Customer Reviews

Disturbing the Peace

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Wow--I'd forgotten how great this album is!! Just ordered & got the remaster and this one-off with Steve Vai at the writing helm along with Bonnett on most tracks -- one helluva listen!! You can always expect the un-expected from Vai,and his involvement on 'Disturbing The Peace' was VERY noteworthy. I still remember listening to this on vinyl when it came out in '85,and my jaw just dropped as I heard these tunes! I'm not a huge fan of Bonnett's vocals normally,but here he seems to jell perfectly along with Vai's guitar histrionics.An overlooked gem,for sure. If you like highly inventive hard rock,this one's a must! Get it! T

Lost amidst a glut of 80's hard rock, this was actually a pretty good album. It has some of Graham Bonnet's best singing, and Steve Vai's unique guitar work takes the heavy metal genre closer to progressive rock. It surprises me that several reviewers feel that Vai lacks emotion in his playing. When I hear the soaring lead lines, I hear more emotion than in most other heavy rockers. Vai rarely plays with fixed finger patterns or within commonly-used blues scales. Rather, he seems to have a direct thought-to-fingers connection that leads to some beautiful work. All that said, Bonnet's best songwriting has often been tied to simpler riffs. There are some moments here where it sounds like he's trying hard to find a melody that works with the instrumentation. Alcatrazz with Yngwie might have been a better long-term fit had Yngwie been able to check his ego at the door and work within a group format.

I think every hard-rock fan should own this CD! With such selesctions as "God Blessed Video", and "Breaking the Heart of the City", it is a true classic! Plus, this recording features guitar wizard Steve Vai.

5 stars for including the live CD 2. The mastering of the 1st CD isn't bad (I have the earlier Japanese CD to compare to). But like at least one other reviewer mentioned: THE LAST SONG ON CD 1 IS CHOPPED IN HALF !! Unforgivable, but I only bought this for the live CD anyway. And why did they change the cover? Nothing wrong with the original IMO, which is better than this one.

There are also "bits" of something at the end of tracks 5 and 7 that shouldn't be there.

As for disc 2, kind of bright actually. They could have brought up the low end a little more. Also, there are these annoying gaps present between each track that shouldn't exist. (Like what most MP3 players do: insert a gap in between each track.)

I guess no one bothered to listen to the finished product.

The remastered Cd is awesome. I've been searching for this one on CD for a long time. I never could find it on CD. It's a must have if you love Steve Vai.

Personally, I think this is an absolutely amazing recording. It is really hard to categorize, as it doesn't really fit any of the styles that were around at that time. It wasn't hair-metal, like Quiet Riot, and not close to the dinosaur stuff like Deep purple or Black Sabbath. No, this is different. It is very orchestrated, yet full on rock. The layers of vocal harmonies and guitars can probably only be blamed on one person...Steve Vai. I have heard some similar approaches on tracks from his solo albums, 15 years later. If this album were to be recorded today, it would be (I almost said 'music to the ears'....) one amazing piece of work. Being recorded in the mid-80's, it lacks the sound quality it deserves. But it's a classic!

I love Alcatrazz with Malsteam or Vai, but his 2011 release is a big disappointment. Disk 1 is the same as the original release except the last song was reduced by 2 minutes. It got cut off during Vai's solo. All songs on disk 2 are bootlegged quality. It sounds like the record company just copied these songs from the live video concert. Poor Job.

After not having listened to this album for over a decade because it was not available on cd domestically until now, it still holds up like I remember! From the unreal guitar work of Steve Vai (who replaced the incredible Yngwie Malmsteen no less!) to the searing vocals of Graham Bonnett, this record is a lost classic. Anyone that thinks that this might be some weird '80's hair metal record are wrong! There is lots of good ole rockin' with all the cool surprises that Steve Vai brings to any project but with a focus on actual songs and not just over the top shredding. The remastering work is stellar too. Any fan of either Vai or Bonnett MUST get a hold of this cd ASAP! It will not disappoint!

I'm glad this album has been re-released after 20+ years. Alcatrazz was an underrated band from the mid-80's that featured the fine talents of ex-Rainbow lead singer Graham Bonnet and guitarist Steve Vai. While the synthesizer work makes the album sound slightly dated, Bonnet's distinctive vocal style, Vai's guitar work, and the catchy melodies make this an album to remember.

Hearing this album again really brought back memories from high school. I hope a new generation of listeners discovers this (mostly) overlooked gem.

There is an album missing here. The studio album with steve vai called "dangerous moves" or something like that. I'm a big Malmsteen fan, but I found that Alcatrazz is better without him. Steve Vai, though not even trying to capture what Malmsteen so perfectly displayed on stage, does what he came to do and the band just shines and shines. It's another magic moment in the dawn of heavy metal. Who says lightning doesn't strike twice in the same band?