :: \ All opinions expressed herein are
I I those of the individual contributors.
Atavachron Digest - The Allan Holdsworth Discussion Digest
Volume 2, Number 64
Saturday, 30 October 1993
TODAY'S TOPICS:
==============
Re: Atavachron Digest Number 63
Re: Atavachron Digest Number 63
Tempest
seven seconds +
Come Together, ...Heart in My Song, Bill DeLap
Truth in Shredding.
Re: Truth in Shredding.
Re: Truth in Shredding.
RE: TRUTH/Woman and Holdsworth's music
More on "Shredding" / lyrics / quiz prize revealed!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 02:20:20 PDT
From: edju@chaph.usc.edu (Chilvarous and Confused)
Subject: Re: Atavachron Digest Number 63
Re: With a Heart in my Song
Well, here's a dissenting opinion! I fell in love with With A Heart
In My Song instantly (most new-releases take a long time to grow on me). The
fact that there was no rhythm section did not bother me at all, even though I
am not a fan of New Age at all. Even though both Allan and Gordon played
synth, it wasn't hard to tell who was playing which part. And I think Beck
DID play on "54 Duncan Terrace".
Eddie
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 02:28:08 PDT
From: edju@chaph.usc.edu (Chilvarous and Confused)
Subject: Re: Atavachron Digest Number 63
Re: Gordon Beck
"With A Heart In My Song" was available domestically about a year or
two ago. If you look really hard, there should still be a few copies lying
around.
"The Things You See/Sunbird" is very different from "With A Heart..."
in the sense that "With A Heart..." was all synth and "The Things..." was all
acoustic instruments (and in a few tracks there's actually a RHYTHM SECTION!)
But personally I think what made "The Things..." a must for fans is because
Allan sings on a track that would letter end up with a different name on the
I.O.U. album.
"With A Heart..." actually gets more play time in my CD-player than
"The Things..." and a few Allan Holdsworth solo CDs but it's by no means
perfect. However, I think there were at least 4 excellent tracks on it. For
those who liked the CD, check out Marty Friedman's latest solo album "Scenes."
It's not like the metal shredding he does with Megadeth at all. Very synth-
dominated (even though he plays a clean guitar most of the time) and New Age-y
(I hate "New Age" but his music is GOOD).
Eddie
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 11:13:45 -0400
From: kuznick@meglos.mdcorp.ksc.nasa.gov (david kuznick)
Subject: Tempest
Hmmmm.... I have the double CD of the two albums... Not bad but not
great. Sounds a bit like Colosseum. Though then again (donning
flame-proof undies), the only work I REALLY love by AH is his UK
stuff. I stil want to like his other stuff, but it just doesn't do it
for me. Still waiting to be converted...
David Kuznick - kuznick@meglos.mdcorp.ksc.nasa.gov
"If every time we tell a lie, a little fairy dies,
they must be building death-camps in the gardens"
- Human Being by TWELFTH NIGHT (R.I.P. Geoff Mann)
63 days and counting...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Kingsley Durant Jr
Subject: seven seconds +
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 14:19:06 EDT
final bars of "Atavachron" solo
(c) 1986 Allan Holdsworth
Transcribed by Kingsley Durant 10/27/93
OK, Jeff. You asked for it, here it is! I did from 3:40 to the
out, actually; I started from the last bit of the "impossible"
part, right on the downbeat of the first measure of the last
few bars. I'm not going to claim it's perfect, but it's close
enough...
(p.s. this is one of my #1 favorite AH solo bits. Thanks for
challenging me!)
*w/b up
E 12 15 12 10 15.......15 12 15-(17) 15
B 15 13 12 13 15
G
D
A
E
__________________________________________________________
*note 1
E 17 15 13 17 15
B 13 17 13 (17)15 13 13 10
G 14 12 9 12
D
A
E
__________________________________________________________
*note 2 *w/b up 1
E -(17) 15
*w/b up
B 17 -17 15...
G 10 9 17 14
D s-10 10 s-10 9 10
A 12
E
__________________________________________________________
*note 3 *note 4 *note 5
E 10
b
B -(17)-15 13-(15) 13 10 8
~
G 14 14 12 10 12 10 10-->(12)
D 12
A
E
note 1: this bit can be played in the 14th position more
easily; I like the sound on the smaller strings.
note 2: s-10 = slight gliss up to the note.
note 3: these bends are tricky - use your ears to judge
note 4: this section can be played different ways; I'm not
positive these are the right notes, but they're close. (it's
fast - hard to pick them out exactly!)
note 5: a little subharmonic comes in here on this final
note. I'm not sure whether it's the amp, a ghost note on the D
string 10th fret, or what. Hmm...
