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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

2401.0. "Who sounds like Alan Holdsworth???" by ODIXIE::LINCE () Wed Dec 11 1991 23:38

    Hi everyone -
    
    	I have a hproblem. In the winter of 1988 I taped a song off of the
    radio in Boston (I think the station was 98.5?) They were playing jazz.
    Anyway, the song in question was a *smoking* fusion song with simply a
    guitar (which carried all the melody), a electric bass, drums, and a piano
    (acoustic). The guitar sound was a dead ringer for Alan Holdsworth
    dirty/sustaining and the melody/style of play really fit. 
    	The song was a really up tempo fusion, with the fusion note patterns, 
    with the guitar/bass/drums in sync at times. The mix made it sound like
    a very tight/close trio type sound and there were no sweeping effects
    or big reverb sounds that I can remember. It was all *simple* phrasing,
    with the bass/piano supporting the guitar for the majority of the song.
    
    	Well, I never called the radio station - I lost the tape (kick,
    kick, kick) and I have:
    
    	1) Bought all AH albums - not to find it.
    	2) Thought maybe it could be an John Scofield, but his
    	sound is always a chorus sound and he always has synths.
    
    	Again, this was a dead ringer for Holdsworth - but never at
    lightspeed and never slurred the notes. It could have been a live
    recording - no audience could be heard though. It was almost improv it
    smoked so much. Very Jazz/Fusion. Maybe it is AH after all, playing
    with someone else... I could'nt date the song - but from the recording
    quality and *style* I'd say late 70's - to 1988. 
    
    	I need to find this before I go crazy. Two questions:
    
    	1) Who might it be?? (I realize this is a interesting question)
           (maybe if I can narrow my list down to 200?)
    
    	2) How can I find this??? I am going crazy...
    
    I know, I know Go to Tower records, start at A and go to Z and sell
    your house to pay for the CD's.
    
    It definately was NOT a processed guitar sound or shredding playing
    like a Satriani J.
    
    Help! And thanks...
    
    Jim 
       
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2401.1What a nutODIXIE::LINCEWed Dec 11 1991 23:467
    RE .0
    
    Reading my base note I realize that I'm looking for a needle in a
    haystack.... any pointers to guitarist/groups to listen to would sure
    help though.
    
    Jim
2401.2PAKORA::IGOLDIESaor AlbaWed Dec 11 1991 23:595
    I've got a tape of a dude who sounds a bit like that.His name is Adrian
    Legg.Nice to mellow out to!!
    
    
                            Staynz
2401.3maybe???ROYALT::BUSENBARKThu Dec 12 1991 10:455
    	In the late 70's Holdsworth played on two Tony Williams Lifetime
    release's "Beleive it" was one of those release's. Have you heard
    these?  I believe he used a SG Standard,100 watt Marshall and a MXR
    100 Phase Shifter for most of that period.
    
2401.4Know the dude, forget his name...CAVLRY::BUCKThu Dec 12 1991 11:155
    If it was from Boston, it was this dude who my friend from Berklee used
    to take lessons from.  Oh gawd, I will have to pick the ole brain for
    his name and his band's name.  He was in GP's Spotlight one year, fwiw.
    He lives in the Boston area, plays Gibson SG guitars exclusively, and
    sounds more like Holdsworth than Holdsworth!!
2401.5Bruford or UK?COPCLU::SANDGRENLhep! I'm trpdd ina P11D*PThu Dec 12 1991 11:2326
	Jim,

	It might be the band 'Bruford'. It featured Bill Bruford on
	drums, Alan Holdsworth on guitar, Jeff Berlin on bass and Dave
	Stewart on keys. They made 3 albums I'm aware of (and bought):

		Feels Good To Me 	(1977)
		One Of A Kind    	(1979)
		Gradually Going Tornado (1980)

	I'm not sure Holdsworth joined the last one, though. There's
	a 'best of' CD available with tracks from these recordings.

	Also, Holdsworth joined another band with Bill Bruford, namely
	'UK', also featuring Bill Bruford on drums, then John Wetton on
	bass and Ed Jobson on keys:

		U.K.			(1978)
		Danger Money		(1979) (Terry Bozzio on drums)
		Night After Night	(1979) (live)

	All of them, great albums!

	Poul

2401.6DREGS::BLICKSTEINSoaring on the wings of dawnThu Dec 12 1991 12:1311
    Holdsworth has appeared on tons of albums besides his own name: Stu Hamm,
    U.K., I.O.U., Jimmie Johnson, etc.
    
    I think I've seen the guy Buck mentioned (he actually opened for
    Holdsworth!!! at some hole-in-the-wall near Out-of-town in Cambridge.
    
    It was rather astonishing how much he sounded like Holdsworth, but I
    definitely preferred the "real thing".
    
    Another Holdsworth sound-alike: Eddie Van Halen on the solo on (I
    believe) "Drop Dead Legs" on "1984"!
2401.7great work!ODIXIE::LINCEThu Dec 12 1991 12:3939
    Okay - I'm impressed!  
    
    	1) I've heard the Bruford/AH/Berlin and thats not it - they are way
    too "rock" sounding. This was very flowing fusion with a definate jazz
    chords on the keys. It was not UK as I have that album and Eddie Jobson
    was always craking on the CS-80...and still too rockish.
    
    	2) Not EVH - although I'd love to hear him with a top rate fusion
    band.
    
