Steve Vai - "Real Illusions: Reflections" Previews

[joeydahlia]

Originally Posted by EL-CeeDee

Hmmm,... I actually did..

BUT... It's music and it should be enjoyable as music. In my opinion, the storyline is not the primary factor. Therefore, if the music is not good, it might have been better to write a book and maybe include a CD with background music. ( groundbreaking idea )

I'm not commenting on how easy to play something is. I referred to the artistic factor of yai yai.

This album is at times not as "musical" as Vai has been in the past. I like the album, but in the way someone may like a linkin park album. It's heavy and it makes you tap your foot. While the ballads are what I call " fat and sugar ", everyone will like it, but it's "easy". Not to play (especially with that out of this world phrasing etc.), but to please.

Exceptions like "freak show excess" are great songs, but seem a bit forcefully weird. As if HAD to make a freak show excess and therefore created something less musical but freakish.

Still 100% better than most things on CD today.

My God Just say it..I will

I bought this Cd ,This is the first time I ever heard Vai,

I cried my eyes out..I was so happy,Buying the cd I was scared,but after the 4 th song..I said to myself ..this is a GOD..

UUMM NO..

I gave the cd to a friend without even giving the whole cd a chance..
It was one of the best days of my life..I was shaken even in line to buy it..

All I heard from the first 3 or 4 songs were studio effects and whammy bar..I was hopeing to hear the most beautiful guitar playing of any human on planet earth..


JoeyDahlia

[Drew]

Originally Posted by EL-CeeDee

It's music and it should be enjoyable as music.

Bingo, and this is something a lot of us lose sight of.

[jemsite]

no doubt if you need to consult with liner notes to enjoy a MUSIC album there is a major problem. ...glen

[hamand]

I've been listening to this for a week through beautifully tinny laptop speakers, and been mostly underwhelmed. Finally listened to it on decent headphones and my god what a brilliant album. I love it, it's the perfect fusion of "visionary" and "bonkers", kinda like Buckminster breakdancing or something.

I keep hearing gorgeous details in the mix that eluded me before, subtle at times, blatant upon further listening. Superb stuff. I love the fact that I can hear homages and reflections of all his previous albums on this CD, consciously played or otherwise. His tone, his phrasing, his note choice, all harmonising with the echoes of the past, and yet burning a trail into the future within an expressive, articulate, and highly compelling musical statement.

As ever, I ask myself..how does he do it?

[hamand]

I want to make a special mention of the final track "Under it All" a breathtaking work, a staggering musical achievement. Rich, dense, complex and still utterly light and dynamic, one of my favourite Steve tracks ever. I urge everyone who hasn't heard the album yet...please listen, and experience sublime, honest, artistry. To live and die in this ocean of song, what care I?

[fettouhi]

Originally Posted by hamand

I want to make a special mention of the final track "Under it All" a breathtaking work, a staggering musical achievement. Rich, dense, complex and still utterly light and dynamic, one of my favourite Steve tracks ever. I urge everyone who hasn't heard the album yet...please listen, and experience sublime, honest, artistry. To live and die in this ocean of song, what care I?

Under it all is pretty cool track. Steve's vocals are quite good too .

Regards

André

[shredmaster]

i'm all for weirdness and artistry but i couldn't really get into ultrazone and i really couldn't get into this one. sure there are some good things but i just couldn't listen to it after half the album. i didn't want to buy it but i thought, well, i'll try once more. i still hold steve as one of my favs as i always have from day one but i just can't get into. either i'm losing it or it's just weirder...i don't know. i would rather listen to good metal with driving rhythms. the last awesome vai album for me was passion and warfare. that was really cool. i gave up on satch after "surfing." sure there are great songs by him but i would never buy an album. i wish there was like a Jack Butler type of player solo album...that would be really cool. i really respect steve's creativeness and talent and visions but i think i just got a little lost as the years went on.

[mi2tom]

It's a great great album with with quite a few numbers of weird stuff (which i like very much)

[Knightmeir]

Originally Posted by joeydahlia

My God Just say it..I will

I bought this Cd ,This is the first time I ever heard Vai,

I cried my eyes out..I was so happy,Buying the cd I was scared,but after the 4 th song..I said to myself ..this is a GOD..

UUMM NO..

I gave the cd to a friend without even giving the whole cd a chance..
It was one of the best days of my life..I was shaken even in line to buy it..

All I heard from the first 3 or 4 songs were studio effects and whammy bar..I was hopeing to hear the most beautiful guitar playing of any human on planet earth..


JoeyDahlia

Studio effects? Sure you weren't listening to your own recordings?

[fettouhi]

Originally Posted by joeydahlia

My God Just say it..I will

I bought this Cd ,This is the first time I ever heard Vai,

I cried my eyes out..I was so happy,Buying the cd I was scared,but after the 4 th song..I said to myself ..this is a GOD..

UUMM NO..

I gave the cd to a friend without even giving the whole cd a chance..
It was one of the best days of my life..I was shaken even in line to buy it..

All I heard from the first 3 or 4 songs were studio effects and whammy bar..I was hopeing to hear the most beautiful guitar playing of any human on planet earth..


JoeyDahlia

Studio effects, right...... Next you will claim that Eric Johnson doesn't know how to play.

Regards

André

[Chud]

I bought the album not too long ago (i'm a late buyer for it i guess - always said i would go out and buy it but never got round to it).

First time i listened to it all i could think was "TURN THAT F**KING SYNTH OFF". There are just points where i think there's no point for the synth to be there, but whatever. Vai did what he wanted.

The album has really grown on me. I quite like it. I definatly like it more then the first time i heard it. It didn't really impact on me much the first time i heard it. It's starting to now.

Saying that, Vai's vocals have improved no-end.

[mi2tom]

Originally Posted by Chud

I bought the album not too long ago (i'm a late buyer for it i guess - always said i would go out and buy it but never got round to it).

First time i listened to it all i could think was "TURN THAT F**KING SYNTH OFF". There are just points where i think there's no point for the synth to be there, but whatever. Vai did what he wanted.

The album has really grown on me. I quite like it. I definatly like it more then the first time i heard it. It didn't really impact on me much the first time i heard it. It's starting to now.

Saying that, Vai's vocals have improved no-end.

Yeap samething happen to me the first I listen to it I can't accept it but later It's very good I wass thinking In fact very very good

[Chud]

Have to say, Lotus Feet is the least fravorite of all his 7th songs for me

[fettouhi]

Originally Posted by Chud

Have to say, Lotus Feet is the least fravorite of all his 7th songs for me

Same here, not that the song is bad it just doesn't have that final spark as the other 7th songs of his.

Regards

André

[dcunning30]

I bought the CD, I saw the show.

The CD is good stuff. Yai-Yai, I could do without. But overall, it's a good product. My favorite tunes are Building the Church and Lotus Feet. In Lotus Feet, Steve proves once again, he's a soulful shredder. He never sounds like