8374 - 21 - G3 LIVE IN TOKYO: SATRIANI / VAI / PETRUCCI, DISC TWO (2005)

G3 SATRIANI / VAI / PETRUCCI
''LIVE IN TOKYO, DISC TWO''
OCTOBER 25 2005
95:53

DISC ONE (41:36)
1 John Petrucci - Glasgow Kiss (John Petrucci) 09:17
2 John Petrucci - Damage Control (John Petrucci) 10:29
3 Steve Vai - The Audience Is Listening (Steve Vai) 08:58
4 Steve Vai - Building The Church (Steve Vai) 06:09
5 Steve Vai - K'm-Pee-Du-Wee (Steve Vai) 06:41

DISC TWO (54:17)
1 Joe Satriani - Up In Flames (Joe Satriani) 08:55
2 Joe Satriani - Searching (Joe Satriani) 08:44
3 Joe Satriani - War (Joe Satriani) 06:35
4 G3 Jam - Foxey Lady (Jimi Hendrix) 10:43
5 G3 Jam - La Grange (Frank Beard, Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill) 09:18
6 G3 Jam - Smoke On The Water (Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Jon Lord) 09:59

Matt Bissonette/Guitar (Bass)
Jeff Campitelli/Drums
Jeremy Colson/Drums
Dave LaRue/Bass
Tony MacAlpine/Guitar, Keyboards
John Petrucci/Guitar
Mike Portnoy/Drums
Joe Satriani/Guitar, Vocals
Billy Sheehan/Bass, Vocals
Steve Vai/Guitar, Vocals
Dave Weiner/Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm)

REVIEW
by Rob Theakston (AMG)
Throughout its nearly decade-long run, the G3 series of tours has always featured guitar wizards Satriani and Vai at the helm, with a mystery third guest always in the rotation to contrast against the mentor-and-student duo. Sometimes the results are complementary (Eric Johnson), and other times they're mildy theatrical and amusing (Yngwie Malmsteen). This time around the special guest star, Dream Theater's John Petrucci, finds himself in the middle of Tokyo and starting off the two-disc session. His "Glasgow Kiss" and "Damage Control" are both presented with great skill and technical precision, sometimes hitting too close to the mark, making his accuracy and his performance seem cold and calculated. Still, he's exponentially more accessible than the flamboyant Yngwie and he sticks to the basics of delivering a solid performance. Vai also delivers a solid performance with a rousing rendition of his most well-known solo outing "The Audience Is Listening." Unfortunately, the hysterical teacher's voice is missing and somewhat detracts from the song's charm, but it's a minor complaint few would gripe about. "K'M-Pee-Du-Wee" is extended and has never sounded better, especially as Vai stretches out and delivers more of an improvisational element to the more atmospheric parts of the song. And finally, Satriani takes the stage and presents three extremely eclectic selections from his catalog, culminating in the intensity of his anthem "War" off of his 1992 epic The Extremist. The session ends with a three-song cover jam led mainly by Satriani that features ZZ Top's "La Grange," Jimi Hendrix's "Foxey Lady" and Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water." It's not the best G3 lineup ever, but it's far from the worst and guitar fanatics the world over will no doubt thoroughly enjoy it.

8373 - 20 - G3 LIVE IN TOKYO: SATRIANI / VAI / PETRUCCI, DISC ONE (2005)

G3 SATRIANI / VAI / PETRUCCI
''LIVE IN TOKYO, DISC ONE''
OCTOBER 25 2005
95:53

DISC ONE (41:36)
1 John Petrucci - Glasgow Kiss (John Petrucci) 09:17
2 John Petrucci - Damage Control (John Petrucci) 10:29
3 Steve Vai - The Audience Is Listening (Steve Vai) 08:58
4 Steve Vai - Building The Church (Steve Vai) 06:09
5 Steve Vai - K'm-Pee-Du-Wee (Steve Vai) 06:41

DISC TWO (54:17)
1 Joe Satriani - Up In Flames (Joe Satriani) 08:55
2 Joe Satriani - Searching (Joe Satriani) 08:44
3 Joe Satriani - War (Joe Satriani) 06:35
4 G3 Jam - Foxey Lady (Jimi Hendrix) 10:43
5 G3 Jam - La Grange (Frank Beard, Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill) 09:18
6 G3 Jam - Smoke On The Water (Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Jon Lord) 09:59

Matt Bissonette/Guitar (Bass)
Jeff Campitelli/Drums
Jeremy Colson/Drums
Dave LaRue/Bass
Tony MacAlpine/Guitar, Keyboards
John Petrucci/Guitar
Mike Portnoy/Drums
Joe Satriani/Guitar, Vocals
Billy Sheehan/Bass, Vocals
Steve Vai/Guitar, Vocals
Dave Weiner/Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm)

