Customer Reviews

Alive in an Ultra World

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Listening to Steve Vai's solo CDs, one is struck by the layered guitar parts, the details tucked into every sonic crevasse, and one thinks: this must have taken months of time in the studio. Then you see him in concert, and, although it hardly seems possible that those five guys you see in front of you can be recreating that sound in real time -- especially when one of them is also mugging and bouncing around the stage the way Steve does -- there it is. And so you think: this must have taken months of rehearsal.

Then "Alive in an Ultra World" shows you what they can do with nothing more than a couple of soundchecks.

I can't agree with those who wish this had been a live retrospective. This band plays the old material so well and so faithfully that a traditional live album would be like listening to the original recording while standing in a crowd. It would be a shame, to me, never to get a document of this incredible live band, and these new songs, born and raised in the wild, belong to the band in a way that older material couldn't. It is unbelievable how good these guys can make a new song sound after just a couple of rehearsals, and how much of Vai's trademark sound remains without a studio-crafted reference document. Many players spend days at a time composing and perfecting solos as enjoyable as those Vai plays off the cuff in one take, two at the most. If the songs were composed in any more or less time than his previous efforts, it doesn't show: the melodies are strong, the arrangements well-formed. As for the wish that this material had been recorded in the studio, there's nothing I could say to dissuade the audiophiles, but Vai produces a better sound live than many get in the studio. The guitar tone is sweet, the instruments are audible and distinct, and I don't hear the music suffering in any way. I reserve a fifth star for the intense focus that I haven't heard in anything except "Passion and Warfare"; but this is certainly as honorable an addition to Steve's body of work as the last two releases. Out of the studio, Vai is still Vai.

Vai's compositions keep on getting better and better, and really give substance to his always stunning technique. Several albums ago, he seemed to have a "breakthrough" in his composing abilities, where he was able to really breathe life into his songs and create epic, almost life-changing masterpieces. "Whispering a Prayer" (Ireland) is definitely an example of this. I travel a lot, and often listen to both discs end to end while flying or walking through airports, and also while bike riding...this album is all about experiencing the world!! I was riding the commuter train in Los Angeles, and when "Being With You (in Paris)" came through the earphones, I was suddenly riding the Metropolitan in Paris!! Along with these songs, "Principessa" (Italy), "Brandos Costumes" (Portugal), "Blood and Glory" (England), and "Iberian Jewel" (Spain) are my favorites...I think he has the Western European styles mastered the best! This is my favorite Vai album thus far, and I have them all.

This just might be my favorite release of Steve Vai's many great ones. It's endlessly fun, adventurous, and the band is just so good! Not to mention the fact that Steve Vai's guitar tone is like sexual audio syrup.

_Alive in an Ultra World_ is a live album, but these aren't familiar Vai songs. These songs are all new, and all of them are based on a different country. Vai covers everything from Germany ("The Black Forest") to Slovenia (the title track). Expectedly, songs like "Blood and Glory" (Britain's song) and "Principessa" (for Italy) rely on common motifs ascribed to the appropriate nations. However, other songs are quite inventive. Portugal's song, "Brandos Costumes", is a beautiful little piece, amiable, sparkly, with a quiet, free-flowing energy. The song for Bulgaria, "Incantation", is an aggressively groovy rock piece with the requisite gypsy flavor -- not to mention a mad drum solo and guitar playing! "The Black Forest" is quaking and darkly celestial. The pop-flavored guitar rock with vocals (the title track and "Light of the Moon") are excellent, simple but loaded with hooks and more tasty musicianship. Japan's song, "Burning Rain", is intense at first, then renascent after a hazy slowdown.

"Devil's Food" is a delight, electrified with Vai's presence as a frontman and the band's spontaneous coolness. During a duet with acoustic guitar and piano, Vai breaks a string. While his assistant replaces it, Vai has the band perform all sorts of crazy things to pass the time. It has to be heard to be believed. The bass player's demonstration is just eerie! "Babushka" has a similar spirit. While trying to kick off into an energetic gypsy song, Vai finds that he is out of tune. As he corrects the problem, his band gets anxious and moves into a jazzy jam.

The variety is also amazing. Since Vai draws on so many different cultural influences (sometimes even ideas that don't seem to have much to do with the country), there's a great assortment of styles here. It's an album that will never get boring. It's like Amazing Guitar Songs World Tour.

Mike Mangini is a monster drummer. Of course, I knew this already but now I have an entirely new respect for the man, especially with his interplay with bassist Philip Bynoe. The rhythm section here is mighty!

The little things are nice too, like where Vai candidly points out all the edits to the live cuts in the liner notes, and his introduction to the album: "This is an indulgent compilation of music with many little guitar notes!" I like that kind of attitude.

