Phantasmagorical: Master and Musician, Vol. 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)The latest instrumental offering from Phil Keaggy shows us, once again, that their is no bottom to the well of Phil's music. The subtitle, "Master & Musician 2," is very appropriate: although Phil's music transcends any category or label, it is obvious to all who are familiar with him that he is the musician, playing music inspired by and written for his Master, and these pieces are worthy of Him. I cannot recommend this CD highly enough.

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Upon the tail end of Phil Keaggy's most ambitious concert tour of his long and illustrious career - in which he has brought to life on stage his 1978 instrumental recording The Master & The Musician - Keaggy now releases his 2008 encore entitled Phantasmagorical: Master & Musician 2. Like the first, this album has musical scope and dimension that demonstrates Keaggy's mastery of melody within the ever-inventive musical signature guitars with a cornucopia of other instruments."It is special to me because I have some really good friends on the album," states Phil. "It is not like a solo thing like what I've done with other albums where I am playing most of the instruments. It's a nice stirring in of other musicians." One of the other musicians happens to be Phil's son, Ian. "My son is on the album; which in itself makes this a special album to me. We wrote a song on the album appropriately titled "Father and Son". I also co-wrote two songs with one of the members of The Master and Musician Band, Tom Shinness. With recorders, clarinets, strings, bass, upright bass - a variety of different kinds of sounds and instruments - this does reminds me of The Master and The Musician," reflects Phil. On the present nation-wide tour, Phil Keaggy closes his concert with one of the new songs from Phantasmagorical: Master & Musician 2 entitled "Forever to Joy". The audiences have responded with great enthusiasm recognizing that as good as Phil Keaggy was 30 years ago - he is only that much the better in 2008.

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Satriani Live Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been a Satriani fan since his first album, and especially after the release of Surfing with the Alien. My one gripe was how static and simple the support parts in his compositions were, specifically, the drums and bass. More recently I've gained a greater appreciation of why this was so. First to highlight his incomparable ability to write an amazing guitar melody, and second (and more obviously) to highlight his amazing technical virtuosity. Nevertheless, this lacking in the support areas has been addressed continually over the years, for example, with the frequent use of the unbelievable Stuart Hamm on bass.
This live CD & DVD set is by far the most dramatic step forward in the area of support, and it is what makes this a definitive Satriani live CD/DVD. Specifically, the extended versions, the jam-outs (or jam-ins), which include some very interesting stretching on Joe's part also, highlight the dynamic nature of this big step.
In recent years, Joe has used the reliable backing of bassist Matt Bissonette & Satriani stalwart drummer Jeff Campitelli. And while Bissonette is a decent and very reliable musician, he is not by any means a mind-boggling technical virtuoso, as is the aforementioned Stuart Hamm. Likewise, Campitelli had never really pressed any buttons for me as a drummer, as my leanings in that area tend to be toward the likes of guys such as Neil Peart, Vinnie Colaiuta, Terry Bozzio, etal. I have been to many G3 shows, and the energy level always seemed to be higher when Steve Vai was out with his amazing band (particularly with the likes of Billy Sheehan on bass in recent years, and Tony MacAlpine on Second Lead Guitar and Keyboards). Satriani was always reliable and perfect, but the energy never quite seemed to go through the roof, like in Vai's band.
Another G3 repeat offender, John Petrucci, guitar player for the current greatest band in the world, Dream theater, last toured with G3 with Dave LaRue on Bass and Dream Theater cohort Mike Portnoy on drums. It was much of the same thing - high energy. What would you expect from 2/3rd's of your members being Dream Theater guys?
I bring this up because now Dave LaRue is touring with Satriani and is the bass player on this live outing. And he is the one difference in the lineup. I have been familiar with LaRue's phenomenal abilities as a bass player for many years, having seen him play in the Steve Morse Band, the Dixie Dregs, as well as a previous G3 tour that Petrucci performed on as well. LaRue is not only a virtuoso who can stand toe to toe with any other bass player, but he is also a team player. When the required playing is to sit back and support & do the great support job Bissonette had done in recent years, he does it and he does it well. However, when it's time to stretch...
Then there'e Jeff Campitelli. Always has been a GOOD drummer. Well, we're hearing some stretching from him on this recording as well. This recording proves his abilities as an excellent drummer. His performance in the jam sections with LaRue and Satriani is superb.
Next there's rhythm guitarist Galen Henson. He fills in the spaces accurately, doesn't make mistakes and never gets in the way. A perfect shadow for all the holes that are hard for one guitarist, even Joe Satriani, to fill up.
And then Joe. Always amazing. But now that he's freed himself up a bit to stretch out and to play off of the other musicians more, and not always just in front of/on top of, however you want to say it, he is truly shining on another level.
I am a big fan of Rush. And one of the many great things you always notice about Rush is how well they play as an ensemble. They are all virtuosos, and they are virtuosic together, as a unit. Similarly, this ethic is displayed by Satriani's band on this live outing also.
The most important thing about this is that the wealth of new tracks from Super Colossal (one of his best CD's in years) are well performed, and the older, tried and true mainstay tracks have almost all been given a new spin, making this an ideal live performance.
Finally, Satriani's guitar tone is ridiculously amazing. This should be used to sell the JS model Ibanez & to sell whatever amp setup he is using.
Highlights: "Cool #9," "Circles" & "Always with me, Always with you." Especially the jamming: The jam-in on Cool #9 & the jam-outs on the other two tunes. For the newer songs, "One Robots Dream."
This is what I've always wanted to see Joe do, to stretch out. And now that he has done so, he's exceeded my expectations, which I did not think possible, because they were very high.