General notes:
1. I haven't made any effort to provide note durations. ("proof
left to the reader")
2. Some of the upward bends are done with AH's 'bar backward'
technique - those who have seen him live probably know what I
mean. (Allan twists his vibrato bar around so that down
becomes up. David Torn also uses this technique.)
3. The whole section is basically in Am pentatonic - unusually
straightforward, harmonically, for AH.
4. The last lick, with the bendies, is a close as he ever comes
(in modern times) to acknowledging his Clapton influence.
Needless to say, my ability to note expression in this format
is severely limited, so use your ears to make phrasing
decisions!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 93 17:18:27 PDT
From: freedman@mprgate.mpr.ca (Elliot Freedman)
Subject: Come Together, ...Heart in My Song, Bill DeLap
__Come_Together__
Michelle on Manieri & company's Come Together *does* feature a joyous AH
solo. I only wish it were longer!
I also really enjoy Abercrombi and company's And I Love Her
__With_A_Heart_In_My_Song__
I bought With A Heart In My Song on the strength of Sundays alone... those
every climbing chords!
__Bill_DeLapp__
Finally, apparantly luthier Bill DeLap is Canadian (AH makes mention of
this in the UK guitar magazine last month). Does anyone know where he is
based? My poor Ibanez Blazer is aching from being tuned from bassists' low
G up in fifths to F# ! I wonder what he'd sell a prototype long-scale
instrument for?
Elliot Freedman
freedman@mpr.ca
PS. Please write me directly if you are interested in hearing my tape
of adventurous, electric jazz compositions. It is naturally quite
AH influenced and features some pretty fine bassists and drummers
alongside me on guitar.
Thanks for your interest to those who have already written me!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 93 10:33 EST
From: David.Motes@emc2-tao.fisc.com
Subject: Truth in Shredding.
I just ran across a copy of the MVP Truth in Shredding CD and
despite Jeff's less than enthusiastic comments about it I decided
to buy it. I have not really been impressed with Frank Gambale on
the 4 or so CD's that I have that feature him. Anyway I am on my
fourth listen and so far I like it. A lot as a matter of fact.
AH does some hot solos, theres some decent acoustic guitar work,
the drums kind of swing, nice synthaxe work, interesting bass solo,
I have no problem with it. It is interesting
in the first song hearing the solo by Frank Gambale and then the
solo by AH. It really makes you realize how good a guitarist AH is.
Some of the songs kind of remind me of the Andrea Marcelli SIlent
Will album for some reason. I like this a lot more than Silent Will.
Anyway thats my 2 cents.
Also,after special ordering Wardenclyffe Tower I have noticed I am
seeing it more often in the CD stores. Is there anyway of finding
out how many copies sold? Is it considered a successful release?
Congratulations on 2 years Jeff. Keep up the good work.
David Motes
david@emc2-tao.fisc.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 93 14:33:50 -0500
From: uchima@fncrd8.fnal.gov (Mike Uchima)
Subject: Re: Truth in Shredding.
David Motes (david@emc2-tao.fisc.com) writes:
> I just ran across a copy of the MVP Truth in Shredding CD and
> despite Jeff's less than enthusiastic comments about it I decided
> to buy it. I have not really been impressed with Frank Gambale on
> the 4 or so CD's that I have that feature him. Anyway I am on my
> fourth listen and so far I like it. A lot as a matter of fact.
> AH does some hot solos, theres some decent acoustic guitar work,
> the drums kind of swing, nice synthaxe work, interesting bass solo,
> I have no problem with it. It is interesting
> in the first song hearing the solo by Frank Gambale and then the
> solo by AH. It really makes you realize how good a guitarist AH is.
> Some of the songs kind of remind me of the Andrea Marcelli SIlent
> Will album for some reason. I like this a lot more than Silent Will.
> Anyway thats my 2 cents.
>
> [stuff deleted]
>
> David Motes
> david@emc2-tao.fisc.com
Have to agree with this... I picked up "Truth In Shredding" recently too, and
IMHO AH's solos really make it pretty enjoyable. I guess I wouldn't say it's
terrific, but it's pretty good. An essential part of any AH fanatic's
collection, I'd say.
