Allan Holdsworth/Tokyo,Japan 1984 LD Ver.

The official video of the legendary first performance in Japan has been released. ALLAN HOLDSWORTH BAND first visited Japan in 1984. In addition to the fusion boom at the time, there was also talk of the EP “ROAD GAMES” being nominated for a Grammy Award, and a solo tour of hall classes was realized. Perhaps due to such popularity, the performance “May 14, 1984: Postal Savings Hall” was also officially filmed. The official video was released. This work is a recording of the official work “IN JAPAN 1984: TOKYO DREAM” with the highest quality ever. First, let’s check the positions from the dates of the first tour in Japan. ・May 8: Nagoya City Arts and Creation Center ・May 9: Osaka Mido Hall ・May 11: Tokyo Postal Savings Hall ・May 14: Tokyo Postal Savings Hall [This work] All four performances. It was an extraordinary hall tour for Alan, who was a “maniac guitarist known only to those in the know”. There were two performances at the Postal Savings Hall, but this work was recorded on the final day. This work, which contains such a show, is the most beautiful image in history. Copies have been circulating as long-out-of-print official footage, but most of them are VHS. There are uneven running and noise, and red is bleeding. In the worst cases, there are even mono audio. However, this work is different. The original was a laser disc that was only released in Japan at the time. It was also precisely digitized from a board of the highest quality. In fact, the quality of this work is abnormal. No matter what kind of laser disc it is, white snow will occur if the quality of the board deteriorates. Laser discs manufactured in the 1990s have become dramatically more durable due to material improvements and technological advances, but when it comes to images from the 1980s, the reality is that there are almost no boards that can be properly played in modern times. However, this work is extremely beautiful. There is no white snow at all, and the glossy, zero-degradation visual beauty is exactly what it was at the time. In addition, the camera work in this work is also wonderful. In the early 1980s, home videos had only just become popular, so it was not uncommon for films to not understand the highlights. However, perhaps because the staff who produced this film were fans of Alan, they had a tremendous understanding of the songs and performances. They ignored the audience and the scale of the venue, and made extensive use of zoom shots of Alan’s hands. Moreover, “that” left hand is the main focus. Of course, it’s not just the left hand that’s shown. The glances exchanged by the members during interplay and the solos of each member are also perfect. In the polyphonic tapping solo of “Road Games,” Paul walks over and mutes Alan’s guitar. Such rare scenes are also captured properly. It’s wonderful to see the legendary first visit to Japan depicted with such beautiful images and camerawork… Although the openings of “Shallow Sea” and “Letters of Marque,” where the on-site amps were not working, are cut, the entire show is otherwise beautifully shown. Four songs were selected from the first solo album “I.O.U.”, the Grammy-nominated “ROAD GAMES”, and the yet-to-be-released “METAL FATIGUE”, making it the best set of the 80s (“The Things You See” is also the “I.O.U.” version). And the performers, Jimmy Johnson & Chad Wackerman, and Paul Williams, who are the basic members of “METAL FATIGUE”, are all gathered together, and the performance can be seen in plenty of multi-camera pro shots. The highlights are the rain and hail. “Road Games” with its rapid phrases, the beautiful “Home” with its singing heart, and “Devil Take The Hindmost” with its chord decomposition phrases across double strings at a tremendous speed. They performed all of them with ease, as if they were being shown a well-trained magic trick. Of course, not only Alan but also the rhythm section is wonderful. In particular, “The Things You See” shows off a much more diverse range of drawers than the original Paul Carmichael/Gary Husband. Even with a relatively simple chord progression… no, it’s because of its simplicity that it shows off a rich sense and knowledge. And the highlight is “Where Is One”. Alan controls a large number of effect systems with a single pedal at his feet, creating a contrast between stillness and movement. The solo that follows is even more ferocious. The tension is sky-high, with chord decomposition phrases across double strings and scale changes by changing the position of fixed phrases. The rhythm section also gradually increases the number of moves, and the performance is sublimated into one that sounds like everyone is playing a solo. This is the first visit to Japan of a brilliant legend. It is a cultural heritage that revives the official video that captures its true value with the highest quality ever. This is a video work that has been long awaited to be made into a DVD, but now that Alan is gone, it will never come true. Please enjoy the beauty of the laser disc image in the best condition that remained by miracle. Live at Yubin Chokin Hall, Tokyo, Japan 14th May 1984 PRO-SHOT 1. Intro. 2. Tokyo Dream 3. Road Games 4. White Line 5. Panic Station 6. Interview 7. Letters of Marque 8. Home 9. Interview 10. Devil Take The Hindmost 11. Material Real 12. Metal Fatigue 13. Where is one 14. The Things You See (When You Haven’t Got Your Gun) 1 5. Was There? Allan Holdsworth – Guitars Jimmy Johnson – Bass Chad Wackerman – Drums Paul Williams – Vocals