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G3 Live in Concert Review

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(More customer reviews)This disc is a recording from the first G3 tour. The three axmen that are featured are Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, and Steve Vai. Each member has three of their own songs and then all three are on stage for a trio of covers. Satch is featured first. He plays "Cool #9", "Summer Song" and "Flying in a Blue Dream". His playing is typical Satch. He does a little improv in the intro to summer song but other than that the songs are duplications of the studio versions. This isn't a bad thing and fans of Satch won't be dissapointed. Joe is known for his great melodies and his jaw dropping technique. Both are displayed here. His ability to improvise material to new heights isn't on display here. If you want that then buy "Time Machine". I still would get this because Joe is still Joe. Eric Johnson is next. On "Zap" he boogies and shows off his tone. Also the rest of his trio is given the opportunity to do their thing as they trade fours. "Manhatten" is Eric displaying all types of techniques. The song has a jazzy vibe and is quite different than "Zap" in terms of mood and style. "Camel's Night Out" is the closer of Johnson's set and he explodes during it. This song is a chance for Eric to display all of his tricks and he does. Eric Johnson fans should be loving his three song set as it shows off his versatility, virtuosity and unique tone. Vai is the last to go and go he does. Steve is the sorcerer. All kinds of maniacal guitar playing is on display during his set. "Answers" has Vai interweaving lines with Keneally. Then he lets the pyrotechnics loose. Two handed technique, blinding alternate and sweep picking,whammy bar madness, and the joy of playing with feedback are all used in his closing cadenza to this tune. "For the Love of God" is an incredible example of emotion. The main melody lines are moving and the solo invokes all kinds of emotion. This is one of Steve's best compositions. "The Attitude Song" is the closer and is Vai at his wildest. Fellow guitarist Mike Keneally adds to the mix of unison lines. The tremelo bar work is unreal. Vai is a madman and he doesn't have any of his "bizarre" overdubbing that is on some of his lesser studio discs. If you get the DVD you will see that Vai is a magician on stage and has a commanding presence. The three cover songs have all the men on stage and they seem to have a good time with another. The highlight is the trading of fours during "Redhouse". During all three covers each guitarist gets to solo and they all do so very well. "G3" is a great disc and it is a tribute to these three that they were able to put their egos aside and do a project like this. If you like guitar orientated rock or are familiar with any or all of these guys then buy it now.

