Allan Holdsworth - Hard Hat Area (rel.1994)

Front Cover	Album Info
	Artist/Composer Allan Holdsworth Title Hard Hat Area Length 41:37 Discs: 1 Tracks: 7 Format CD Packaging Jewel Case Label Restless Cat. Number 72716 Style Fusion; Progressive Rock Rating Recorded at  The Brevery

Musicians	Credits
Allan Holdsworth el.guitar Steve Hunt keyboards Skuli Sverrisson bass Gary Husband drums	Producer Allan Holdsworth Engineer Rejean deGrandmaison Mastering Bernie Grundm Mixing Gordon Davis

Track list

01 Prelude (Holdsworth/Hunt) 01:35 02 Ruhkukah (Holdsworth) 05:34 03 Low Levels, High Stakes (Holdsworth) 09:05 04 Hard Hat Area (Holdsworth) 06:06 05 Tullio (Holdsworth) 06:02 06 House Of Mirrors (Holdsworth) 07:47 07 Postlude (Holdsworth/Hunt/Husband/Sverrisson) 05:28

Notes

AMG Review (3 1/2): Allan Holdsworth is arguably one of the most important post-Hendrix electric guitarists to grace either the fusion or rock scenes, while Hard Hat Area, signifies one of the artist's better solo excursions. With this 1994 effort, the guitarist receives excellent support from Icelandic electric bass phenom Skuli Sverrissson, whereas keyboardist Steve Hunt renders melodically tinged synth lines and ethereal backwashes throughout. Essentially, the group produces a series of climactic overtures, accelerated by a distinct sense of uninhibited force. On pieces such as "Ruhkukah" and "Low Levels, High Stakes," the musicians surge forward with a deterministic flair via a few tricky time signatures and lyrically charged themes atop Holdsworth's climactically driven solos. Consequently, the group conveys an underlying sense of tension and release, as Holdsworth's scathing legato-based lines might spur notions of a hawk zooming in on its prey. Thus, a must-have for the ardent Holdsworth aficionado. ~ Glenn Astarita