Holdsworth’s final years

Saw him live in Amsterdam in 2008 in a cloud of THC. He was amazing. At least his playing hadn't declined yet.
 
Never been a fan. He's a more advanced Jeff Beck IMO.

I respect him as a player but I can't help but think his music is tailored for the "edgier" TGP crowd who drink craft beer instead of white wine.
 
Never been a fan. He's a more advanced Jeff Beck IMO.

I respect him as a player but I can't help but think his music is tailored for the "edgier" TGP crowd who drink craft beer instead of white wine.

Lol.... I'm a cork sniffing Belgian Craft Beer drinker.....
 
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Lol.... I'm a cork sniffing Belgian Craft Beer drinker.....


I like good Belgian ales, made by monks, especially Trappist ales, Dubbels, Tripels, and Quadrupels. And single malt whisky (from Scotland)...


cork-sniffer-1.gif
 
yes... it was awesome!
i’d seen him at a clinic in west covina Carvin when he just started with the yamaha DG/stomp era supporting the 16 men of tain cd, and i was a bit disappointed with his tone that night compared to previous times seeing him with his massive boogie rigs.
but he obviously had it mastered that night at TM!
ed y. and i cracked up about the dude carrying the bowl of warm water for Allan’s hands..🤣
 
i’d seen him at a clinic in west covina Carvin when he just started with the yamaha DG/stomp era supporting the 16 men of tain cd, and i was a bit disappointed with his tone that night compared to previous times seeing him with his massive boogie rigs.
but he obviously had it mastered that night at TM!
ed y. and i cracked up about the dude carrying the bowl of warm water for Allan’s hands..🤣

That was Noel... he was the TM manager. I did that for him too at a later gig....
 
That was Noel... he was the TM manager. I did that for him too at a later gig....
i was such a fan i’d volunteer to rub his feet!🤣

craziest eccentric request EVER was told to me by my friend who was a production assistant for a corporate event hosted by Dallas TV celeb joan collins.

joan’s rider included providing a 50 gallon galvanized tub and 10 cases of evian sparkling water in her private dressing room.

after the gig it was revealed that joan had enjoyed a radically productive high colonic and thought nothing of leaving her spoils in the tub for the event crew to dispose of😳🤣
 
so what's his best work?

I tried to get into him, since high praise for him regularly pops up on internet forums.
I don't know, to my ears it's just sounds like he is running up and down some scales, like warming up. a lot of jazz players do this.
Doesn't sound like music to my ears, just plain horrible...

But there was one acoustic track i actually liked!

To me, he sounds like a complete talentless hack. A snoozefest, a bore… a guitarist that no one actually likes, they just parrot it about, thread to thread, forum to forum. Like mashing toned elevator buttons and calling it music.Then I’m like I can’t even read music, maybe I just don’t understand what I’m listening to. Then I get sad.
 
i really appreciate the effort @Techdeth & @rsm, but yeah no. Not for me at all!
I don't like his phrasing, timing/rhythmic, choice of notes. even the word hate comes to mind.
He has a pretty clean technic of course, but somehow i think i would prefer if some notes would stand out more!
Maybe will try again in 10 years.

"floppy hat" is one of the few songs i didn't delete and actually like
 
My first experience with Holdsworth was confusion. Starting in high school I had subscriptions to Guitar Player mag. When Metal Fatigue came out there was an article on Holdsworth in there and they mentioned that album. On my weekly trek to the record store I found that album and bought it. Put it on and thought what is this?!? Didn’t like it. Years later after GIT I started listening to it again. Now I have the ears to follow what he was doing. It is one of my favorite albums now.
I was into all the typical 70’s and 80’s hard rock / metal and did not understand the jazz fusion stuff at all. Took a lot of study before my ears could accept what was going on.
Killer stuff now.
i might try again in 10 years, but it's not like i am too slow to follow or something.
Well it's good to keep an open mind, but i never liked fusion and i am not in my 20's anymore, so it's highly unlikely
 
To me, he sounds like a complete talentless hack. A snoozefest, a bore… a guitarist that no one actually likes, they just parrot it about, thread to thread, forum to forum. Like mashing toned elevator buttons and calling it music.Then I’m like I can’t even read music, maybe I just don’t understand what I’m listening to. Then I get sad.
wouldn't go so far, but that though crossed my mind for sure!
i hate it (also in my own playing) if i go more than say 6 straight notes in a scale without some emphasis, rhythmical variantion, ...
But that's also not what's in my head, just the fingers talking.
at least on an electric guitar. accoustic it sounds fine somehow.
Al di Meola sounds great on an accoustic to my ears, but i can not listen to it when he plays electric guitar.
i guess the prejudiced how an electric has to sound like is strong with me.

I agree with Holdsworth, he should have picked up another instrument:D
 
To me, he sounds like a complete talentless hack. A snoozefest, a bore… a guitarist that no one actually likes, they just parrot it about, thread to thread, forum to forum. Like mashing toned elevator buttons and calling it music.Then I’m like I can’t even read music, maybe I just don’t understand what I’m listening to. Then I get sad.
you don’t have to like his music. i didn’t get it at first. but to say *no* one actually likes him is crazy talk.
 
To me, he sounds like a complete talentless hack. A snoozefest, a bore… a guitarist that no one actually likes, they just parrot it about, thread to thread, forum to forum. Like mashing toned elevator buttons and calling it music.Then I’m like I can’t even read music, maybe I just don’t understand what I’m listening to. Then I get sad.
so much for the "he was his own worst critic":D
 
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so much for the "he was his own's worst critic":D
Tony Williams, Brand X, Tempest, UK, Bill Bruford, Jean Luc Ponty, Level 42, the Johansen Brothers, EVH, Mike Varney/Frank Gambale/Brett Garsed, Gordon Beck, Gary Husband, Jimmy Johnson, Chad Wackerman, Virgil Donati, Jeff Berlin, Eric Johnson, Shawn Lane, Guthrie Govan, Steve Vai, Vinnie Colautia, John McLaughlin, Joe Satriani, Steve Lukather, Scott Henderson, etc…I’m missing a bunch…all spoke of him as one of the best that ever lived.
 
Holdsworth was a huge influence on EVH. Eddie was trying to sound like Holdsworth when he did a lot of those legato licks. See Drop Dead Legs jam at the end.
i think one of EVH best solos is push comes to shove, i don't like the end part where he goes into the even taping though. Guess that's also the Holdsworth influence...
kind of ruined it for me
 
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