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Joe Satriani - Live in San Francisco (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'll take this DVD over "G3" every time. "Joe Satriani - Live in San Francisco" is a superb combination of great playing, great sound, and good camera work and editing.
This concert, recorded at the Fillmore in December of 2000, showcases 24 songs plus a short blues introduction (not listed) and a bass solo. Eight studio albums are represented, from "Not of This Earth" (1986) through "Engines of Creation" (2001; not yet released at the time). "Crystal Planet" (1998), "Surfing With the Alien" (1987), and "Flying in a Blue Dream" (1989) were the most represented, with six, five, and four songs, respectively.
Overall, the performance has all the ingredients that make for a superlative rock 'n' roll concert: well over two hours of music, tight playing (one of the band's "on" nights), enough variation on the songs to make them "live" without losing the essence of the music, varied camera views (without going overboard on the tilted angles, thank you), and expert sound mixing. Disc 1 features thirteen songs, with very little down time between numbers; no need to go into detail about every song; they're all great. Disc 2 adds eleven more, plus a little more flavor with the opening blues intro and a bass solo by Stu Hamm that incorporates classically themed arpeggios, popping/hammering techniques and even a rendition of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown." Also, "Big Bad Moon" features Joe singing and playing a harmonica that doubles as a slide (clever). As opposed to his G3 "power trio," Joe enlisted the services of Eric Caudieux, who added rhythm guitar and keyboards, which is a smart move since as the "middle" was severely lacking from the G3 show. Still, I would have preferred that Eric made it out front even more often, similar to what guitarist Mike Keneally does in Steve Vai's band. Jeff Campitelli keeps his driving drum beats going throughout. Even with my audio system set to "DVD Stereo" the tunes still rocked. Users of 5.1 will be really pleased.
For the most part, the camera work is very good. Lots of angles are available both from the boom-mounted unit over the audience, and a few hand-held "roamers." The vast majority of the time, what's on the screen is exactly what I want to see: Joe's playing posture and fingering are highlighted 80% of the time, as it should be. Seeing the cameramen moving around all over the place was a little distracting at times, but not enough to damage the video presentation. Check out the feature that allows for four different camera angles on three of the songs: the hand-helds provide a more intimate dynamic perspective, mostly from on stage. Also worth watching is the nine-minute backstage commentary where Joe explains his influences, describes his pedal effects, etc.
Satriani fans MUST get this DVD. It's great for other guitar/rock fans as well.

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Chickenfoot Review

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(More customer reviews)Having read several reviews on this site, I have decided to add my own observations concerning the phenomenon known as "Footfest". It seems that most of the critical reviews of Chickenfoot come from those who are either highly trained musicians looking for "shock and awe", critics who have analyzed the music to death, and die hard DLR VH fans who never cared much for SH anyway. They most likely claim lack of technique, uninteresting song structure, or some other complaint as the reason for thier low opinion of Chickenfoot.
To these individuals I would offer this: let us not forget that the #1 litmus test of a rock album is: DOES IT ROCK? IS IT FUN TO LISTEN TO? DOES IT CARRY YOU AWAY FROM YOUR DAY TO DAY CONCERNS? Sure I like my prog-rock like the next guy but folks - this is the type of rock and roll that a lot of us have missed for quite some time with the semipermanent hiatus of EVH. And with that in mind I must say that Chickenfoot has accomplished something very special. As for Led Zep good I wouldn't go that far yet but time will eventually tell how great this debut is. For now though I am head over feet grateful that these guys got together and did this.
The music reflects the chemistry between Satriani, Hagar, Anthony, and Smith. As I listened to each track I do acknowledge and welcome the classic VH2 vocals, but I do not think it sounds like VH. I have never heard EVH use some of the darker elements as Satriani does. And I sure have never heard Michael Anthony's bass lines like this and whadayaknow? He's a pretty good bassist! His rhythm section counterpart Chad Smith is tight and crisp and at times even Bonhamesque.You can tell that these four guys really enjoy each others company and most likely care about each other. And isn't that an important part of wanting to be in a band in the first place? It certainly shows in the music. There isn't really a bad track in the bunch. No filler. Each song is a fun, toe tapping, head bobbing, rocking good time! And isn't that what it's really about? The chops are there...the technique is there... but they are played to suite the structure of each song. And that is testament to the 4 musicians who have given us the disk of the summer! Good luck EVH! I do have some hope that Chickenfoot will motivate you and DLR but I'm not holding my breath...not for anything this good at least. You have too much bitterness. Too much denial. Too much ego. Frankly I think you are finished...I mean how could you let Mikey go? You're...
running out
running out of time
running out
running out of tunes
running out
running out of blame
running out!!!
running out!!!
running out!!!!
WELL DONE - LONG LIVE THE FOOT!!!!!

