ALLAN HOLDSWORTH - "TOKYO DREAM" (reaction) 

Allan Holdsworth and John McLaughlin. Yorkshire certainly produced the World's most distinguished Guitar Virtuosos.

Allan Holdsworth was a favorite of Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and many other top rock players. Despite the fact that Van Halen once got him a contract with his record company, and that Frank Zappa called him the most interesting guitarist out there, he never made a financial success with his music. Van Halen said that Holdsworth was too advanced to copy from, but some point to his playing on Fair Warning. John McLaughlin (Mahavishnu Orch.) said he'd copy Holdsworth if he could figure out what he was doing. Allan said he was too jazzy for the rock crowd, and to rocky for the jazz crowd, and since he wouldn't compromise his musical direction, he died broke a few years ago. He developed his own system of scales and chords which can be found on RU-vid, as part of his REH instructional video, which also has a number of songs on it. The drummer here is Chad Wackerman, one of Zappa's last drummers. He also played in the second electric Tony Williams Lifetime, the group Bruford, and on one album of the group U.K.

Holdsworth was as renowned for his unusual chords that required huge stretches as he was for his stupendous horn-like legato solos. He was a guitar hero for guitar heroes.

Gosh she looks sooooo interested

Awesome introduction to Allan Holdsworth. The drummer is Chad Wackerman (yes, that’s his real name). Chad got his start playing with Frank Zappa at age 21. Frank and Allan were friends. Allan was in need of a drummer. Frank said to try Chad because he was not touring at the time. The rest is history. Another quick note. Zappa absolutely loved Allan’s music.

A truly exceptional guitarist.... One of the fathers of modern jazz fusion.

Thanks for covering this song! Love Allan H!!!

So you've found Allan Holdsworth, I'm impressed. That's the top shelf stuff.

Holdsworth has been involved in alot of things over the years and I've yet to come across anything that sucks with him involved. This is the very top of the guitar food chain right here folks. Many others close but not quite at this level. I was fortunate to see him with UK at Penns Landing right before him and Bruford split.

Watch for "Metal Fatigue" among your requests. Holdsworth stands tall with the great guitarists of prog.

Allan Holdsworth played the most beautiful chords I've ever heard. And Tokyo Dream is just one example. To really appreciate what he's doing I recommend picking up his book of transcriptions, Reaching For The Uncommon Chord. It includes Tokyo Dream and many of his other great pieces from the 1970s and 1980s. Some of the tunes are really difficult but others are playable with a little practice. When you get your fingers on these chords and strum your electric guitar the gorgeous sounds will amaze your ears. Also check out Rick Beato's video, The Guitar Style of Allan Holdsworth on YT.

Alan continue to evolve so much that he didn’t have to tap with his right hand to play insane Joni Mitchell plus type chords. In standard tuning.

Allan, Chad Wackerman and Jimmy Johnson.. Masters of their crafts. Chad also played a lot with FZ❤

Oh wow you guys are in for it. Holdsworth is unique.

Dudes, you just watched three supernatural titans at work.😆

Another Zappa connection. The drummer is Chad Wackerman who is an amazing musician and he played with Frank Zappa's band through most of the 1980s. Allan Holdsworth is a guitarist I've know about since the mid 80s when I first started playing guitar. His technical ability is outstanding but when I was younger I had trouble getting into most of his more Jazzy songs. :D His ability to play extremely complex finger stretching chords is something I've never been able to understand. I wasn't blessed with the super long monkey fingers someone like Allen Holdsworth or Steve Vai has. Some times I see musicians and their ability hypes me up to play and get better but for some reason Allan was so good I almost felt like giving up the guitar. That sounds really negative but it's more a compliment to the quality of his playing. :D

Allan .maravilloso....¡¡¡¡¡¡¡

I recognised Chads drumming before reading that it's him. The guitar and bass playing aren't too shabby either!