REVIEW
by Rob Theakston (AMG)
Throughout its nearly decade-long run, the G3 series of tours has always featured guitar wizards Satriani and Vai at the helm, with a mystery third guest always in the rotation to contrast against the mentor-and-student duo. Sometimes the results are complementary (Eric Johnson), and other times they're mildy theatrical and amusing (Yngwie Malmsteen). This time around the special guest star, Dream Theater's John Petrucci, finds himself in the middle of Tokyo and starting off the two-disc session. His "Glasgow Kiss" and "Damage Control" are both presented with great skill and technical precision, sometimes hitting too close to the mark, making his accuracy and his performance seem cold and calculated. Still, he's exponentially more accessible than the flamboyant Yngwie and he sticks to the basics of delivering a solid performance. Vai also delivers a solid performance with a rousing rendition of his most well-known solo outing "The Audience Is Listening." Unfortunately, the hysterical teacher's voice is missing and somewhat detracts from the song's charm, but it's a minor complaint few would gripe about. "K'M-Pee-Du-Wee" is extended and has never sounded better, especially as Vai stretches out and delivers more of an improvisational element to the more atmospheric parts of the song. And finally, Satriani takes the stage and presents three extremely eclectic selections from his catalog, culminating in the intensity of his anthem "War" off of his 1992 epic The Extremist. The session ends with a three-song cover jam led mainly by Satriani that features ZZ Top's "La Grange," Jimi Hendrix's "Foxey Lady" and Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water." It's not the best G3 lineup ever, but it's far from the worst and guitar fanatics the world over will no doubt thoroughly enjoy it.

2225 - STEVE VAI - The Story Of Light (2012)

STEVE VAI
''THE STORY OF LIGHT''
AUG 14 2012
FAVORED NATIONS RECORDS
58:41

1/The Story of Light/6:15
2/Velorum/6:09
3/John the Revelator
Traditional/3:40
4/Book of the Seven Seals
Paul Caldwell / Sean Ivory / Steve Vai/3:55
5/Creamsicle Sunset /3:30
6/Gravity Storm/5:33
7/Mullach a' tSí
Traditional/3:56
8/The Moon and I/7:17
9/Weeping China Doll/6:11
10/Racing the World/3:45
11/No More Amsterdam
Aimee Mann / Steve Vai/4:15
12/Sunshine Electric Raindrops/4:15

Philip Bynoe /Bass
Paul Caldwell /Vocal Arrangement
Bob Carpenter /Hammond B3
Alvin Chea /Bass (Vocal)
Jeremy Colson /Drums
The Counterpoint Singers /Choir/Chorus
Deborah Henson-Conant /Harp
Nayanna Holley /Alto (Vocals)
Sean Ivory /Vocal Arrangement
Mike Keneally /Keyboards
Liz Ladizinsky /Soprano (Vocal)
Keri Larson /Soprano (Vocal)
Mike Mangini /Drums
Aimee Mann /Vocals
Gabriel Mann /Tenor (Vocal)
Beverly McClellan /Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Angela Michael /Alto (Vocals)
Melanie Nyema /Tenor (Vocal)
Dave Rosenthal /Piano
Antonio Sal /Bass (Vocal)
The Story of Light Choir /Choir/Chorus
Julia Rainy May Vai /Narrator
Steve Vai /Arranger, Guitars
Dave Weiner /Guitar (Rhythm)

REVIEW
by Fred Thomas
Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai's music has its roots in some unknown interstellar worlds. From his earliest mid-'80s solo output, Vai's largely instrumental tricked-out guitar compositions found some strange middle ground between heavy metal bliss and space-traveling experimentalism. Released in 2005, Real Illusions: Reflection found Vai shifting from his alien undercurrents to a more spiritual vibe, with themes of new age discovery and introspection filling the album. The Story of Light, Vai's eighth studio album of solo work, continues down the spiritual path, infusing his monolithic metal fusion playing with inward reflections, as well as expanding on the "rock fable" begun on the last album. His signature heavily processed tone and liquid playing characterize barnburning runs like the funky "Velorum" and the roadhouse stomp of "Gravity Storm," while softer tracks like "Creamsicle Sunset" and "The Moon and I" wander longingly through various time signatures and modes, the later dabbling with Middle Eastern scales. The most winning moments on The Story of Light are the unexpected ones, as with "No More Amsterdam," a zigzagging ballad about the ennui of world travel that finds Vai duetting with singer/songwriter institution Aimee Mann, who also wrote the song's lyrics. Most uncommon to the guitarist's catalog thus far is his two-part cover of bluesman Blind Willie Johnson's "John the Revelator." This surprising cut is sung largely by Beverly McClellan from television's The Voice, backed by a full gospel choir with samples of Johnson's original recording of the song sampled in intermittently. The effect, much like the entire album, is epic, but not the type of epic we've come to expect from one of the longer-running guitar gods of his era. While always prolific, uncompromising, and inarguably shredding, it's refreshing to see that Vai is still deeply interested in expanding his sound. Even at a well-established level and decades into his craft, Vai takes some surprising risks on The Story of Light, and the album almost always benefits from them.

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