Criss Oliva Week 2010

[jk2171]

RIP Criss...still missed to this day. Unbelievable chops and killer tone.

[savatage]

October 20th: Hall of the Mountain King.

I've chosen to skip 1986's Fight For the Rock. There were a few good songs on there (Red Light Paradise) but nothing great, and the album was overall very weak. Savatage's cooperate heads wanted the band to have an "arena rock" sound.

In 1987, Savatage teamed up with Paul O'Neill for the first time and recorded Hall of the Mountain King, often cited as a turning point for the group. This album is Savatage.

I'd listen to the whole thing, but if you listen up to the last two songs you'll pretty much here the best of it.

HOTMK is a conglomeration of different types of metal. The album is an excellent example of American death metal, but there are also thrash and power metal songs. Strange Wings is hard rock, not metal. Prelude to Madness is progressive metal.

HOTMK would be Savatage's last "heavy" metal album (needless to say the following albums were still heavy and guitar driven, minus most of Streets). I like to think of HOTMK as the grand finale for Sirens, Dungeons, and Power of the Night.

We've got some little people action going on in the music video. After this album Jon Oliva became known as The Mountain King.

[savatage]

GOOD MORNING, and happy HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING day!

[savatage]

October 21st: Gutter Ballet

Savatage changed directions with their next release. It was going to be titled "Temptation Revelation" but all that changed when Jon Oliva saw the Phantom of the Opera. He went back to the studio with Criss Oliva and Paul O'Neill and recorded the song Gutter Ballet. This became the title of the album, which was released in 1989.
Although keyboard synthesizers had been used before on Savatage albums, Gutter Ballet made extensive use of pianos (and keyboards, when playing live).

The last song of Power of the Night (1985), titled "In the Dream", is arguably Savatage's first power ballad. Whether this is true or false, it without question foreshadows the incredible ballads found on Gutter Ballet. In short, Gutter Ballet was Savatage's first all out prog metal album.

*The line "Still the Orchestra Plays" comes from the song Gutter Ballet.



Suggested tracks:

Of Rage and War
Gutter Ballet
She's in Love
Hounds
When the Crowds are Gone
Summer's Rain

*Of special note: She's in Love was Criss Oliva's favorite song to play live. Hall of the Mountain King was his second favorite.

**Also of note: Criss believed that his solo in Summer's Rain was his best guitar playing ever. Jon Oliva thinks that Criss's best playing is on Edge of Thorns.


Until Tomorrow...

[savatage]

Happy Gutter Ballet day!

[thebigz]

I've been rocking the Sava all week. Thanks for this!

[savatage]

October 22nd: Streets, a Rock Opera

The year was 1991, and the Oliva brothers returned to the studio for the seventh time. The time had come for Savatage's second rock opera. Criss Oliva had discovered a script at Paul O'Neill's house, and Jon Oliva was really taken by the story. Thus "Streets" was born.

Streets tells the tale of D.T. Jesus, a rocker who ends up addicted, homeless, and destitute. Some of the songs are about D.T. Jesus and some are his actual thoughts and conversations with God. I won't spoil the end for you, but know that "Believe" is a sava-classic.



I personally find Streets to be the softest Savatage album after Fight For the Rock. It's filled with Broadway styled anthems and ballads. Still, Jon Oliva really shines on this album, and Criss shows off his chops a few times. Whatever "Streets" is, it works. It ended up going platinum. I would listen to the entire album, but if you don't have the time here are the highlights:

Jesus Saves
Tonight He Grins Again
Ghost in the Ruins
Believe

...It was really hard to choose those songs... I'd just listen to the whole thing...

Until tomorrow...

[thebigz]

Wow, I never knew Streets went platinum. I'd always heard Edge of Thorns was their biggest and it went gold.

[savatage]

Happy Streets day!

[savatage]

October 23rd: Edge of Thorns

During the Streets tour Jon Oliva began to lose his voice. This happened multiple times on stage. Jon decided that he was holding Savatage back and stepped down as lead vocalist. Zachary Stevens replaced him. Jon was still a key part of the song writing process and played keyboard and some drums.

In 1993 Edge of Thorns was released. At this point, Savatage was hardly recognizable as the band that released Sirens ten years earlier. Their evolution into progressive metal was complete. Edge of Thorns was Criss Oliva's last record. His trademark riffing and solos are still present on some of the songs.



Suggested Listening:

Edge of Thorns
He Carves His Stone
Conversation Piece

The song in the following video is "Shotgun Innocence". It was recorded with Edge of Thorns but was only released as a bonus track on the Japanese version. It was later released as a bonus track on Poets and Madmen (2001). "Shotgun Innocence" was the last song Criss Oliva ever recorded.

Until tomorrow...

[savatage]

Happy Edge of Thorns day!

[DonP]

Damn, I only have Sirens, Dungeons, Power, and Wake of Mag. I guess I need to do some shopping LOL!

[savatage]

October 24th: Remember Criss Oliva

On October 17th, 1993, Criss Oliva and his wife Dawn were driving north on Highway 301 on their way to the Fourth Annual Livestock Festival in Zephyrhills, Florida. Around 3:30 am, a drunk driver who had previously been convicted of seven DUIs crossed over into Criss Oliva's lane and hit him head-on. Criss died instantly and Dawn was severely injured. The drunk driver was found guilty of DUI manslaughter, DUI serious injury, and vehicular homicide, and was sentenced to a mere five years in prison. He served 18 months of this sentence.



And so it was, one of time's greatest guitarists lost in a split-second, and all too soon. We can only wonder what music Criss would have brought to the world. Some of his ideas live on in Jon Oliva's band Jon Oliva's Pain, but all too many were never conceived at all. Still, the ten years of music Criss provided stands testament to his incredible talent.

October 24th is the last day of Criss Oliva Week. It is the day where we all listen to the Sava and keep Criss close in our hearts. Let's also keep Dawn Oliva, Criss's wife, close to our hearts. She tragically passed away in 2005. Let's also support Jon Oliva and JOP.

I stumbled upon this web page a few days ago. It's a rare personal account of Criss: http://www.chevymetalhead.net/music/savatage.htm

You might want to read it and view the photos, or you can continue through this thread.

Thanks to everybody who's read this thread, especially to those who have posted. Thanks for keeping the memories alive, and most importantly thanks to Criss Oliva and Savatage for the outstanding music they've brought us over years past and present.

Until next year,
John

[Tekky]

Along with "Belive", I'd like everyone to take a moment and listen to this song. It was written after Criss' death and is about him. I always cue this up on October 17th. As I said on my Facebook page... I lost one of my heroes on that day.

[savatage]

Thanks Tekky for posting this! As for my post, please listen to the songs in order. I chose to put them in this order because they kind of lead into each other in an way. They're also great songs. Every time I hear "If I Go Away" I get teary.