If only Allen could have waited for Eddie to get back from tour to record the album. It would have changed everything even WAY more genre-wise. Instead, we got a solo in "Drop Dead Legs" that imitated Allen. Together they could have cooked something up that changed things.
Allan is one of the very best at that "inside/outside" playing on static chords and vamps. He's not the guy to tangle with in that musical situation unless you know a lot about modern jazz harmony.
If Allan walked on a stage, guitarists would have been wise to sit down in the audience and just enjoy the force of nature that was Holdsworth. I mean that in a nice way too....no point in trying to be on equal terms, when a complete one off god is holding a guitar.
Hi the only person who I thought could live with Allan was Ollie Halsall who with Allan played in the same band at the same time ( Jon Hisemans Tempest live on a BBC broadcast on You Tube!) for a short time not room enough for two premier class players, Ollie of course is sadly not with us any longer but did some astounding work with Patto, Boxer, and with Kevin Ayers. Sadly not many people ever heard or knew of him. Allan of course came from the same region of England that has born many a great Guitar player Allan from Bradford, John Mclaughlin from,Doncaster, and Bill Nelson from Wakefield all from West Yorkshire England nice one,
Jonathan Atkinson, I know of Ollie. He is one of the greats! When he did the thing with Tempest live on the BBC IIRC he had not rehearsed with the band yet he was trading solos with Mr. Holdsworth.
thank you for posting,,, old recording, true, nevertheless - big appreciation-- quite sure i was in the room when this photo was taken,,, ROXY, Hollywood --- yes i know it sounds like total BS,,, but quite true,,, i was a young young man at my first real job, and my employer sent me out--- we were assisting Allan's manager, myself as a photographer journalist also -- and i was there and backstage the entire show with them, ,,, had a Heineken with Eddie, and then, oops,,, almost knocked over his famous striped guitar in the backstage lounge room,,, anyhow, it was the most exhilarating moment in my young life--- a lifelong friendship of Allan Holdsworth continues---- a lot of crazy fun at THIS TIME --- Eddie remains a super super superman and just love all his work and his recent work especially --- Allan Holdsworth is a RELIGION / almost / for those who have followed his epic career! again, thank you very much for posting this....
I just rememberd , I was reading in guitar player magazine, (I think), and Sammy Hagar was driving Eddie in his jeep to downtown LA, and he put on a cassette of Yngwie Malmsteen and asked Eddie what he thought and after a few songs Eddie said, hey, does he always play like that? sounds like opera... lol.
This is a ton of fun! Nice upload. Both of those guitarists are prodigious players. The contrast in styles is interesting. I love them both as players and as writers of music. Of course they work for a different clientele. Holdsworth has refined his legato style to an incredible degree. He used to pick more. I find the endless streams of legato notes a little tedious at times, but that style does focus the listener, very properly, on the harmonic inventions and that is Allan's focus. I think Van Halen, great as he is, would have given us even more interesting, more complex and more evocative music than he did, if he had kept better company. People underestimate him as a musical thinker, I believe. It would be nice to hear them collaborate in a more organized way.
@@s1iznc1d34 Well said, Eddie even out of his usual comfort zone still sounded like a prodigy, Holdsworth kind of sounded a bit 1 dimensional, I guess if they really worked on something, it would have been epic. Its great that it was recorded for future listening.
@@s1iznc1d34 Yeah, well I have a feeling you are a musician, I am also , I played for 20 years or so in mostly cover bands, country and hard rock, Mostly lead but i love my rhythm just as much. Like you, I love Allan Holdsworth and I spent about 9 months mostly listening to Holdsworth and similar players when I wanted to break out of the usual blues rock type of playing, Holdworth is a monster no doubt, but u are right when you say he does his improvs ,its easy to end on a bass note after playing some crazy improv for 5 mins, its the last note most ppl remember lol, I respect Holdsworths skills as one of the best ever no doubt, but ppl saying Eddie was out of his depth? no, put Holdsworth on the spot in the studio in the VHII album live and see if he can fit in, its all relative and each player are masters in their own right, however, Eddie is way more rounded out player than Alan, Eddie can pick up an acoustic and shred spanish fly, Holdsworth could not do that, or listen to the intro to Mean Streets, Holdsworth would never think up something like that, yet listen to the solo in "Hells Bells" by Holdsworth, and even Eddie would go WHOA, basically both are amazing.
Eddies playing the Malaga Purple Kramer Pacer Imperial, tape over brand name on what turned out to be a TRUE lawsuit-headstock guitar. He ended up striping it up with different colored electricians tape and adding a Sustainer unit and a real Floyd too.
And in regards to books, I actually have Holdsworth's "Reaching For The Uncommon Chord" sitting right in front of me. You should read some of the quotes about Holdsy by EVH, Santana, and Schon on the back ;)
then again most players can't play in a cold state like edward. call it noodling or masturbating. it's a very rare thing. horrible or not. sometimes it's good sometimes it's bad. it's called being human. whatever comes out of the instrument at the time. it is what it is.