Any fan of amazing musicianship with a good dose of plain ol' fun needs this disc.

This collection of live songs features a mode of songwriting that's a bit different to what we've known from Vai in the past. I find that to be very positive, because the other musicians' contributions are more prominent than in the past, so you get to hear a great BAND featuring Steve Vai. The compositions themselves are interesting as usual. Some of the shred-fans or metalheads out there might think the whole thing is too soft, and so on. But SV has never been Heavy Metal, really. Nonetheless, this album does not lack the usual Vai fretboard wizardry. Blazingly fast soloing is dead boring when it's not in an interesting musical context, and Vai does deliver that interesting context. Which is why I find this album to be a great achievement. And it is truly alive, even if there are a number of overdubs. If you want to listen to ten thousand notes per seconds over a crappy composition which states nothing, listen to some of the Yngwie-disciples. If you want to hear a great live album by a MATURE player/composer, listen to this.

I love Steve Vai. As John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess put in the liner notes of their recent duo album, I thank God for Steve Vai's very existence. I can't stop listening to this album. All the songs are incredible - writing, musicianship, delivery, passion.

The highlight on the album is the seventh song, Whispering a Prayer. As far as I can tell, the song has been nominated for three grammys in successive years (the latest being Steve's performance on the most recent G3 live album). It is a disgrace to Grammy voters that this song has not won yet. This year, Brian Wilson's "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" instrumental from "Smile" beat out "Whispering a Prayer." I love "Smile" but, c'mon that song was barely a song.

The moment that sums up the greatness of "Whispering a Prayer" best is the reaction of the Buenos Aires crowd at the conclusion of the song. This is the first time they've heard the song. Steve begins the track saying he's playing a new song for them. Whenever you go to a concert and hear that a new song is coming, what is your reaction? That's right - I hope it doesn't suck. Well, here, after Steve absolutely NAILS it (that pinch harmonic in the middle kills me every time), the crowd spontaneously bursts into the universal South American soccer chant - ole . . . ole ole ole . . . ole ole . . . ole ole - and holds it until Steve breaks in with "I think that was a good take." Understatement of the decade, Steve.

Excellent. The 1st disc is the typical, instrumental, cut throat, power guitar we've all fallen in love with. Disc 2 sounds more like the greatest artist of all-tme: Frank Zappa. You can hear the Zappa influence on this disc like when he played stunt guitar for Zappa in the early '80s. A must have for any Zappa or Vai nut. If Passion & Warfare is what you're looking for then don't pick this up.

i love steve vai.. and i think this is one of his best CDs.. i personally am biased towards live recordings anyway...

you don't have to be a rack fan to enjoy this.. it is just pure music from a musician who loves playing his instrument.. so easy to get lost in it..

you won't regret buying this..

Steve Vai comes back on our planet with a great double album consisting of 15 new live songs (plus 1 bonus track for the japanese edition). Once again Mr. Vai shows his neverending inspiration and magic! Each song reflects the cultural and musical background of a different country and the result is simply amazing! Check out the 7th song "Whispering a prayer" and don't be surprised if you'll find yourself floating in the air!!! Definetly a MUST!

Whispering A Prayer is a wonderful piece.
Blood & Glory and Babushka are fun and great spins on their genres (English pomp and Romanian folk).
With Alive in an Ultra World, Steve Vai has offered us fine tributes to various genres that have enriched his music.
When that's said, we have to consider that this is a live album (or more correctly, an anthology of live recordings, tailored a bit in the studio), and much of the music arose on the spur-of-the-moment. It is not as thoroughbred as his recent studio albums, and therefore doesn't have quite the exhilarating precision and punch that they have.
But we get to know other sides of Steve Vai: Vai the funmaker (a true pupil of Frank Zappa), Vai the bandleader, who brings out the best in his bandmates, Vai the showmaster, who can bring his audience into a rave, and Vai the cosmopolitan, with his deepfelt respect for all cultures and religions.
So Ultra World certainly deserves five stars.
I'm just wondering: Why isn't this guy as acclaimed as, say, Bach? I don't think that Steve himself cares much about it, but there are a lot of people missing out on some great music. I guess, we just have to accept that there are very few people who take music seriously. Most people just want some tinkling in the background - to help them forget that they're alive and mortal (in an ultra world).
I would like to add that I found the Amazon review by Jerry McCulley (this one and others) very fine. Here's a rock reviewer who knows his stuff.

Mr. Vai set out to capture the feelings of cities/countries throughout the world with these songs, and that is exactly what he has done. I've been to a few of the places and those songs are wonderful representations; and most of the songs for the places I haven't been are exactly what I think about when I try to imagine them.

With the exception of 'The Power of Bombos,' I thoroughly enjoy every track on here. I think this is the best thing Steve has done since "Passion and Warfare."