Stu's Blog

Memorize, do a bible study, quote Scripture, play Simon Says. All these and much else that we do in church will not a disciple make. Two questions matter most. What is God saying? What are you doing about it?

This was another musical moment that opened an entirely new world to me. Ten years before the first time I heard Holdsworth, I first heard John McLaughlin. Frankly, I didn’t understand anything he was saying. I came up listening to Wes, Miles, Parker, Train, Dizzy, Joe Pass, Benson, and others. Then I discovered Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, and Page. But when I first heard McLaughlin, he was doing something so radically different that I just altogether missed it at first. Eventually he got through to me and became the dominant voice on the guitar. Here is the title cut from his 1969 album by the same name, Extrapolation.

John McLaughlin, Brian Odgers, Tony Oxley, John Surman playing the title cut to the 1969 album Extrapolation.

This was one of those musical moments that opened up a whole new world to me. Bill Bruford probably became best known for his work with King Crimson. He was also the original drummer for Yes, and played for Genesis and UK. The first time I heard One Of A Kind, I was struck by two things in particular: 1. the entire album was like an intricate musical concept statement, 2. Alan Holdsworth. All the players were and are exceptional, but Holdsworth was doing something truly unique. He has always had an instantly recognizable style. He plays lines that no one else ever thought of and very few can execute. His tone, picking style, composition, chords, legato touch, high speed, accuracy, tremendous creativity, plethora of ideas, are all part of the package and unique to his artistry. He is, for me, one of those few primary voices that speak deep mysteries in musical form. This is the album that introduced me to him. Here is the song “Sahara Of Snow” from Bill Bruford’s 1979 album One Of A Kind.

Bill Bruford, Allan Holdsworth, Jeff Berlin, Dave Stewart playing “Sahara Of Snow.”