STEVE
VAI - Live at the Astoria, London
- (2003 - Favored Nations)
So finally here it is!!!!
The first official DVD on Steve Vai is here for your pleasure.
I'm a huge huge fan of Steve's music, so I waited for somethin' like this for years. I've seen Steve live before, so I expected a fully enjoyable experience =)
Two DVDs, one with the concert, and the other with bonus features, includin' behind the scenes footage (with an interestin' tour with Dave Weiner) and also some funny stuff, like the 'bass lesson' Billy Sheenan he's goin' to take with another guy...
Well, the concert starts with Shyboy, with both Steve and Billy in top form... These two guy together are pure tnt!!!!
Steve shows song after song that he's truly a master of his instrument, as he explodes in his usual hyperspeed tappin' licks or his broken swept arpeggios... Great stage presence too, the man learned a lot from David Lee roth I suppose =)
There's not a single song which doesn't feature some stunnin' playin' or some inventive stage performance. The sound is absolutely unbelievable, great job there too!!! The backin' band is after all Tony MacAlpine on keys and guitar, Virgil
Donati on drums and Dave Weiner on guitar and sitar...
Bad Horsie opens the 'heavier' part of the concert, and Steve plays with feedback for sooo long that Hendrix would just be envious =) Also check out Steve's laser-fingers... I absolutely love this stuff!
Also, the band plays 'Chameleon' , a song from Sheenan solo album 'Compression'. I didn't know the song, so that was a pleasant surprise. Then it's time for an instrumental version of Down Deep Into The Pain from Vai's Sex and Religion. Steve is always upfront while the band often plays an ethereal support, lettin' Steve free to fly away with his guitar playin'. Steve also pays tribute to one of his biggest inspiration and influence, Jimi Hendrix, by playin' 'Fire' and 'Little Wing'. Cool singin' too.
As for the other songs, Steve plays several older ones, like Erotic Nightmares, Blue Powder (one of my favourite moments of the dvd), The Animal, Liberty and of course For The Love Of God from his masterpiece Passion and Warfare, and some songs from his latest album Alive in an Ultra World (Giant Balls Of Gold, Blood And Glory, Whispering A Prayer,
Incantation), all with the same convinction and expressiveness.
I must say that Steve's older songs, the ones from P&W, are still somethin' magical. There's somethin' about those songs that I can' t explain. Even if I consider all of Vai's album well worth buyin' and avidly listenin', Blue Powder still moves me in a way that not so much songs can do.
Well, I have to also warn you that the concert closes with Eric Sardinas joinin' the band for a final version of The Attitude Song... 'Nuff said =)
Now the bad part... I must admit that the video quality of this dvd isn't matchin' the audio one. Often the shots are too blurry, and the close-ups are too strong. The cameramen often lost the focus, or aim to Steve's right hand while totally missin' the neck of his guitar, or just at the moment in which Steve is playin' some incredible licks, they're filmin' his face...
Little wing is almost constantly out of focus. =(
This dvd is amazing. It's an incredible opportunity to see Steve playin' live if you've never seen him, and a great opportunity to see him again if you've alredy been to a Vai concert. Every time i put this little disc on my dvd player,
I want to go again to a Steve's concert!!!!! =)
The song selection is very good, it offers the opportunity to take a journey thru Steve's career.
All of what you expect from Mr. Vai is here : melodies, whammy craziness, tappin' frenzy, sweepin' and alternate pickin, lightspeed legato... All these techniques at their top level! That WhiteJem is an extension of his body,
and of his soul as well. The only reason why i didn't give it a perfect 10 is the video quality.
But that said, believe me that you must buy this video right now, it's gonna be one of yer best buys.
Get it, get it, get it. =)
Rating: 9
(reviewed by Max)