With Understanding Comes Appreciation
In one million years from now, it would not surprise me in the slightest if Allan Holdsworth were regarded as the single best guitar player to ever walk the earth. The legendary jazz/fusion axe-slinger seamlessly avoided mainstream recognition for the entirety of his career, which spanned for over 40 years, thirteen studio and three live albums. Despite his underwhelming popularity among the masses, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single guitarist or guitar enthusiast who’s unfamiliar with Holdsworth and his work. The late, genius Frank Zappa even stated at one point that Holdsworth was “The greatest guitarist in the world.” Coming a statement by such seminal figure who recruited nothing but musicians who would eventually become the cream of the industry —and equally Guitar God— speaks volumes of his ability at the instrument. Metal Fatigue is the man’s shining moment as an artist, an album that not only showcases his raw technical ability and domination over his instrument but also proves that he is far more than capable of composing a catchy tune.
Born on August 6, 1946, in Bradford, Yorkshire, Holdsworth was originally taught music by his father, who was a pianist. He didn't pick up the guitar until he was 17 years old, but learned the instrument quickly. After playing in local outfits (and learning the violin), Holdsworth relocated to London, where he was taken under the wing of saxophonist Ray Warleigh. By 1972, Holdsworth had joined progressive rockers Tempest, appearing on the group's self-titled debut a year later before joining Soft Machine in December 1973 —and radically changing the latter outfit's sound to guitar-based fusion in the process. U.S. drummer Tony Williams discovered Holdsworth around this time, which led to an invite for the up-and-coming guitarist to replace John McLaughlin in Williams' Lifetime project — Holdsworth abruptly left Soft Machine in March of 1975, subsequently appearing on the Williams recordings "Believe It" and "Million Dollar Legs." But Holdsworth's union with Williams was a brief one, as the guitarist joined up with French-English prog rockers Gong for such albums as 1976's Gazeuse! (released as Expresso in the U.S.) and 1978's Expresso II, in addition to appearing on recordings by Jean-Luc Ponty, Bill Bruford, Gordon Beck, Jack Bruce, and UK.