The Allan Holdsworth Solo Album Collection

I could wax lyrical for a long time about the challenging, haunting, complex, hugely idiosyncratic, and often beautiful music contained within this wonderful box set of guitar genius Allan Holdsworth's music, but I won't.Instead I will simply urge you to get hold of this box set ASAP whilst it is still at the superb price of £71 and hear it for yourself. (It is approximately £140 almost everywhere else I've looked which for many is a bit too much to stomach. However, to buy the 12 albums in this collection individually would cost you far more as many of the albums have been out of print for years. Not to mention the fact that all the albums in this collection have been remastered.)I do have a large collection of Allan's albums on vinyl starting from decades ago when I first became aware of his staggering guitar playing and musicality. I can remember just how mindbending and otherworldly they seemed back then. Sand was the first album I bought on its initial release in 1987 when I was 19 and playing it again in this box set reminds me just how revolutionary an album it was. Intoxicating!I had the pleasure of seeing Allan play at two gigs in the early 90s, one at Band on the Wall and the other at The Royal College of Music, both in Manchester. It was in a pub before the Band on the Wall gig that I got the chance to speak to Allan and let him know just how important his music was to me and how huge an influence his guitar playing was on me too. We exchanged a few words and smiled at each other as we shook hands. I will always cherish our brief encounter.As I sit listening to the wonderful music in this collection I am reminded not only of just how unique a talent Allan was, but of how modest a man he was too.As of last month Allan has now left us, but I feel sure he will no doubt be noodling away on his guitar somewhere in the ether, searching for yet more hitherto unheard of angular guitar lines and ethereal chord voicings with which to express the uniqueness of his soul.You were one of a kind Allan and I want to thank you once again for the musical gift you shared with us all.

Twelve CD's of Allan Holdsworth's glorious music - an indulgent seasonal present to myself. It makes sense to splash out on this well-priced box-set (£83.99 at the time of writing) as individually these CD's are expensive and can be difficult to track down. Each CD is presented in a gate-fold cardboard sleeve with the original artwork reproduced. There is also an interesting booklet included containing notes about each CD. Very informative and I also learned that Allan was also a keen road cyclist and liked to brew his own beer. Top man! I already own a copy of Sand so know that work well. The rest are all new to me and so far I.O.U., Road Games and Metal Fatigue have caught my ear. Looking forward to discovering the rest of this set - a reminder of the great talent that was Allan Holdsworth. For those seeking out additional Allan Holdsworth recordings I can also recommend 'Bundles' by Soft Machine (brilliant fiery guitar work) and 'Guaranteed' by Level 42 (sublime solos which are definite ear-candy!).

What else can I say about this box set that hasn't already been said by many of Allan Holdsworth's fans already?In this set you get all 12 official solo album by Allan Holdsworth which have been remastered.This amounts to hours and hours of enjoyment, beauty, and learning.The discs come in sturdy cardboard replicas of the original album covers (Wardenclyffe Tower has the MoonJune special edition cover) and you also get a high-quality booklet which gives details about each of the albums and is filled with quotes from other musicians giving their thoughts on Allan.If you are a dyed-in-the-wool fan or a newcomer who wishes to see (or hear!) what the fuss is all about then I would recommend picking this up as it is a great testament to a man who wanted to leave an undiluted legacy of his own music. I think it is safe to say that he achieved that goal.Rest In Peace Allan, there will not be another like you for a very long time.

All The Individual Albums Of The Late Great Allan Holdsworth. Good Packaging And Good Price. Perfect.

Just stunning. I couldn't rate this box set at less than 5 stars.

Very good mastering. ....

Just amazing!!!

Ignore the other post, I don't know what he is on about. I have the original albums and was waiting for the vinyl versions to be released and they are awesome sounding. The box is nice and well designed with easy access to the vinyl inside without fiddling around opening lids etc, just slip out the desired album and off you go. Nice pressing too, quite thick, not 180 gm but not far off, maybe 120 gm. Excellent throughout and finally the great music is all on vinyl. Well done to Manifesto.

I had forgotten what an amazing and awesome guitarist and composer Allan Holdsworth was. Thanks to the two-disc Eidolon: The Allan Holdsworth Collection and the 12-disc box set, both released just a week before Holdsworth's untimely and unfortunate passing at the age of 70, I have realized the error of my ways and been set back upon the correct path.In addition to most of the 28 tracks personally selected by Holdsworth for the Eidolon collection, my other favorite tunes from among his 97-song catalog include the following: "Atavachron," "Sand," "Clown," "Joshua," "Wardenclyffe Tower," "Zarabeth," "Questions," "The Un-Merry Go Round Part 5," "Prelude," and "Hard Hat Area."That said, all of Holdsworth's solo work is outstanding, especially if you love electric guitar in the context of jazz, rock, new age, and fusion.Holdsworth clearly had more inspiration left in him, as he was recently working on his first new studio album in well over a decade. Hopefully his family will see fit to finish and release it.In any event, the double CD and the box set serve as lasting reminders of Holdsworth's artistic excellence and purity.Holdsworth may no longer be with us in body, but his "eidolon" will remain forever through his brilliant, one-of-a-kind music.

AH è certamente il musicista che più mi ha impressionato nel corso della mia vita.Inutile effettuare recensioni, basta cercare online per sapere chi è e cosa ha fatto.Dal mio punto di vista Metal Fatigue e Road Games sono capolavori assoluti, ma non c'è album in cui non ci sia qualcosa di prezioso da raccogliere.L'album menu convincente è comunque Flat Tire, ma questa è solo una mia opinione.Avevo già quasi tutto di lui ma molto su LP, alla fine ho deciso di prendere il pacchetto completo delle sue opere soliste (manca solo un album dal vivo a questa raccolta, escluso il 'THEN' qui inserito).Da comprare ad occhi chiusi (non fosse per il prezzo ...)

I have been listening to Allan Holdsworth since I bought the I.O.U. album back in the early 80s. If you dig that album, then you will be in for a real treat. The rest of the albums in this boxed set are a treasure chest of mind bending Holdsworth guitar magic. I think it was money well spent.

Un artiste hors norme dont le titre de ce coffret pourrait sembler exagéré...ça n'est même pas le cas!!!! Il aura marqué l'histoire de la guitare par son talent, ses innovations, ses compositions, les 12 albums de 1982 à 2003 réunis ici le prouvent! Un très grand musicien sincère et créatif!

The box set is nicely designed. All the 12 releases are individually wrapped. And all the CDs are in gatefold mini-LP sleeves.