Road Games | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | 1983 | |||
Studio | Music Grinder Studios, Los Angeles | |||
Genre | Jazz fusion | |||
Length | 24:11 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Producer | Allan Holdsworth, Ted Templeman | |||
Allan Holdsworth chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Road Games is an EP (or, according to its vinyl sleeve, a "specially-priced 6-cut mini album") by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 1983 through Warner Bros. Records originally on vinyl only; a CD edition was reissued through Gnarly Geezer Records in 2001. [1]
Holdsworth is joined on the album by former Cream vocalist Jack Bruce (who sings “Was There?” and “Material Real”), his former Bruford bandmate, bassist Jeff Berlin, and then current Frank Zappa drummer Chad Wackerman. Former Juicy Lucy and Tempest frontman Paul Williams sings the title track.
Holdsworth claimed to have received no royalties from either release, [2] naming it as one of his least favourite recordings due to numerous creative differences with executive producer Ted Templeman. [3] Road Games nonetheless received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1984 Grammy Awards. [4] [5]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
John W. Patterson at AllMusic awarded Road Games four stars out of five, describing it as "fusion-rock bliss" and Holdsworth's guitar work as "amazing". He also praised Chad Wackerman's "tastefully poised" drumming and Jeff Berlin's "killer" bass work. [1]
All lyrics are written by Paul Williams; all music is composed by Allan Holdsworth.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Three Sheets to the Wind" | 4:14 |
2. | "Road Games" | 4:14 |
3. | "Water on the Brain—Pt. II" | 2:49 |
4. | "Tokyo Dream" | 4:04 |
5. | "Was There?" | 4:09 |
6. | "Material Real" | 4:41 |
Total length: | 24:11 |
Technical
Title | Event | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Road Games | 1984 Grammys | Best Rock Instrumental Performance | Nominated [5] |
Allan Holdsworth was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer.
Ted Templeman is an American record producer. Among the acts he has a long relationship with are the bands Van Halen and the Doobie Brothers and the singer Van Morrison; he produced multiple critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums by each of them.
Chad Wackerman is an American jazz, jazz fusion and rock drummer, who has played with Frank Zappa and Allan Holdsworth. He has worked as a band member, session musician, sideman, and leader of his own ensembles. He is the older brother of the drummers John Wackerman and Brooks Wackerman.
The Tony Williams Lifetime was a jazz fusion group led by jazz drummer Tony Williams.
I.O.U. is the second studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 1982 through Luna Crack Records/I.O.U. Records originally on vinyl; a CD edition was reissued in 1985 through Enigma Records, and a remaster in 2008 through Belle Antique. Holdsworth’s band consists of drummer and pianist Gary Husband, bassist Paul Carmichael and singer Paul Williams, with whom Holdsworth had worked in Tempest. A previous solo album, Velvet Darkness, was released in 1976 without Holdsworth's consent, therefore making this his first official solo release. Many tracks from Velvet Darkness were refined, re-recorded and retitled for I.O.U., whilst "The Things You see" takes its name from an earlier album of the same name, made in collaboration with keyboardist Gordon Beck.
Metal Fatigue is the third studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 1985 through Enigma Records and JMS–Cream Records (Europe).
Atavachron is the fourth studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 1986 through Enigma Records and JMS–Cream Records (Europe). The album's title and seventh track, as well as the cover art, are references to the Atavachron alien time travel device from the Star Trek episode "All Our Yesterdays", while the fifth track alludes to the 65th episode of the saga, "Through the Looking Glass". Atavachron marks Holdsworth's first recorded use of the SynthAxe, an instrument which would be featured prominently on his future albums.
Sand is the fifth studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 1987 through Relativity Records and JMS–Cream Records (Europe).
Wardenclyffe Tower is the seventh studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 1992 through Restless Records and JMS–Cream Records (Europe), and in 1993 through Polydor Records (Japan); a remastered edition was reissued in 2007 through Eidolon Efformation, containing three bonus tracks which were previously only available on the Japanese release.
Heavy Machinery is a collaborative studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, keyboardist Jens Johansson and drummer Anders Johansson, released in 1996 through Heptagon Records (Sweden), and on 12 August 1997 through Shrapnel Records and Pony Canyon (Japan).
The Sixteen Men of Tain is the tenth studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in March 2000 through Gnarly Geezer Records, Polydor Records (Japan) and JMS–Cream Records (Europe); a remastered edition was reissued in 2003 through Globe Music Media Arts. The album's title is a reference to the Glenmorangie distillery in Tain, Scotland. The Sixteen Men of Tain was the last recording to be made at Holdsworth's personal recording studio, The Brewery.
Secrets is the sixth studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 1989 through Intima Records; a remastered edition was reissued in 2008 through Eidolon Efformation. The album features drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, rather than regular collaborator Chad Wackerman; Wackerman did, however, write and perform drums on the song "Peril Premonition".
Truth in Shredding is the first studio album by the Mark Varney Project (MVP), released in 1990 through Legato Records and reissued on November 4, 2003 through Tone Center Records. MVP was a short-lived collaborative project put together by Mark Varney, brother of Shrapnel Records founder Mike Varney. Mark founded Legato in the 1980s, which served as a jazz-oriented counterpart to the rock stylings of Shrapnel. This incarnation of the group features guitarists Frank Gambale and Allan Holdsworth. Besides one track written by Gambale, the rest are covers of existing jazz fusion compositions.
All Night Wrong is the first official live album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 2002 through Sony Music Entertainment Japan and in 2003 through Favored Nations Entertainment.
The Best of Allan Holdsworth: Against the Clock is a double compilation album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released on 17 May 2005 through Universal Music (Japan), Alternity Records (US) and JMS–Cream Records (Europe). The second disc contains predominantly SynthAxe-based compositions, which formed the basis of much of Holdsworth's recordings in the late 1980s and 1990s.
I.O.U. Live is a live album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released on 15 April 1997 through Cleopatra Records. According to Holdsworth, the tracks were taken from video footage of a 1984 concert in Japan, which later became a bootleg circulating under the name of Tokyo Dream: Allan Holdsworth in Japan. He therefore considered it an unauthorised release and not part of his discography.
The View is the second studio album by drummer Chad Wackerman, released in 1993 through CMP Records; it was later reissued together with Wackerman's 1991 album Forty Reasons as a limited edition double-disc compilation.
Forty Reasons is the first studio album by drummer Chad Wackerman, released in 1991 through CMP Records; it was later reissued together with Wackerman's 1993 album The View as a limited edition double-disc compilation.
Scream is the third studio album by drummer Chad Wackerman, released on June 20, 2000 through Favored Nations Entertainment.
Live in Japan 1984 is a live album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth that was released by Manifesto Records in 2018.