AMG Review (1 1/2 !!!):
This 1992 release features Holdsworth in conversation with usual compatriots Jimmy Johnson, Chad Wackerman, and Gary Husband. Keyboards are provided not only by Steve Hunt, but also by both Wackerman and Husband. Husband in particular demonstrates that his facility on the keyboards is equal to his skill on the drums. Despite the all-star cast of characters, there are certain peculiarities to Wardenclyffe Tower that prevent it from being numbered among Holdsworth's best work. One very obvious oddity is the strange and ill-advised ending to the opener, "5 to 10," which concludes with a toilet flushing and an annoying voice-over. Mistakes in judgment aside, there is something formless about this album, something that blurs the tracks together in a meaningless way. Holdsworth has always been more of a distinctive than a strong composer, and the batch of tunes that he contributes here is not very compelling. The title track, with its power-chord verse, and his collaboration with singer Naomi Star, "Against the Clock," are his strongest moments. The presence of Hunt's "Dodgy Boat" helps but it is not enough to elevate this album to the level of Holdsworth's past successes. This is not to say that there is not meaningful music on Wardenclyffe Tower, because there is. "Against the Clock," which features not only Star's voice but also the drums of Vinnie Colaiuta, is one such success. Holdsworth makes use of the SynthAxe guitar synthesizer on several tracks on Wardenclyffe Tower, the most effective use of which is here, where his solo emerges from empty space in a constantly accelerating fashion, like a boulder rolling down a hill (although Holdsworth's ascending line sets forth the impossible scenario of falling upwards). All in all, however, there is a lack of dynamic movement in the soloists and the compositions in general. Of value to Holdsworth completists, but not of much interest to casual fans. — Daniel Gioffre
_WARDENCLYFFE TOWER (1992) - muzyka zainspirowana wynalazkami Nicola Tesli. Tytułowa "Wardenclyffe Tower" była w zamyśle wielkiego fizyka wieżą mającą bezprzewodowo rozsyłać energię. "Co zagraliście chłopcy? - krzyczy w końcówce pierwszego utworu jakiś gość (Joel Schnebelt). - Jazz? Tak to nazywacie? Nienawidzę jazzu". Tak niestety reaguje większość osób na termin jazz. Zresztą kwestie, czy muzyka Holdswortha jest jazzem czy nie pozostawiam muzykologom... Na tej płycie słychać najczęściej majestatyczne brzmienie gitary barytonowej. Tylko w dwóch utworach artysta używa SynthAxe, m. in. we wstępie do utworu tytułowego, który charakteryzuje rockowy riff - rzecz nie słyszana od czasów "Metal Fatigue". Nisko brzmiąca gitara barytonowa pojawia się znów w akompaniamencie i solówce utworu "Zarabeth", w którym improwizacja Holdswortha trwa prawie dwie minuty. To kolejny krok w stronę utworów prawie w całości zaimprowizowanych na szkielecie harmonicznym autorstwa Mistrza. "Questions" Chada Wackermana to improwizacja oparta na jednym pochodzie akordów. Zawiera fenomenalny akompaniament basu Jimmy'ego Johnsona. Ostatni utwór na płycie to niesamowity "Oneric Moor". Gwizdy wiatru i melancholijne, "organowe" dźwięki gitary barytonowej kojarzą mi się z wrzosowiskiem. Spotkałem się z opiniami, że "Wardenclyffe Tower" to najważniejszy album w dyskografii. Nie podzielam tej opinii. Warto go posłuchać ze względu na inny, dość smutny nastrój oraz przystępne dla początkującego fana kompozycje. Japońska wersja "Wardenclyffe Tower" (Polydor) zawiera m.in. nową wersję utworu "Tokyo Dream" z "Road Games", nagranego w 1992 r. z Jimmym Johnsonem i Chadem Wackermanem. -Piotr Nowicki GiB 4/1998
guitar9.com:
Wardenclyffe Tower opened a stunning new chapter in guitarist Allan Holdsworth's solo career that blossomed during the '80s. As a producer and composer, he explored an expanding galaxy of guitar-controlled synths blended with his famed legato-lead stylings and an ever evolving array of chordal colorings. Wardenclyffe Tower is stocked with further electric guitar innovations, including two tracks featuring Holdsworth's family of mutant, baritone guitars, which he affectionately describes as "exceedingly large and long, with manly tones." Wardenclyffe Tower, like "Secrets", features contributions from world-class musical collaborators, including long-time bandmates like drummer Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa, Andy Summers, Men At Work) bassist Jimmy Johnson (Flimm and the BBs, Dory Cayimi, etc.) drummer/keyboardist Gary Husband (Level 42), and keyboardist Steve Hunt (Stanley Clarke). Drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Tom Scott, etc.) also contributes a whirlwind solo performance on the album's one vocal track, featuring vocalist Naomi Star. The sum of Holdsworth's production realizes an enchanting rhythmic and harmonic chemistry - or alchemy - potent with unexpected melodic twists and turns. The spontaneous, fiery dialogue of group live performance is framed in Holdsworth's meticulous, state-of-the-art production techniques. |
