Customer Reviews

Be What It Is

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is really fantastic. In my opinion, it's Salas' most succinct record since Back from the Living (1994). This album is missing some studio-wizardry and hip-hop/electronica influences of his previous records Shapeshifter and Soulblasters of the Universe, but it makes up for it in leaps and bounds with live-sounding bass/drums/guitar get-back-to-your-roots garage rock feel. For the most part that songs are simple, but being Salas, the riffs are always funky and heavy, and the musicianship is phenomenal. Everyone Salas plays with have a great groove. 'Be What it Is' the would-be single from the album, is a fun rocker that warns young musicians the dangers about what it's like to be someone who used to be incredibly famous. 'Get Out Alive', a personal favorite of mine, is another straight-out rocker that features some of David Abbruzzese's best playing on the album - awesome wah-guitar solo. 'Two Souls War'n A Bag of Skin' is a musical guitar journey with great lyrics about being torn between your and bad sides. Salas starts out slowly with a very unique riff and builds and builds and builds until the song EXPLODES for about four minutes of incredible shredding/screaming with the gain cranked! Sounds similar to 'I Got a Feeling' from his 1992 album Third Eye Open. 'Surf With the Angels' is a great rhythmic surf-rock with excellent vocals by Salas. 'My Girl is Gone' goes in a different direction musically as Salas experiments with jazz-chords and mourns the death of his ex-girlfriend. Cherokee Girl is another would-be single, very poppy and probably my favorite song of Stevie's with pop sensibilities. Buy this album!

Not a bad CD overall but not essential for Stevie Salas fans. Some tunes are really funky and rocking while others are a bit slow and boring. The production is nice and highlights the live approach that Stevie and band went for this time. I really bought this CD to hear Dave Abbruzzese on the drums. He plays on the bulk of the tracks but again I'm disappointed with his post Pearl Jam output. He doesn't make the songs come alive like he did for Pearl Jam but instead plays generic stuff. Maybe that's what Stevie wanted. Anyway, there's enough good stuff on this CD for Stevie Salas fans to purchase it but probably not a good starting point for new fans. Try his CD "Back From The Living" if you want the real funky rock music he's known for.

I have been a stevie salas fan for a long time, but this is really one of his best albums . I still cant understand why this guys goes under the radar for his talent in this country, but that's another story for another time. The album has so much energy and at the same time, you can tell that they had a blast recording it. Many of his friends help on this masterpiece and i for one love it. Great CD!!