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UK 12-track 2-LP vinyl set includes one bonus track, 'Bitten By The Wolf'. The Rock supergroup of the year comprising of Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani & Chad Smith!! Simply named Chickenfoot, this instant classic album combines all the best elements of the individual members forming this supergroup. Sammy Hagar's voice is clearer and warmer than ever. Joe Satriani's guitar style is showing a rockier side, a heavy sound with great solos in the best guitar hero rock tradition. Michael Anthony delivers his loud and groovy bass line, while his backing vocals, combined with Hagar's lead voice, bring back that great sound of Van Halen's albums. Chad Smith shows all his love for hard hock music with thunderous drumming - a real pleasure throughout the whole album. The album features instant classics, like the first single 'Oh Yeah' or the second single 'My Kinda Girl' [for which a big production video clip is about to be filmed]. From the opening track 'Avenida Revolution' through heavy rock and roll gems like 'Get it On' and 'Soap on a Rope' to the ballad 'Learning To Fall', an hour blast without one filler track. Presented in a picture sleeve with heat sensitive ink so that when you place a warm hand on the cover, it reveals the photos of the band members beneath!--This text refers to the Vinyl edition.

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Black Swans & Wormhole Wizards Review

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(More customer reviews)From start to finish this album is really fun to listen to. I hadn't even read anything about the CD...just popped it in and started listening. Right away you know something is different: the keyboards. Once again Joe has changed studio bands bringing in Mike Keneally on keys and Allen Whitman on bass.
Not knowing what to expect after recent releases, (Super Colossal and Professor Satch were very technical and the Chickenfoot project was lame) I was happy once I heard the first note. There is amazing guitar work as one would expect on a Satch album, but it's not overdrive...the disc is full of solid, no BS guitar riffs with several keyboard solos. I think playing in a band (Chickenfoot) may have changed his approach a bit.
My favorite songs are "Premonition" , "Pyrrhic Victoria" , "Two Sides To Every Story" (very jazzy!) and "Wormhole Wizards". There is even a ballad "Littleworth Lane" which I can envision being played with the 10-minute solo live in concert.
Overall this a very impressive effort and my favorite since "Strange Beautiful Music" & "Crystal Planet".

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Satriani s 14th studio album, Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards, produced and recorded by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Metallica) and Satriani, has recently been completed and is set for release on October 5, 2010 through Epic Records. Joe is joined once again by veteran Satriani bandmate Jeff Campitelli on drums, and newcomers, keyboardist Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai) and bassist Allen Whitman (Mermen) also adding to the sound. Satriani s classic sound is accompanied by a surprisingly rich texture of new material as well. This 11-track album s first single "Light Years Away" is destined to be a hit, with several other high energy offerings, like Wormhole Wizards and Premonition. Satriani s World Tour promoting Black Swans . . . will begin in this fall, kicking off on October 16 in Dublin, Ireland with the North American dates starting on December 1 in Atlanta, hitting cities such as Chicago, New York, Boston and more (a second January 11 leg TBA).

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Chickenfoot (Deluxe Limited Edition with DVD) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was skeptical about this CD and only recently purchased it when the Delux package was $13.99 at Bestbuy. I put this in the CD player of my car, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This isn't some rehash of a Sammy Hagar solo album or left over Van Halen ideas. This is something new, fresh, a tour-de-force to my ears. Sammy sounds great, Joe Satrani is amazing [as always], Michael Anthony is finally able to be in a band where he can show off his talents, and Chad Smith is a great time keeper. I'm not sure what else I can add that the other comments have not already stated other than BUY THIS NOW!!!!!!!!!

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Deluxe limited edition includes the debut album CD with bonus track, plus a DVD featuring 60 minutes of bonus video and live performances!
Track listing:
1. Avenida Revolution
2. Soap On A Rope
3. Sexy Little Thing
4. Oh Yeah
5. Runnin' Out
6. Get It Up
7. Down The Drain
8. My Kinda Girl
9. Learning To Fall
10. Turnin' Left
11. Future In The Past
12. Bitten By The Wolf (bonus track)