Flim Johnson on bass. Badass! And Chad from FZ's bands. Holdsworth was an enigma, amazing.

Allan❤

One of my favourite Allan Holdsworth tracks here. Great 3 piece too. Another guitar great for Yorkshire week, born half an hour away from me in Bradford. Never got the full recognition he deserved which is so sad.

Allan Holdsworth is hailed by many including Frank Zappa as their favourite guitarist. Check out is work with Soft Machine especially "Hazard Profile". Great stuff.

I hope you blast "Joshua" from the Secrets album in the headphones. Get ready to fly!

Holdsworth is the person who influenced Eddie Van Halen's playing. Both Chad Wackerman on drums and Jimmy Johnson on bass are incredible musicians and that's why Allan used them a lot.

Smile woman

The drummer was Chad Wackerman who previously played with Zappa.

I still haven't heard someone who could play with the complexity and level of difficulty on the guitar. As Steve Vai put it, it will take decades for the guitar world to catch up.

Someday Allan's approach to harmony and melody will be studied in music college. Like others have said, he was a guitar hero of guitar heroes. Check out the UK song Nevermore; definitely not as sophisticated harmonically as this one but the guitar and keyboard work is next level.

One of the best compliments anyone ever paid me was to say something I played reminded him of Allan Holdsworth. It was 1982, and the piece in question was a rehearsal tape of a two-chord jam(Cmaj9/6b5-Bbmaj9/6b5) from a couple years earlier.(Acquired a copy as well as several other long-lost souvenirs of the time a couple years ago from a FB friend who'd worked with my then drummer, for which I must bother him again, as tech-dullard yours truly neglected to download the Dropbox files, only opening them...after a week's neglect, they evaporated). Overstated, too kind, I can't even.... begin. Saw him in Vancouver in '78 with UK, 10 feet away, glancing from his fingers to the cigarette dangling from his lip(which bit of gravity defiance also formed the basis of my-guitar-free- Keith Richards impression) back to fingers. Taciturn and astonishing. Also saw him with the Jazz Explosion Superband/Superstars: Stanley Clarke, Steve Smith, Airto Moreira(a delightful showman and musical presence), maybe Bernard Wright(?). Overall, not as enthralling. Allan's Holdsworth of course. An unexpected treat -you guys, tho', crack me up, give me pause for thought - a far more reliably frequent occurrence. Cheers, and thanks. 👏👏👏😂✌😘🎶🎸💥💞

I'm not going to try to memorize this tune . Neither can any other human . Rarified air was Alan's comfort zone . Best imaginable drummers/bassists always accompanied . Vinnie Colauita , Gary Novak , Virgil Donati , and of course Chad Wackerman here .

One of the guitar greats 🙏

The drummer, Chad Wackerman, also worked for Frank Zappa.

One of the greatest guitarists nobody knew..I did see him live, very unassuming, all about the music.

Great review. Can’t Wait to you guys listen can review more Holdsworth ! Innoway he’s like the Joni Mitchell of the instrumental world. I wish the two of them could’ve jammed!

I have no idea what these reactors are used to hearing, but Holdsworth is so far out of the comfort zone of most people I'm guessing they're just confused.

His fingers on the fretboard look like a Zappa claymation.

Allan and Holdsworth- UK with Bill Brufford or Terry Bozzio 😉 the best

Great to see Allan here, he is one of my guitar heroes, besides that, the thing that you said at the end of the video "thinking to play the guitar as piano", you definitely should check to Stanley Jordan, he does that thing whit tapping, with his left hand harmonizes and whit the right he plays melodies, and very difficult melodies

Another great find. Jazz fusion is a great genre. You could check out Return to Forever, and Stanley Jordan, again you won't be disappointed.❤️👍👍👍

More Allan please Pretty please

...you might listen to the two Bruford albums 'Feels Good to Me' and 'One of a Kind' for some 'more accessible' Allan Holdsworth (and Jeff Berlin on bass) ...we owe him a debt of gratitude

Now your climbing guys, true story: there's a car mechanic in Liverpool England who has a guitar set up in his garage and plays this stuff most of the day, amazing... and he fixes your car too.

