Allan Holdsworth - Velvet Darkness (1976)

While the guitar icon has more or less disowned this early recording, citing the unsympathetic approach of legendary Blue Note recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder, it still stands as a landmark contribution to the evolution of electric guitar technique.

The compositions are highly complex, and Holdworth is often in majestic form on the tunes featuring his dizzying electric playing, though it's his acoustic guitar pieces that impress you the most. I practically wore out the LP as it was on my turntable at least three or four times a month.