Just to ramble on a bit --
There was some discussion here recently about With A Heart In My Song; this is
probably my least-listened-to disc with AH on it. Can't quite put my finger
on the reason why, but I think Jeff's comment about the timbres all being too
similar (e.g. GB on synth, AH on synthaxe, no rhythm section) hits pretty
close to the mark. I think in the same posting, Jeff also said something
about the only thing he liked less than WAHIMS was Truth In Shredding; guess I
have to disagree on this last point! :)
Where the hell is that new Wackerman CD? Can't find it anywhere. Really
looking forward to this one, since Forty Reasons is one of my favorite CDs,
PERIOD.
Why ARE there almost no female Allan Holdsworth fans? Had to laugh out loud
when Martin Ley wrote that his girlfriend really hates AH; my wife feels
exactly the same way ("Are you listening to that goofy Allan Holdsworth stuff
AGAIN??!?!"). Do any women subscribe to this mailing list?
-- Mike Uchima
-- uchima@fnal.fnal.gov
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 93 19:27:55 PDT
From: dmick@pongo.West.Sun.COM (Dan Mick)
Subject: Re: Truth in Shredding.
> From server@msuacad.morehead-st.edu Fri Oct 29 19:18:33 1993
> Date: Fri, 29 Oct 93 22:09:43 -0400
> Comment: The Allan Holdsworth discussion forum
> Originator: atavachron@msuacad.morehead-st.edu
> Version: 5.31 -- Copyright (c) 1991, Anastasios Kotsikonas
> From: uchima@fncrd8.fnal.gov (Mike Uchima)
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: Re: Truth in Shredding.
>
> Why ARE there almost no female Allan Holdsworth fans? Had to laugh out loud
> when Martin Ley wrote that his girlfriend really hates AH; my wife feels
> exactly the same way ("Are you listening to that goofy Allan Holdsworth stuff
> AGAIN??!?!"). Do any women subscribe to this mailing list?
By and large, men seem to be much more interested in instrumental-music-for-
virtuosity's-sake, which is a large part of the appeal for Allan, I think.
True, once you get past the sort of difficult structure (even for
heavy-duty jazzheads, AH uses some odd extended harmonies and rhythms),
it's also very well-constructed music, IMO...but there's a lot of
up-front work required to listen to it, and it's a small subset of the
*men* I know that can deal with it; women in general tend to view it
as boring, non-satisfying, and hard to listen to.
Of course this doesn't apply to all women nor all men; I'm just expounding
on what I've seen as tendencies. I think it might have something to do
with the male tendency toward intricate toys and fussy little technical
pursuits (ham radio, computers, small models, etc.) It's not something
I can give a root cause for, either; it just seems to match my
experience.
On the other hand, I know women who like the things I've identified
as "male" quite a lot; they're just not very prevalent. It doesn't
bother me or delight me; it's just one of the differences between
the sexes, it seems to me.
Another thing is that I know comparatively few women guitarists, and I
think AH's audience is largely guitarists...both from a "damn, he
can sure play!" aspect and a "I appreciate this more fully, having
tried to make similar tones" aspect. I'll bet the women fans of AH
are largely guitarists, too.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 93 01:06:15 -0400
From: rardin%cygnus.dnet@auriga (R. Lynn Rardin)
Subject: RE: TRUTH/Woman and Holdsworth's music
Mike Uchima wrote:
>Have to agree with this... I picked up "Truth In Shredding" recently too, and
>IMHO AH's solos really make it pretty enjoyable. I guess I wouldn't say it's
>terrific, but it's pretty good. An essential part of any AH fanatic's
>collection, I'd say.
Definitely. I don't think Jeff is the only one who's not too crazy about
TRUTH, but I have to admit to liking it pretty well.
>Where the hell is that new Wackerman CD? Can't find it anywhere. Really
>looking forward to this one, since Forty Reasons is one of my favorite CDs,
>PERIOD.
I like Chad's work a lot. FR was a really nice debut album. I guess I should
be feeling pretty guilty for finding Chad's new CD so easily, huh? I'm once
again reminded that I'm pretty lucky having the Boston area CD stores at my
disposal.