    	3) I've only heard the TWLifetime 'believe it' and YES - it does
    sound alot like 'fred', but no phase shifter and just a acoustic piano.
    
    	4) I'd really like to check out the Boston 'local' idea if this guy
    played fusion, cause it really could have been.
    
    	5) Also - .3 is this 'tape' available as a commercial release?
    
    Thanks for all your help. I really wasn't expecting this...what a
    great crew. 
    
    I was thinking last night that this player sounded alot like AH, but
    didn't do all the slurring and whining that AH does - it was really
    quite stright ahead if this helps. It was excellent. TO this day - I
    still remember that tune. Everything just fit. and great ride work on
    the drums/cymbals (the drummer would track the riffs of the guitarist) 
    as I've said before.
    
	I just gotta find this..
    
    Oh, It sounded *alot* like the AH/Joe Beck album if it had a not too
    complex fusion drummer (definately not a drum machine) and *I think*
    electric fretless bass player). Take Pat Metheny's Bright Sized Life
    and get a hotter drumer - keep Jaco - add a pianist - and put AH in it
    instead of Pat - and that would be real close.
    
    	Yes - definately a Marshall sound. 
    
    Jim
2401.8A little more...ODIXIE::LINCEThu Dec 12 1991 12:5223
    I've reread the replies....
    
    I've only heard the 'One of a kind' with Bruford and as I said not very
    close - too rockish. I also have 'Feels good to me' and thats even
    colder. This doesn't sound like typical *early/mid seventies fusion*. I
    don't think it was Brufords sound (but I could be dead wrong). I bought
    Earthworks and The best of collection and, no not it.
    
    I have not heard the other 'uk' album - as I said though - there is no
    synths involved and no John Wetton crooning.
    
    	THis had a definate jazz feel - like a hot John Scofield tune. Alot
    on energy - but not lightspeed runs. But I'll be dang if it wasn't AH.
    But AH usually lets out at least one intense/lightspeed/all over the
    place riff in his solos - and this was absent in this song. I mean yes
    - it was technical playing and definately had that alternating fusion
    note pattern (what I call it) - oh, I'm running out of ways to describe
    it....
    
    !
    
    Jim
    
2401.9All I remember is his first name is HughCAVLRY::BUCKThu Dec 12 1991 12:555
    RE: db
    
    YEs, that's the dude (he opened for Holdsworth)!
    
    Remember his name?
2401.10"Step up...to the real thing!"BSS::SGOHSLERjust say neaux!Thu Dec 12 1991 15:119
    Perhaps it was the "unknown Tony Clarke" who played on one of the
    Bruford albums as well as the bootleg "The Bruford Tapes". This guy
    does everythig AH does and maybe more. Also, the times I've been
    fortunate enough to catch AH, he was getting his tone out of two
    Fender Twins run stereo at paint-peeling volume with little or no 
    signal processing. 
    
    Scotty - who noticed that Ted Nugent's famous "Wall of Twins" only
             contained two working models!
2401.11Velvet DarknessBSS::SGOHSLERIn The Twinkling of an EyeThu Dec 12 1991 17:519
    AH also has an album entitled "Velvet Darkness". I loaned my copy
    out about 12 years ago and... you know the rest of the story. I
    really liked that album (sigh). As I recall, the material was quite
    diversified. I've not been able to replace it as I live in the
    aesthetically wonderful, but culturally lagging State of Colorado.
    Maybe it was a cut off of this album that you are looking for. If
    anyone has a copy, can I please get a dub?
    
    Scotty
2401.12Name that tune!!!ODIXIE::LINCEThu Dec 12 1991 19:1714
    RE: -1   
    
    	No - I have velvet darkness - not it thanks.
        It is too "hard" in comparision. 
    
    Mail me some info and I'll send it to you.
    
    Could be Tony Clark. How can I find out more ???
    
    If nothing else, at least I'll get some new blood into my collection.
    
    Thanks!
    Jim
    
2401.13CAVLRY::BUCKThu Dec 12 1991 23:431
    Got the name...Hugh Ferguson.  Now, for the band name...
2401.14DREGS::BLICKSTEINSoaring on the wings of dawnFri Dec 13 1991 17:1918
    >    RE: db
    >    YEs, that's the dude (he opened for Holdsworth)!
    >    Remember his name?
    
    Nope.
    
    There's another Boston-area guy that's supposed to sound like Morse.
    
    I've "seen" him, but I haven't seen him play.
    
    He usually gets invited backstage when Morse does a show in the area.
    
    Morse is not easily imitated because of his hybrid picking style, but
    then again, Holdsworth isn't easy either.
    
    
    
     
2401.15Gradually Going TornadoODIXIE::LINCEMon Dec 23 1991 17:2211
    Sooo...
    
    I went out and purchased Bruford's "Graddually going Tornado".
    
    I like it, but that's not it. The "Unknown John Clark" could be it, and
    bass playing of Jeff Berlin sounds very close. DId John Clark play on
    any of Berlin's solo albums????
    
    I'm still looking.
    
    Jim
2401.16HNDMTH::TUTAKMutual of Omaha's Wild KingdomeThu Dec 26 1991 20:498
    
    I empathize with you...I went similarly nuts when I heard Frank
    Gambale's "Stephanie"....took me several months...
    
    John Clark doesn't play on the two of Berlin's releases that I have...
    the two Bruford releases are the only place I've heard his work.
    
    Peter