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Steve Vai-Reflections

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  • #1

    Steve Vai-Reflections

    Ok, I am sure I will get flamed for this but oh well.
    Vai is a great guitarist. Absolutely incredible.
    Reflections has killer guitar playing on it but the songs stink. Personally, I think that Steve should take up keyboards and let Tony Macalpine write and perform the guitar parts for his next release.
    He is getting more and more like Zappa with every record.. but not in a good way. The singing is weird, the arrangements are weird, most of the songs are just aweful and the guitar playing is technically incredible and unlistenable at the exact same time. His Carvin Legacy's however really have a nice warm tone to them.
    Now on the other hand, Megadeth- The System Has Failed and Killswitch Engage- The End of Heartache both KILL. I happen to be listening to those CD's currently too. Does anybody know what Killswitch Engage uses in the studio to record the guitar tracks?
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  • #2
    Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

    You know what, I have to agree. I got Reflections last week
    and there is some amazing playing but the song composition is really dull. [img]/images/graemlins/sleep.gif[/img]
    I wish he would put out an album that was more straight ahead ala "Passions and Warfare", just some real ass kicking tunes! [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]
    There's no arguing that when it comes to ripping it up on a fret board Stevie is in a league of his own, and when I saw him
    live last year with G3 his set was by far the best of the night.
    But I actually have a hard time listeing to any of his albums except P&W from beginning to end.
    He goes way out there with some of his ideas, and I couldn't respect him more for having the balls to do what he wants to do, but
    unfortunately it's either hit or miss with him and I think this time it was a miss.
    If this is our perdition, will you walk with me?

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    • #3
      Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

      Vai is best when he works with a singer writing songs dwith the singers style in mind.I listened to the cd at the store and was bummed because none of the songs stood out to me and made me want to buy it.I wanted for that to happen but it didnt.His vocals are in tune, but he's not a singer.Put him in a room with someone who has a great voice and make them write an album.MY favorites are the Alcatrazz, DLR and whitesnake cd's( i know he didnt write with W.S.)

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      • #4
        Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

        If you want "normal", then Vai's not your guy anymore. And to that, I say "Thank God!!"

        Real Illusions absolutely blows me away, both the playing and songwriting. But then, I'm a huge Zappa fan, so the weirder Vai gets, the more I like it. I see Vai as the closest "musical" descendant of Zappa, since Dweezil doesn't seem to have much ambition in that area.

        In fact, I would like to see Vai get even more 'out there'. I enjoyed his work with Alcatrazz, DLR and Whitesnake, but I think he's clearly moved beyond such meat-and-potatos stuff now into a new realm of his own. Perhaps he's finally not afraid to show his true musical personality. He was really just a hired gun in those bands.

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        • #5
          Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

          I personally love Real Illusions. It's a bit weirder than his other stuff, but it's still a magnificent album.

          How can you not bob your head and tap your foot to Firewall??? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

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          • #6
            Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

            "Normal" or not... "out there" or not... most of the songs and riffs on that CD stink.
            This is just my opinion of course but it is coming from a player who thinks that Uli Jon Roth's Beyond the Astral Skies KILLS.
            On this album.. his playing is typical Vai but the songs are very weak. The singing is aweful too. I really have to stop listening to Michael Schenker. Schenkers combination of great song writing, incredible lead singers and totally melodic riffs are really spoiling me. Robin McAuley absolutely kills. Never Ending Nightmare. Vai needs a good writing partner like him.

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            • #7
              Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

              Kudos to Steve for making weird music, most of the musicians are doing straight ahead stuff anyway.
              Steve's every album sounds really different, it is a good thing, I like fresh ideas and new aproaches.
              btw. Building the church is a kickass tune IMO
              "There is nothing more fearful than imagination without taste" - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

              "To be stupid, selfish and have good health are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost" - Gustave Flaubert

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              • #8
                Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

                And I wouldn't concider Schenker as a Great songwriter, He is a monster guitar player, A LEGEND, but IMO his songwriting is avarage. IMO great songwirters are guys like Blackmore, John Sykes etc.
                "There is nothing more fearful than imagination without taste" - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

                "To be stupid, selfish and have good health are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost" - Gustave Flaubert

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                • #9
                  Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

                  And I bet that Vai can write awsome songs, even MTV hits, but it isn't his goal
                  "There is nothing more fearful than imagination without taste" - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

                  "To be stupid, selfish and have good health are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost" - Gustave Flaubert

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                  • #10
                    Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

                    I have to agree. I am a huge Vai fan, but I really find his new CD hard to listen to. Weird can be cool, but it can also be lame.

                    I think the total freedom of being the sole band leader + having a band with so many virtuoso instrumentalists tends to create bloated, weird-for-the-sake-of-being-weird songs.

                    I really loved Vai's work with DLR, and his solo work on Alien Love Secrets and Passion & Warfare, and I'd like to see him:

                    1. reduce the size of his band to a trio - Vai, Sheehan & a drummer (Sheehan could do a good job on lead vocals too, IMO) - and reduce the role of synthesizers to a minimum

                    2. work with singers with unique voices and strong personalities - DLR was perfect, and would be my first choice, but Vai's original idea for this CD - to bring in various guest singers - was a good one, too

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                    • #11
                      Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

                      It sounded great at NYC's Town Hall last Saturday night [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]
                      Courtesy, Integrity, Self-control, Perseverance, Indomitable Spirit

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                      • #12
                        Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

                        The CD sounds great but like some said, I also had hard time listening to it.
                        Some songs are bit boring.. sounded just like others on his other albums..
                        I enjoy his playing but songs, not that much.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

                          Vai's writing can be difficult for the ear to adjust to.
                          The ear isn't used to the strangeness/weirdness his melodies can take on at times. He's definietley not a bit reserved in adventuring into area's of musical compositions that many only dare to. He can pull this off cause he is a very advance player and writer. This isn't anything unusual or new he's known for this sort of thing. Some like it and some don't. Yes, he's more and more drawing from his Zappa roots.
                          If you ever listen to any of Zappa's stuff, Vai wouldn't seem or sound so strange.
                          Peace, Love and Happieness and all that stuff...

                          "Anyone who tries to fling crap my way better have a really good crap flinger."

                          I personally do not care how it was built as long as it is a good playing/sounding instrument.

                          Yes, there's a bee in the pudding.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

                            As a guitarist, Vai is one of my all time favorites. I've loved his stuff since the first time I heard it. I think he is one of the most gifted musicians I've ever heard or will ever hear.

                            Now having said that, to me Vai's music caters to a mood. I can't listen to him every day. I have to be in a certain state of mind to really get the most out of his music. Sure the straight ahead rock stuff like Alcatrazz, Whitesnake and DLR I can listen to all the time. But his solo stuff requires more thought, patience and attention for me to really enjoy it. That is just my opinion.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Steve Vai-Reflections

                              [ QUOTE ]
                              It sounded great at NYC's Town Hall last Saturday night [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

                              [/ QUOTE ]

                              Yes, and even better from the front row in NYC (for both shows, back to back)!

                              We scored passes for this one too. Nice to chill with a legend (Billy too) [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

                              Tommorow, it's NJ with the EVO's

                              Aye curumba! We're stoked [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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