Criminally unknown together with underappreciated, Allan Holdsworth is i of the greatest musicians ever to selection upward the electrical guitar. Here, on 1985's Metal Fatigue, everything finally comes together for him. For the bulk of this record, Holdsworth is joined past times bassist Jimmy Johnson together with drummer Chad Wackerman, together with these 2 musicians, virtuosos inwards their ain right, complement Holdsworth beautifully (check out Johnson's wonderful exercise inwards "Home" together with lovely solo on "Panic Station"). The leader is known for his extremely legato phrasing together with rich harmonic vocabulary, both of which are on display inwards the solo together with frantic fills of "Metal Fatigue." Anchored past times Paul Williams' vocals, the vocal is marvelously constructed, amongst a potent poesy tune supported past times Holdsworth's upper-register guitar chords. The guitarist's much-vaunted whammy bar operate is also on amount display here. Certain fills inwards "Metal Fatigue" are almost queasy sounding, equally Holdsworth bends together with slurs inwards impossible ways. His exercise of the tremolo bar comes out non only during his melodic playing, but also during his beat playing, where he allows his chords precisely a draw of shimmer, plenty to lend torso to his playing but non plenty to blur the harmonies. The influence of Holdsworth's unique agency is evident inwards the operate of such stone guitarists equally Eddie Van Halen together with Alex Lifeson (listen to VH's "Drop Dead Legs" or Rush's "YYZ" for a sense of savor of this connection), but the watered-down together with otherwise assimilated adaptations of his agency pale compared to the unadulterated stuff. One of the most of import fusion records of the '80s is also Holdsworth's best work. Absolutely essential for those who similar their stone amongst a salubrious dose of jazz. All Music.
This album is nifty together with it shows how i tin sack create an atmosphere of difficult distorted guitar amongst jazz. Allan is the top dog together with he exhibit his skills on this recording, which far transcend his operate amongst Soft Machine. He has genuinely come upward into his ain on this recording.
Metal Fatigue is an INCREDIBLE achievement that lingers inwards the heed for years after your firstly listen. Simply put, this recording is i of Holdsworth's best together with exemplifies his incredibly unique approach to the guitar. So unlike is Holdsworth's audio that he essentially redefines the boundaries of the instrument. But sympathise this, you lot DONT purchase a HOLDSWORTH recording to hear catchy lyrics or a typical vocal composition. What you lot DO teach it for is to hear an unparalleled genius render his withdraw maintain on the music, whatever it is, that's happening to a greater extent than or less him. That's what he he delivers together with it's what makes him great. Holdsworth's amazing achievements tin sack live appreciated stand-alone, or equally MUSICAL INTEPRETATIONS past times a genius. And brand no fault virtually it - Holdsworth is inwards every agency a genius.
Whoever equated "Mr. Mister" to ANYTHING on METAL FATIGUE is completely out of line. Yeah, the lyrics drive me crazy sometimes together with they don't e'er audio equally cool equally an 80's popular tune, but are you lot reviewing the lyrics or are you lot reviewing Holdsworth? Even if you lot withdraw maintain the approach that you lot must review the entire operate together with all supporting members, Holdsworth's is such a triumph of musical possibilities together with sheer passion that he only overshadows anything "Mr Misterish".
I tin sack hear to Holdsworth over together with over again, together with each fourth dimension withdraw maintain something unlike away from the experience. Holdsworth is an artist, together with similar many artists past times together with present, he is misunderstood together with underappreciated past times many whose brains withdraw maintain been turned to jello past times what our collective FM radio stations pump out on a daily basis. Boring? Not at all - Holdsworth speaks through his music, together with he has an incredible story, an EPIC story to state amongst each musical passage, but nobody said agreement it would live easy. - By Chris McCabe
Again a perfect CD, a trascendental recording of the unique Master. This recording is a perfect blend betwixt Jazz together with Rock stations because the Rock rhythmic together with tempo formats against all the bizarre Jazz harmony that is accuratetly used vocal past times song. The opening rail "Metal Fatigue" begins amongst a nifty distorted riff amongst an intriging guitar efect (a pitch shifter pedal?) that makes feel when the beat department begins to play conducting this extraordinary riff to the firstly Paul Williams vocal lines... Then the clear chorused comping chords look wonderfully. What a fantastic gimmick to get a record! Only a talented genious similar him would had done something similar that...
"Devil Take The Hindmost" is some other OUT OF THIS WORLD vocal that withal is breaking standar listening formats. The solo is everything, it is perfection inwards every note, inwards every unmarried bar, demostrating non only its sonic ambiguity but the fast liquid legato Holdsworth trademark... The solo of "In The Mistery" is a existent "easy" i too, against the others, equally good equally the "Panic Station" song, precisely to give house to the scientific discipline fiction suite "The Un-Merry Go-Round", some other fantastic subject to travel on amongst the emotion together with withdraw maintain it to a highest level, the climax of the recording: Outstanding, Extraordinary, Trascendental...
Since the firstly twenty-four hours I heard this record, I idea ¿What is happening here?... I've already heard some years earlier to Allan Holdsworth inwards the firstly Bill Bruford solo album (1977), where the music gave nascency to a novel genre: the PROGRESSIVE JAZZ FUSION! music category, afterwards Allan Holdsworth had some other large shot amongst Jean Luc-Ponty inwards "Enigmatic Ocean" together with amongst UK close to Bill Bruford, John Wetton together with Eddie Jobson. I was actually amazed past times the progressive tilt that those 4 guys were doing there. It was a maravelous sensation!... If this 1977 together with 1978 recordings are trascendental, together with then METAL FATIGUE (1985) is a higher phase into the mastery of Allan Holdsworth equally solo artist, together with equally the years travel by, the fourth dimension volition discover this work, equally the most of import recording non only to the Rock station but to the Jazz station too... Good Luck! - By Jesmorh
Although his guitar playing continued to amend on afterward recordings, together with compositions became a picayune to a greater extent than jazz oriented, this is withal i of my favorite Holdsworth records ever. This i rocks, together with shows off the unique phrases together with voicings that made him legendary. For the shredder guitar fans, also banking concern fit out some afterward recordings similar Hard Hat Area together with xvi Men of Tain. I dear Sands too. Not only is this guy perhaps the greatest guitarist ever, I believe he genuinely is the greatest musician/composer of the lastly 100 or thence years.-
I firstly heard Metal Fatigue inwards 1990. At that fourth dimension I was outset my trip through the Rock-Jazz-Fusion solid soil together with Fatigue has since together with then been inwards my pump together with I`m certain my relation amongst this masterpiece volition lastly forever.
Allan`s mightiness has e'er impressed me, but inwards this album he is at his best, I haven`t seen anything similar this inwards his whole discography.His riffs are amazing together with his solos stand upward out non only because of his technique, but because they all interpret into melodical sequences that constantly dives into the unexpected. It is really creative, innovative, genius stuff...
Chad`s drums are also something to appreciate. Because of his operate amongst Allan Holdsworth, he has travel i of my favorite drummers together with that is large because my favorite drummers are Weckl, Cobham, Colaiuta, Chambers, Hakim, Donati together with Gavin Harrison.
The bass lines are thence cool, clean, melodical, such equally the phonation of Paul Williams...
This is a perfect album. 10 out of 10.
Get it together with bask something that you lot may ship amongst you lot for long, long pleasant years. -
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