The fact that Halsall and Holdsworth actually used to play *together in the same band* in the early 70s (Tempest) still blows my mind. Having ONE guitarist with that amount of talent and creativity in a band is *amazing.* Having TWO is just... beyond beyond. 🤯

The most amazing obscure guitarist in the world. My favorite of his playing, is on the Kevin Ayers song BLUE.

He had such raging energy! Gone before his time.

If you put the time these solos were recorded into context, you can totally hear what started coming from the States in the late 70's and 80's. Really fantastic stuff and way ahead of his time.

I used to do a light show at a venue called Sisters on the Seven Sisters Road N.London where Patto used to regularly play, in fact they might have been the ‘house band’. It was a thrill to listen to Ollie’s amazing guitar playing, which was impossible to pigeonhole as it had so many different influences… particularly jazz. It was also very unusual to see a guitarist start playing the vibraphone in the middle of a number! Unfortunately I don’t know much about his later musical career, he was not only a rare talent but also a really lovely guy!

That solo on "Give it all away "on their classic" Hold your fire "album says it all . Ollie was one of the great guitarists that should have been up there with the greats . Listen also to his extended jazzy solo on their self titled debut called "money bag "

You missed the work he did with The Rutles.

Oh and another forgotten UK guitar genius is Brian Godding,. Check out his playing with Mike Westbrook, Magma and Centipede. Enjoy!

The guitar playing on "my days are numbered" is some of the cleanest guitar I've ever heard

Just when I thought I'd heard 'em all. Wow, crazy stuff. Gotta dig into this guy's material. Some of this is rather uniquely wild.

What a great guitarist ! Listen to him also on Kevin Ayers tracks.

fuoriclasse Ollie ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

He is the G.O.A.T. of rock guitar

Reading a guitar book and this guy was mentioned as “ The greatest guitar player You’ve never heard if” So, I never heard of him and now I’m here. Holy S&@t this guy is unreal! they were right

What a great compilation.My favourite solo is on Tempest’s...Dance To My Tune...especially the live version.Also has a great..moog..solo by Ollie.Cheers for posting.

Just read about him in an interview with XTC's Andy Partridge, who cites Halsell as a major influence on his guitar playing

Never heard of this guy… Glad I did, he’s fucking awesome

Unforgottable, 🙏🏻

I can hear echoes of those amazing runs in the playing of Allan Holdsworth.

I first heard Ollie Halsall on a Patto album. Sweet mother of God!!! There are unsung/underrated guitarists, and then there's guitarists like Ollie! It amazes me how such an incredible musician as Halsall just flies over some people's heads ( it's those people that the birdie song was written for) because, as far as I'm aware...NOBODY WAS PULLING OFF THAT KIND OF SHIT! granted, we have/had Holdsworth! But I have seen NOTHING really said about Ollie Halsall. Great musicianship! Great tone! (As tone is acquired without hods of distortion! You can hear it all with some overdriven valves!!! To me, OLLIE HALSALL is the most unsing guitarist ever! And hands down one of the greatest

I was a friend of Clive Griffiths who has some stories to tell....

Alway loved Ollie, a true genius. For another insanely underrated guitarist, check out the incredible Bill Nelson, ex of Be Bop Deluxe and a huge solo catalogue. Bill had similar, if not greater, fluidity and an amazing sense of melody. Both seemed to draw from the same guitar history, with a lot of blues, rock, rock and roll and some jazz riffs subsumed into their incendiary playing.. This is particularly on show in the live BBD recordings, especially Life in the Air Age.

This guy's an amazing player obviously, and like most people, even music nerds, I'd not really heard of him. It's odd to hear him going nuts in a very hard rock/ugly way one second, then all of a sudden it's Allan Holdsworth "that's impossible" runs played with precision. Halsall must have been cursed. To be that good at that time? With the right band he could been a phenomenon. And they said Clapton was God...

Patto, tempest 2 " super" groupes pour ce guitariste - vibraphoniste execptionnel !

My first real job was as a teen at a place called Fishing and Hunting News, in Seattle. In the 70's everyone was a music fan with deeply held beliefs - or many were. We also had these older chicks working there who had a lot of money (why they bothered working who knows) who were knockouts and knew hell of a lot about music. They went on and on about Gary Peacock, Patto (who I had heard) Billy Cobham and others. They launched into these names after we discussed Blow by Blow which they also liked. They felt these other dudes were the next notch 'up,' from Jeff Beck, I guess. Most of the names these chicks mentioned were musicians I didn't know. Some dude who worked there (became a lawyer) knew even more. These people really knew what they were talking about but at the time, meant little to a dude who took the bus to work because I was too young to drive. I had heard Halsall...but that was it. He was a hell of a player.

You can keep EC and JP; this guy rocks!

Guy was a musical FREAK: great on guitar, vibes, keys, and - I believe - drums.

Patto are the reason why I found Zep to be “lame” in my teenage years !! Those in “the know” knew Patto !!!!😂

Also a great vibraphone player...

Where is that magical SG? R.i.p halsall

Song at 6:21 ????

Incedibly Zappa.

playback

Really?give meJeff Beck anyday..I dont hear anything innovative or special here at all,just a lot of fiddling about to no discernable end product.