Eddie does ok in the begining, but then it turns into squeals and dive bombs. Eddie isn't a fusion, jazz guy so yeah he was not only not in his element but he wasn't in his element with Alan Mother Fing Holdsworth across from him. Also, Ed wasn't much of a jam improvisation guy, sometimes he did great stuff improving but it wasn't bag to play within a band situation while improvising a solo for a long time. I heard of this jam when I was a kid, glad and thankful for posting it.
Ya got to give Eddie kudos for going outside his comfort zone to do what pros do & that's learn ,have fun & push yourself to be a better player . Eddie was one hell of a player & i bet you the farm he had a freakin' blast playing with another sure pro in Allan. It would have been better if the sound recording was as good as they were.
Your opinion. I don't take anything from Van Halen. He was into it here. He was mixing it up, he was working a jam. Holdsworth wasn't a super star or Mr. riff master to Van Halen. You're putting too much of your own personal opinion into your evaluation. How do you and I know Van Halen and Holdsworth so well? The jam was a jam. Take it as wonderful as it was. Step back into the crowd like all of us, Cronkite. I totally disagree with you that Van Halen wasn't in his element just because of Hardsworth presence. That's crap.
He's the reason why I bought one. It sounded great but it kind of was a one trick pony. That's when I started really tweaking and making my own Frankensteins.
If you check out the Musician Magazine issue featuring EVH, Steve Morse and Albert Lee on the cover, the writer paints a grim picture of Eddie basically caving in to the highly technical ways of Morse and Lee. It's not Eddie element playing in this fashion. It like putting John Force into a NASCAR race.
Yeah me too, Eddie is an amazing Rock'n Roll player, but not a jazz player, anyway I guess Allan was being friendly playing something that Eddie could follow
Lol Well yeah, what would he do, play a 13 minute epic that Ed doesn't know? lol Why are you all making this about how Allan is obviously better. We all know that Allan is obviously better.
John Force specializes in funnycar drag racing, not NASCAR oval track racing. Point in comparison how Ed specializes in spontaneous playing from the soul in bluesy melodic way and Steve Morse and Albert Lee play in a very technical and clinic way. The writer portrayed the live jam to be very uncomfortable for Ed.
I love how everybody assumes all ed did was tap, i can also bet you allan didn’t play any rhythm whatsoever because allan is incapable of playing rhythm and it was ed doing the riff before the band came in
Is there more to this recording other then this take 1 and 2 ??? What was this for ? did they play any other songs that night ? Someone please explain lol What happened to the other video link in the description on here got taken down ,does anyone have that one ?
Actually, I know all about EVH getting Allan his contract with Warner Brothers. Allan said that EVH is a wonderfully nice guy going for doing that, but WBrothers just didn't work out at all for what Allan was wanting to do as an artist. WB spent too much money, and tried to dictate his music. Also, I actually love EVH/Van Halen, but it's still my opinion that he's out of his league here. Of course it's EVH warming up at the beginning, anyone could tell that. What's sammy have to do with Allan?
Who gives a crap if he's out of his league or not.lol It's just awesome that they're playing together. They go well together. Why even bring up that Allan is better?lol
Eddie is not out of his league, put Holdsworth in a VH concert and see who is out of their league, I know Holdsworth is a freak and a monster , but I dont think Ive ever heard him play a decent rock/blues bend in his life. Also Frank Gambale can Keep up with Holdsworth and Shawn Lane also.
As much as I believe EVH is incredibly overrated, most guitarists would seem like 1st timers next to Alan. Could you imagine having to play the same instrument on the same stage as the man?! It must be horribly intimidating. Of course he makes Eddie seem dreadful...I can't even pick up a guitar any more because of Holdsworth.
Wow Eddie sounds "dreadful". Obviously Eddie was still learning this progression but he did a hell of a job of improvising. Comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges. Eddies rock and Alan's Jazz fusion.
It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt. Ed Van Halen formed what is arguably the greatest American rock band ever assembled, sold 80+ million records, played for millions upon millions of people the world over, and is universally considered to be one of rock's greatest ever guitarists (minus yourself, of course), but you say he's "overrated". Good gosh some people are frustratingly ignorant. Your hero, Mr Holdsworth himself, didn't believe EVH was "overrated". You can think whatever you like, obviously, but your point of view relative to Edward Van Halen is in the distinct minority.
@keith michael The man was very humble, he would obviously never admit anyone was underrated. Also, having big sales doesn't mean your product is good. This one is a personal opinion, but I would leave that "best American rock band" award to Grand Funk Railroad. Ignorant is the inability to form your own criteria based on what you listen instead on what other people do. And while EVH is good, he became limited pretty quickly, and by his own will. He had the talent to become a lot more as a guitar player, trust me. I believe at one point someone asked EVH "What does it feel to be the best guitarist alive?", to which he answered "I don't know, ask Allan Holdsworth".
@@s1iznc1d34 I think the same, Eddie has the blues roots and feel, Holdsworth sounds like a robot, but I do love to see Holdsworth in action, however ,I would take Eddie any day if I had to listen to either on or the other.
