Search - Allan Holdsworth :: Then: Live in Tokyo

Wow. Just.......wow!

Ivo J. Steijn | Greater Los Angeles, CA United States | 02/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a wonderful CD, culled from some outstanding live performances in Japan during 1990. The sound quality is excellent, with nobody getting drowned out in the mix.

I can't say enough Good Stuff about Allan Holdsworth as a composer. Harmonically he does things that you're not supposed to do (it says here), with marvelous results. And his range is amazing...from the delicate to the scorching.

As for the playing...all four musicians here are outstanding, but of course it's Holdsworth's playing that gets most of my attention. Enough has been written about his solos: yeah, he can be a speed demon, but have you ever just listened carefully to how improbably beautiful those solos are? And they're dancing around over very non-straightforward chord sequences, making it quite a joyride to listen to him shooting out the lights with yet another scorching glissando run. I'm also very impressed by the bassist, who really cuts loose on a few tracks, not just during his own soli but also while Holdsworth is zooming off. With Husband's excellent drumming it often falls to the keyboard player to keep the whole thing together, and this he does very well.

I'm actually not a huge fan of the free improvisations on this CD - they're good, but I prefer the more structured stuff. Just a personal preference.

Finally, the CD contains an awesome live version of one of my favorite Holdsworth tracks, "Pud Wud" that has to be heard to be believed. Outstanding!

One of my favorite Holdsworth CDs ever. More! More!"