Allan
Holdsworth’s unofficial first solo album is far, far better than
the legendary master guitarist ever gave it credit for being, proving
that the artist certainly was his own worst critic.
Recorded
in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, in 1976 when Holdsworth was 29 going
on 30 (and I was a 3-year-old toddler driving my parents insane
across the river in Washington Heights, Manhattan), this historically
important rarity provides a window into the past for a unique look at
a genius in the making (at least in terms of being a solo artist).
Even
at this early, nascent stage, Holdsworth delivers dazzling displays
of virtuosity on electric and acoustic guitars and violin, backed by
a spry musical ensemble including Alan Pasqua on keyboards, Alphonso
Johnson on bass, and Narada Michael Walden on drums.
While
the album doesn’t have the glossy, high-tech sheen of Holdsworth’s
forward-looking work from the 1980s and beyond, it stands as a
masterpiece of punk funk fusion (assuming anything else at the time
qualifies as such).
--Raj
Manoharan
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