VIRTUOSO VAI WAS SIZZLING HOT IN THE FIRE GARDEN
And who better articulated virtuoso heavy rock guitar better than American ace axeman Steve Vai, who is about 50 these days but still cranking out some very innovative and original fusion hard rock music, albeit repetitive instrumental material.
But back in 1996, Steve Vai must have had a brainsnap or rolled out of bed the wrong way, because he recorded an album which actually did feature him singing on a few tracks, and not too unconvincingly either, which I regard as his best album by quite a long way over the distance.
The album is a conceptual affair called FIRE GARDEN. It`s a CD jammed packed with enough material to warrant a double album set, the album is grouped into two parts, Phase 1 and Phase 2, each with 9 songs a piece.
The first part of the album is entirely instrumental, and the second part, minus the interlude `Deepness` and the finale `Warm Regards`, are vocal selections.
Vai of course is not just a heavy metal headbanger thrasher, he plays a wild mixture of just about anything metal, rock, avant garde, doowop, jazz, classical, grunge, even occasionally something a bit traditional bluesy.
He was tutored as a young man in Frank Zappa`s band, hence his experimental and eccentric diversions into uncharted musical territory in the years following.
Vai is best known perhaps for his contribution to the first two David Lee Roth solo albums in the late 80`s, which while entertaining and original didn`t quite capture the spontaneous magic of Roth`s former band mate Eddie Van Halen.
He had a couple of minor instrumental hits following his departure from the Roth fold, and he seem destined to play out his days as a solo musician without a vocalist in sight.
That has come true, he never has played in a band as a permanent member and no one else has come along to sing along with him
on his solo albums.
on his solo albums.
But on FIRE GARDEN he must have said to
himself, `lets sing some shit for once man`. The pick of the bunch on FIRE GARDEN with the instrumentals would have to include the medley masterpiece `Fire Garden Suite`, which is structured into four diffrent stages, the churning `Dyin` Day`and the speed metal tinged stunning opener `There`s A Fire In The House`.
himself, `lets sing some shit for once man`. The pick of the bunch on FIRE GARDEN with the instrumentals would have to include the medley masterpiece `Fire Garden Suite`, which is structured into four diffrent stages, the churning `Dyin` Day`and the speed metal tinged stunning opener `There`s A Fire In The House`.
The pick of the ones which Vai puts a vocal to, there is only 6 in fact if you omit the childish parody `When I Was A Little Boy`, would include the angry and confrontational `Damn You`, the lewd, double entredre laden `Aching Hunger`and the emotive heart tugger `Brother`, which seems to be a very personal story sung from his own life experience.
One very eclectic and daring mixture of many musical forms, FIRE GARDEN is Steve Vai`s definitive testament to the music world.
And to top it off, he even sings on here so you cant say it`s just another wanker-ish instrumental rock album from someone who didn`t grow up.
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