''Road Games'' is an EP (or, according to its vinyl

sleeve A sleeve ( ang, slīef, a word allied to ''slip'', cf. Dutch ) is the part of a garment that covers the arm, or through which the arm passes or slips. The sleeve is a characteristic of fashion seen in almost every country and time period, acro ...

, a "specially-priced 6-cut

mini album A mini-LP or mini-album is a short vinyl record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A ...

") by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 1983 through

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

originally on

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...

only; a CD edition was reissued through Gnarly Geezer Records in 2001.Patterson, John W
"Road Games - Allan Holdsworth"
''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

''.

RhythmOne RhythmOne , previously known as Blinkx, and also known as RhythmOne Group, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel. Blinkx was founded in 2004, went publ ...

. Retrieved 14 April 2020. Holdsworth is joined on the album by former

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

vocalist

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disband ...

(who sings “Was There?” and “Material Real”), his former Bruford bandmate, bassist

Jeff Berlin Jeffrey Arthur Berlin (born January 17, 1953) is an American jazz fusion bassist. He first came to prominence in the 1970s as a member of the band Bruford led by drummer Bill Bruford. Musical career Berlin was born on January 17, 1953, in Quee ...

, and then current Frank Zappa drummer

Chad Wackerman Chad Wackerman (born March 25, 1960) 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 th ...

. Former Juicy Lucy and

Tempest Tempest is a synonym for a storm. '' The Tempest'' is a play by William Shakespeare. Tempest or The Tempest may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''The Tempest'' (1908 film), a British silent film * ''The Tempest'' (1911 film), a ...

frontman Paul Williams sings the title track. Holdsworth claimed to have received no royalties from either release, naming it as one of his least favourite recordings due to numerous creative differences with executive producer

Ted Templeman Edward John "Ted" Templeman (born October 24, 1942) is an American record producer. Among the acts he has a long relationship with are the rock bands Van Halen and the Doobie Brothers and the singer Van Morrison; he produced multiple criticall ...

. ''Road Games'' nonetheless received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1984 Grammy Awards."Bio & History"
therealallanholdsworth.com. Archived fro

on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
Rock on the Net. Retrieved 14 April 2020.

Critical reception

John W. Patterson at

awarded ''Road Games'' four stars out of five, describing it as "fusion-rock bliss" and Holdsworth's guitar work as "amazing". He also praised

's "tastefully poised" drumming and

's "killer" bass work.

Track listing

Personnel

* Allan Holdsworth –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

* Paul Williams –

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

(track 2) *

– vocals (tracks 5, 6) *

– drums *

– bass *Joe Turano –

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...

Paul Korda Paul Korda (born Paul Kunstler, 1948 – 11 March 2020) was a Singaporean songwriter, singer, musician, and actor. He wrote and performed music from the 1960s onwards, and his songs have been covered by artists such as Roger Daltrey, Dave ...

– backing vocals Technical *Jeremy Smith –

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

*Jeff Silver – engineering *Gary Skardina – engineering *Robert Feist – engineering, mixing *

Mark Linett Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fin ...

– mixing *John Matousek – mastering *Joan Parker – production coordination *

– executive production *Tom Voli – executive production (reissue) *

Eddie Jobson Edwin "Eddie" Jobson (born 28 April 1955) is an English musician noted for his use of synthesizers. He has been a member of several progressive rock bands, including Curved Air, Roxy Music, U.K. and Jethro Tull. He was also part of Frank Zap ...

– executive production (reissue)

Awards

References

External links

Road Games
at therealallanholdsworth.com (archived)
Allan Holdsworth "Road Games"
at Guitar Nine {{Authority control Allan Holdsworth albums 1983 EPs Warner Records EPs Albums produced by Ted Templeman Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance