LIVE - THEN!

Holdsworth's THEN! on the Alternity label is playing now and I must say this is definite must-have!! Just to hear Zones I, II and III is worth the buy as these compositions are totally live improv and boy do these cats let it rip. The other 6 tracks smoke too -- sheesh, and they sound this superb live!! -- oh how this makes me want to nail my guitar case shut and pack it away for another decade!

I am very thankful folks like Chris Hoard doggedly persisted in getting the perfectionist AH to finally let this THEN! be released. It amazes that just because something like the guitar voicing might not perfectly suit AH, something as superb as THEN! might not have ever been released.

AH, please listen up man! You are too darn good technique, performance, and composition-wise to keep gems like this from your fans just because you may not be 100% happy with a voicing technicality. Heck, AH, you could play on a used Fender Squire Tex-Mex Tele through a Montgomery Ward's Airline Amp and a Radio Shack cord and you would tear it up. We love ya man!! Let more of these "hidden away" "not-so-perfect" archival releases come to light. My picky & jaded reviewer ears say you did a superb job in final edits, mastering, etc, etc and THEN! is superb!!!! You are the fusion man AH! Also, of course the rest of the band was awesome, awesome, awesome. I really enjoyed hearing Steve Hunt use AH's SynthAxe patches via the keys -- very nice effect! Johnson and Husband equal bliss beats in perfection and grace.

Chris Hoard and Derek Wilson, thanks again for offering us this! I know this took years of work to nudge AH into seeing it as a worthwhile release. Do tell, Allan -- this sucker kicks! Do it again! Recommended!