>Why ARE there almost no female Allan Holdsworth fans? Had to laugh out loud
>when Martin Ley wrote that his girlfriend really hates AH; my wife feels
>exactly the same way ("Are you listening to that goofy Allan Holdsworth stuff
>AGAIN??!?!"). Do any women subscribe to this mailing list?
I don't know about list subscribers, but I can say that my wife likes some of
Allan's music quite well. She does make the "he sure do play lotsa notes"
comment now and then. :) But she's really enjoyed his work live the times
we've seen him together.
-Lynn (rardin@auriga.rose.brandeis.edu)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jeff Preston
Subject: More on "Shredding" / lyrics / quiz prize revealed!
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 93 1:29:50 EDT
> From: uchima@fncrd8.fnal.gov (Mike Uchima)
> Subject: Re: Truth in Shredding.
> There was some discussion here recently about With A Heart In My Song; this is
> probably my least-listened-to disc with AH on it. Can't quite put my finger
> on the reason why, but I think Jeff's comment about the timbres all being too
> similar (e.g. GB on synth, AH on synthaxe, no rhythm section) hits pretty
> close to the mark. I think in the same posting, Jeff also said something
> about the only thing he liked less than WAHIMS was Truth In Shredding; guess I
> have to disagree on this last point! :)
To be honest, neither one of them spends much time in my CD player...
it's not like I've kept track of how many times each one has been played
(imagining someone who keeps a log of such... hmmm), but what I said
was that _TIS_ probably spends the least amount of time in my player,
with _WAHIMS_ being a close second. I would hope that *my* opinion
doesn't constitute a blanket condemnation. ;) I find _TIS_ kind of
bland, but there are some good solos and acoustic guitar (by Gambale,
btw) on the disc. It takes more than that to hold my attention anymore,
though, and whatever that elusive quality *is* that "grabs" me, _TIS_
just doesn't have it.
I've never found any music reviewer with whom I could agree 100% of
the time; it's usually no better that 70% for most, and I consider those
people to be gifted. ;) The truth is, I *want* people to go out and
buy _Truth In Shredding_ because I'm sure Allan makes a cut from the
sale. But I won't lie to you and say it's the greatest thing since
microwave pizza, 'cause to me, it's polyester wallpaper -- your mileage
may (and hopefully will) vary. :)
> Where the hell is that new Wackerman CD? Can't find it anywhere. Really
> looking forward to this one, since Forty Reasons is one of my favorite CDs,
> PERIOD.
That makes two of us. To me, _Forty Reasons_ is everything that _Truth
In Shredding_ is not: adventurous, energetic, tense, loose, spontaneous,
substantive and in-your-face/no-hold-barred/slap-you-silly good music.
If I were in a restaurant or in a conversation somewhere and *this* kind
of music comes on, I would have to interrupt and say, "Excuse me, but I
have to listen to this for a minute." And in this case, that minute might
go on for a while! But even so, there are people here whose opinions I
respect otherwise who don't get much of a charge out of _FR_.
Okay, change of topics: Richard Farrar asked a while back about the
lyrics to "All Our Yesterdays"; well, I've been meaning to try to decode
those for him, but I keep forgetting. That's on my list of things to do
this weekend -- a friend and I will liberally apply some Market Street
Oktoberfest and run those through the ol' gray processor. :) If that
fails, we'll see if Claire can provide them, eh?
And speaking of Claire, she wrote yesterday to say that Allan could
very possibly be done mixing the new album this weekend(!). If so, we
might see _Hard Hat Area_ sooner than any of us anticipated.
And now... (drum roll)
I neglected to mention what the prize was for the winner of the trivia
quiz. I had a good reason -- Claire hadn't written back with the answer
at the time -- but Now It Can Be Told. ;) The prize will be...
A copy of _Reaching For The Uncommon Chord_ by Christopher Hoard and
Allan Holdsworth, AUTOGRAPHED by Allan Holdsworth.
So, get your entries in before November 30, 1993, and be sure to send
them to me at preston@msuacad.morehead-st.edu , please. And btw, enter
as many times as you like -- if you send in your entry and later want
to change your answers to some questions, that's fine -- as long as you
make your corrections by the deadline of 11/30/93.
Let's win one for the Brewer! ;)
Jeff
--
Jeff Preston =*= Moderator of the Allan Holdsworth discussion forum
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= atavachron-request@msuacad.morehead-st.edu =*=*=*=
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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