Truth in Shredding is one of my favorite CDs. Him and Frank Gambale pour the coal on.

The drummer, Chad Whackerman, is the same guy playing drums on Zappa's Teenage Prostitute

Holdsworth was Zappa's favorite guitarist at one point. The drummer Chad Wackerman was also Zappa's longest serving drummer, and he looks all of 12 here. Haha

The one time I saw Allan Holdsworth live, I found myself paying more attention to Chad Wackerman on the kit.

Chad Wackerman on drums, I believe.

is that chad wackerman on drums? i didn't know he played with holdsworth... nice

Totally agree. Those chord textures are where it's at and the solo is impressive when the bass intertwines with the lead; I did find the lengthiness of the solo like being in a snake pit of writhing guitar strings and wanted to go Stop! But that's the nature of expression.

RIP Genius ✌ Zappa alum Chad Wackerman on drums

Big props for making a Holdsworth reaction! Demands a good listener though. :)

Zappa's Drummer, Chad Wackerman ❤

There's something bizarre I think that's Chad wackerman which is an ironic name for a drummer like him and if I'm correct that would be the guy who played with Frank Zappa for many tours and albums Allan Holdsworth is played with a lot of really cool cats you know Bill bruford on drums John wetton on Basie verse from King Crimson God Rest his soul Jeff Berlin on bass he's a very notable bass player that was an amazing band you had Allan Holdsworth bill bruford Jeff Berlin and none other than Dave Stewart on keyboards this guy oh my God he actually did a column in keyboard magazine they just let him go do that because they knew he was knowledgeable enough could you just do a column for many years he was in this obscure band well he was in Hatfield in the north and before that he was in a group called egg one of my favorites of all time and then he was in a band called National Health oh my God some of the stuff he did with those guys forget about it there's this one album called metal fatigue by Allan Holdsworth and there's a song on there called The unmerry Go Round it's a very haunting piece I think you'll really really like that one I'll stick my neck out and and stake my reputation on that one but that one band that Allen was in they did 1 album with Holland holsworth and Bill bruford and it was John wetton and Eddie jobson on keyboards and then had to get a second album where they had Dale Bozzio play the drums he was on the Joe's Garage album and then he joined up with his wife Dale Bozzio and they formed a group called missing persons which had a lot of hits songs in the early 80s I can't remember who it was somebody said that Alan holsworth wanted to be able to play lines like John Coltrane played on saxophone so he came up with this crazy Style okay you crazy kids he brooklynites I'm curious did they build the do Yankee Stadium in the same spot that they tore down the old one? I actually saw the old one many years ago when I was lost in Brooklyn and I found Interstate 80 and got on the Washington Bridge and just made that Beeline for the Midwest

I have a great suggestion for you guys... check out a song called Samurai Hee Haw by Marc Johnson

Guitarists at all levels have praised Holdsworth, but take my word for it, you won't be whistling many of his tunes on your way to work.

This is a hard one to begin with. Check out Allen's "Live at Yosh's" album and in particular watch/listen to "Fred". Allan is a Guitarist's Guitarist; a Guitar God! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aB6OJo68avo.html

F ZAPPA WAS A FAN OF HIM

Sifa, you look so beautiful here, but you look like you've got a bone to pick w/ Holdsworth!!

I'm sure that Allan (RIP) would have said something good about this reaction video. . . .

Holdsworth while experimental and non-"commercial," was brilliantly and inventively "musical," world's away, above and beyond Frank Zappa's contrived complexity and crude attempts at lyrical "humor." Pat Metheny Group is definitely another worthy subject guys!

Not his best song tho. If i would only listen to this song i wouldnt like him as much.

Why so sad, you're absolutely lugubrious and morose?