Re: Adrian Belew/intrusive technology

[Tim Nelson <psychle62@yahoo.com>]

In the context of "I've-got-a-shiny-new-piece-of-gear-
and-it's-going-to-be-a-PROMINENT-feature-of-my-new-
album" in which that particular Belew album was
mentioned, another example might be 'Sand'-era Allan
Holdsworth.

I absolutely love Holdsworth's playing. But when I
heard 'Sand', I thought the SynthAxe stood as a solid
wall of cheese obscuring Holdsworth's distinctive
voice. With a "regular" guitar, Holdsworth's legato
melody lines have a sound unlike anyone else's, and
his floating chordal work comes from the same
neighborhood as Terje Rypdal's and David Torn's, which
is a *really* swell part of town. But with the
SynthAxe, I was left with the impression that it
could've been pretty much anyone playing those parts.
(OK, "anyone" with highly developed chops, but you
know what I mean...) I felt that the unique
personality that normally comes through in
Holdsworth's playing was suppressed and smothered by
the SynthAxe, and couldn't help but wonder how those
same tunes would sound had he not been using the
thing.

-t-

> Chris Richards wrote:
> 
> > As to whether or not what Adrian does on that
> > particular record is wanking, I'd have to go back
> > and listen to it again to give you my thoughts
> > therein.


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