‘Igginbottom – ‘Igginbottom’s Wrench
Not one for the feint-hearted when it comes to all things jazzy, 1969’s ‘Igginbottom’s Wrench (apostrophe included) was the first recording of progressive-jazz journeyman Allan Holdsworth, and though still within the realms of prog rock, it skirts closer to the borders of jazz-fusion.
Well to the ears of this fully paid-up member of the jazz-philistine club it does.
My anti-jazz sympathies have been allowed to colour my reviews before, and I’m afraid it’s happening again in the case of ‘Igginbottom’s Wrench.
Unlike, say, early Soft Machine or Hatfield and the North, there’s no escape on this release. I wanted to enjoy Igginbottom’s one and only album, it being a rare slice of post-psychedelic, late 60’s prog rock, but the jazz-spectre kept rearing its unwelcome, aesthetically-challenged head.
I expect questions will be asked in the house regarding this review, but I can never be anything other than honest. After all, it’s only an opinion.
If I had to pick a top track it would be ‘Golden Lakes’ – which apparently evolved into an Allan Holdsworth solo album entitled Velvet Darkness – but only because it’s hued a slightly brighter shade of grey to the rest.
You may well like it. If you have a proclivity towards the demon jazz, you most probably will. The late Ronnie Scott did. He wrote the sleeve notes to the original album release. I’m afraid I fail to share his enthusiasm.
And so ends today’s lesson in constructive criticism.
‘Igginbottom’s Wrench is reissued by Esoteric and available from Amazon.co.uk
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