Atavachron

Atavachron Artist: Allan Holdsworth
Label: Cream
Category: Music



Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1
EAN: 3383001864329
ASIN: B000026UE2


Release Date: 2005-06-23

Related Categories:

General General
Related | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz Fusion Jazz Fusion
Related | Jazz | Styles | Music
Progressive Rock Progressive Rock
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Related | Rock Guitarists | Rock | Styles | Music
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Tracks:

  1. Non-Brewed Condiment
  2. Funnels
  3. Dominant Plague
  4. Atavachron
  5. Looking Glass
  6. Mr. Berwell
  7. All Our Yesterdays Sea

Similar Items:

  1. Road Games
  2. Sand
  3. Metal Fatigue
  4. Wardenclyffe Tower
  5. Secrets

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Ear fatigue: the Synthaxe ruins it for me.......2005-07-08

While there are some great improvisations and compositions, why did Holdsworth who possesses one of the most distinctive and beautiful guitar tones in jazz choose to make his guitar sound like a cheesy '80's era synthesizer? I suppose for 1986 the synthaxe (essentially a guitar shaped synth trigger) was the very apex of technology, but today it sounds badly dated and gimmicky, yuck. There is some beautiful playing on this album and not every solo is a synthaxe adulterated one, thank god. Atavachron isn't really a bad album as far as the compositions and playing are concerned. But there's little warmth due to the dated sounding and mechanically cold synthesizers, not to mention Chad Wakerman's incredibly annoying and also badly dated electronic drums. If you're new to Allan Holdsworth don't start here.

3 out of 5 stars A Couple Gems But------.......2004-10-20

Admittedly NOT my favorite Holdsworth effort, but it still has some worthwhile moments, those coming in the form of the beautiful "Funnels", the fiery title cut and "Looking Glass" (featuring Allan's former employer Tony Williams tearing it up on the drums).

The rest however for me was at best rough going. The main complaint I have is that blasted Synth-Axe, or rather, the sound sources it triggers. Just WAAAYYYYY too much high-tech digital synth overkill, it proves rather grating and fatiguing to the ears with its cold, mechanical atmosphere, it sounds DISGUSTINGLY dated in an 80's kind of way (and that's NEVER a good thing). Tracks like "The Dominant Plague" and "Non-Brewed Condiment" bear this out most painfully, and even more so on the disjointed "All Our Yesterdays", despite a very heartfelt soprano voice performance from Rowanne Mark.

For completeists only.

5 out of 5 stars One of my favorites.......2004-07-04

Atavachron is SO much more a classic than Wardenclyffe Tower it's not even funny. WT is fine but Atavachron is so much more. Less polished and yes less perfected than Sand, but... well, the beauty that hits you when the mood changes when the second "side" starts (meaning the 4th track, Atavachron)is just too sweet. The solo's on this album really burn as well. Very emotional Holdsworth here. One of my all time faves.

5 out of 5 stars Sci-Fi Fusion?.......2004-03-31

Being a Star Trek fan I baught this not only for the album
cover and it's Trek-themed tunes but Holdsworth reputation as a
guitarist in Tony Williams's Lifetime,even as Williams himself guests on the probing "Looking Glass"."Non Brewed Commitment",
"The Dominant Plague" and "All Our Yesterdays" bleed uncontrollably out of a busy electronic jazz-rock fusion style.
Thanks to the Arp-sounding SynthAxxe-a stringless synth guitar that Holdsworth plays on this album.The title song,"Funnels" and
"Mr.Berwell" provide a cooler varriation on this style on an album that conjures up some of Lifetime's best moments.Don't late the late date confuse you-the average Lifetime fan will find music to their liking here as I did.

3 out of 5 stars Not vital but..........2003-05-01

Allan Holdsworth is so amazing that even though this CD is not a vital part of his discography it is important for two reasons; his debut of the Synth-Axe guitar synthesizer and the brilliant composition; "Looking Glass."
This disc is almost worth it's price for "Looking Glass" alone, as it features a blistering accompaniment by legendary jazz drummer Tony Williams. A noteworthy document in the Holdsworth canon.

Music CD:

  1. The Quintessence: New York - Los Angeles 1934-1941 ~ Jimmie Lunceford
  2. Star Bright ~ Dizzy Reece
  3. Lights Out ~ The Bonner Party
  4. Alone Together ~ Tough Young Tenors
  5. X Man ~ Andrew Cyrille
  6. The Third World ~ Gato Barbieri
  7. Jazz in Paris: Jazz de Chambre ~ Buddy Banks & Bobby Jaspar
  8. Complete 1941-1951 Columbia Recordings ~ Count Basie
  9. Benny Golson and the Philadelphians ~ Benny Golson
  10. Caruso - Live and in Person ~ Jim Caruso

Music CD

Music CD

Music CD

Wildside ~ Marky Mark & Funky Bunch

letting off the Happiness ~ Bright Eyes

Industrial Silence ~ Madrugada

Big Girls Don't Cry and Other Hits ~ Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons

EP from the Underclass ~ Dovetail Joint

Down Songs from the Exile Suite ~ Sam Lowry

2000 Volts of Stax ~ Various Artists

Guerillas in tha Mist ~ Da Lench Mob

Up to No Good ~ The Porn Kings

Wau Wau Wau ~ Lucas