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G3 - Live in Concert (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)Three extremely talented and unique guitarists come together for one of the best concerts I've ever seen! Viewing this made me feel like I was on the front row! And the most amazing thing (besides the music) is that sells for just 10 bucks! Absolutely the wisest 10 bucks I've ever spent! I give it 15 stars!
Some may think this is a contest to see who is the best but I don't look at it that way. SATRIANI, JOHNSON, AND VAI each bring something unique to the concert. G-3 LIVE IN CONCERT is a 3 song live playing of each artist and then they all jam together at the end in complete rapport and friendship. You can tell they all respect each other alot. The running time is 75 minutes of "glued to your seat" entertainment! NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT!
Here are the songs in order: SATRIANI plays 1) Cool No9 2) Flying In A Blue Dream and 3) Summer Sky. The second is my favorite. JOHNSON plays second. His songs are 1) Intro Song 2) Manhattan and 3) SRV (Which is dedicated to the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughn.) The second is my favorite. VAI plays last. His songs are 1) Answers 2) For The Love Of God and 3) The Attitude Song. Again the second song is my favorite.
"THE JAM SONGS" (FEATURING ALL 3 G-3'S) are: 1) Going Down 2) My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama and 3) Red House (in honor of the late, great Jimi Hendrix.) The third song is my favorite.
I highly and whole-heartedly recommend this videotape--incredible sound, very entertaining, diverse, and fun to view. You will not be disappointed; trust me! BUY THIS NOW! DON'T MISS IT! There isn't a single boring moment or bad song; these guys ROCK! It will make you a fan of all three if you aren't already!

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Studio: Sony MusicRelease Date: 09/10/2002Run time: 75 minutes

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G3: Live in Tokyo (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)G3 returns in fine form with "G3 Live in Tokyo". The same formula as the last two g3 DVDs is repeated. Joe Satriani teams up with Steve Vai and find a third guitarist worthy of sharing the stage with them. Each member performs his own set and then all 3 jam on stage together. It worked on the previous 2 DVDs and it works again. This time, with the addition of John Petrucci of Dream Theater/LTE, is the best time. Yes, there is only 90 minutes worth of music, but if you want the full G3 experience go see them. The 90 minutes is a great deal for under $15. Now to the show:
John Petrucci plays a couple of songs from his "Suspended Animation" disc. I saw G3 with Petrucci back in 2001 and thought that he should release the music he was playing. Now he has. Both songs showcase Petrucci's ability to combine speed, tone and phrasing in an instrumental form. Both songs have a couple of tone and time changes, and Petrucci shows why he is considered one of the best guitarists in the rock genre. (Or any genre for that matter) Fans of Dream Theater or any of John's other projects won't be dissapointed. John is joined by, DT drummer, Mike Portnoy and Dave Larue of Steve Morse and Dreg's fame. The rhythm section is solid and all over John's music. A very good set.
Steve Vai is next and continues to be the most energetic of the G3 members. Vai opens with "The Audience is Listening" from Passion & Warfare and it is a blistering version. Steve and bassist Billy Sheehan go wild during this song. They trade fours, exchange picking hands, and play some high speed unison lines. These two have been mesmerizing together since the David Lee Roth Band, and have taken their showmanship to new levels. "Building the Church" and "K'm-Pee-Du-Wee" are the other Vai tunes and Steve is his amazing self. Vai has been guilty of composing tunes that I can't identify with, but these are both great compositions and Steve's playing is true virtuosity at its best. Great set from a great showman.
Joe Satriani's set is also very good. He plays great versions of "Up In Flames" and 'Searching' but is guilty of not stretching out as far as he can. Still, both of these songs are excellent and show Satch's unparalled ability to combine catchy melodies with guitar virtuosity. 'War' is a song that Satch stretches out on and improvises a unique ending. Excellent version.
As always, the DVD ends with all 3 guitarists on stage. "Foxey Lady" is the first tune. Mike Portnoy plays drums on this tune. How can you go wrong with these 3 guys jamming to Jimi? The last two songs have Jeff Campitelli on Drums and Billy Sheehan joins Matt Bisonette on bass. The two bassists alternate taking the vocal duties and do a decent job. Both songs feature each guitarist taking a solo spot and then all 3 trading 4s at the end. More G3 madness done right. As always, if you aren't a fan of guitar, you won't be a fan of this. If you are a fan of any of these three, then you should get this. I am a fan of all 3, and find it to be the best of the 3.


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