Customer Reviews

Flex-Able Leftovers

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

 

 

It's a real shame that so many people don't appreciate GOOD music
when they hear it, and have the sort of attitude like, " (I) don't like it, so that means it (*&%#)". Well, whatever. I'm not gonna go off like other people, telling you that you SHOULD like this record. I mean, it's perfectly alright if don't you dig this, but it ISN'T alright if you start badmouthing the quality and musical merit of it. The material on this album is actually really good, and really CREATIVE. The reason i would more respect for than say, "Alien Love Secrets", is that it showcases Mr. Vai's talents in more areas than just on the guitar (although some of the more inspired guitar i have ever heard from shows up on a couple of tracks on this disc). Perhaps a track-by-track overview of the album would help give a better impression of what one can expect to hear:

1.#$%@ Yourself - funky, and freakin' hilarious. This is one of the album's vocal-led tracks, containing some very, very humourous lyrics. Personally, this is one of my least favourates on the album, because while the lyrics WILL have you on the ground in hysterics, the words just aren't backed up by all that great of music. But, if you hang on till the end, theres quite a nice extended gtr. solo that should fulfill those wanting to hear some grade A shredding. This track is the reason for the "explicit lyrics" labeling.

2. So Happy - This one also falls under the freakin' hilarious category. Here's roughly the story of what this track is all about: basically, Steve got this chick to go off on an improvised rant about how happy she is, and then transcribed the pitch of her voice and doubled it on guitar. This is the kind of thing that doesn't lend itself very well to repeated listening, but each time you listen, and suddenly hear that guitar come in, you can't help but marvel at how cool of an idea it was.

3. Bledsoe Bluvd. - instrumental. No, not a guitar instrumental, but this is a rather nice track, showcasing Steve's talents as an all around composer.

4.Natural Born Boy - Instrumental. Yes, a guitar instrumental, containing one of the coolest riffs ever. I KNOW you'll like at LEAST this one.

5.Details At 10 - a vocal-led track that would probably also fall under the freakin' hilarious category. You'll like it.

6. Massacre - Another one of the coolest riffs ever, over which Vai messes around with what sounds like a Digetec Whammy pedal. Underlined by technoy drum machine beat (don't let throw you off).

7. Burnin' Down the Mountain - acoustic instrumental. Apperently this was just improvised while sitting on the roof of the studio with a few other people who were there for the album sessions. It's got kind of a nice little melody, but it's a very personal track, for Steve, and the others who made it; it really should've been left off the album.

8. Little Pieces of Seaweed - Holy *&%#! Where to start... I personally love this track, cuz i'm just really into the weird and quirky, but it's understandable if you aren't able to fully understand this; it IS quite a bit to take in at once. Everyone HAS to hear this track at least ONCE. Thats all i'll say.

9. San Sebastian - Elevator music-y instrumental that again, showcases his Zappa-like compositional talents.

10. Beast of Love - vocal track. Rather mundane I think. it doesn't really go anywhere.

11. You Didn't Break It - cheesy pop song ( like the "Boy/Girl Song" on Flex-Able). You won't be blown away by anything, but it IS a pretty catchy tune.

12. The X-Equilibrium Dance - Instrumental that sorta goes all over the place. Doesn't really have what one would call a melody. Still kind of an interesting track, though.

13. Chronic Insomnia - Not a track your going to listen to more than once, it's just a recording of Steve doing a bunch crazy whammy bar dives that was put into reverse. Kinda cool to see what sounds it's possible to make on a guitar, but there isn't any kind of MELODY here for you to keep coming back to.

Whew! Now that you have read THAT, i'm sure you'll have a better idea of whether this record is right for YOU or not.
Thanks,
the Duke of Dunbar

As the other reviews have indicated, this is not a "guitar god" album. I have to say I'm pretty disappointed in the way people seem to take this. I believe an artist should do whatever he wants to do, not just try and do the same thing over and over. Fans seem to think Vai has an obligation to only do music that fits into their preconceived ideas of what they think it ought to be. I disagree. I think artists in any field do indeed have an obligation to their fans: to stay true to THEMSELVES. An artist has to please him or her self first of all, and not worry about what other people will think. Once you start worrying about pleasing other people, that's how you ruin art. As long as an artist remains true to his own vision of what a particular piece ought to be, and sees it through to completion, he is doing his job as an artist and fulfilling his end of the bargain. I find that no matter what Vai does, his genius shines through in his music. People who only appreciate Vai because he can play the guitar so well will of course disagree, but I think of him as a creative artist first, and a guitarist second. The guitar is merely one medium through which his creative ideas are expressed.

I'm honestly sick of people putting down the creativity of something they don't understand. first of all. Music is about just that. creativity. At least thats what being a musician is. Mr. Vai has put together one of the best albums ever. Might not be what everyone expects. but it does have something no one has ever done before. Granted it has Zappa influences. but its still good music. We are all lucky to have this out here. Something to learn from. Something to cherish. Its about music. not aout what we as people expect. Mr. Vai. good job. I love this album just as i do all the others. Ingenious work.

Ok. I admit that this 'work' is completely silly. And I also admit that I, like others out there, have been listenning to the tape [recorded from vinyl] of 'leftovers' for at least 12 years. I am 30 years old, and there is something about this album that keeps me interested. The mere ABSURDITY of the ideas, music, and words is completely and utterly amusing. I have had tons of fun listenning to this album with friends in the past, and even some recently. People with a sense of humor, similar to the humor in this album, usually find something interesting to repeat, or poke fun at [on this album]. I must admit that my 5 star rating (for this album) is due to about five tracks that I LOVE! There are also many tracks on this album that I don't like at all. But those five, or so, tracks that I DO love -- are worth about 10 stars each, for me.

Message for Vai:
I am still waiting to see some CLASSIC Vai guitar on some form of CD compillation. Here's what I'm talking about:
- 1 or 2 songs from the group WESTERN VACATION, featuring Vai on guitar.
- Parts, or the whole of the group ALCATRAZZ (there is some INCREDIBLE guitar work on this album!)
- Amazing Grace, from the soundtrack "Dudes"
- All of the VAI parts from the movie CROSSROADS.
- Some LIVE highlites from the David Lee Roth period. You know, at least 3 or 4 great performances from Vai when he was touring with Roth.
- That's it.

Live on!
Good stuff!

Respectfully,
-Jeff K.

P.S. If Kenny Stewart is reading this: Peace, bro. You are the best :)

This CD combines an odd assortment of great guitar playing,warped humor(which I like),to rocky horror show type gushing vocals.I wish Steve Vai would stick to playing amazing guitar. I do appreciate much of his humor, but some parts of this CD degenerate into sheer drivel.This is not his best and he needs to remain with the instrumental stuff he's so good at.PLEASE!

If you followed Vai's career, and FZ's before him, this is an interesting listen. Some lo-fi Frank Zappa moments with a lot of what Steve Vai sounds like now peeking behind the notes. It's an origin album - it's light years more avante garde than what most do today, and it's an adventure. I only wish Vai went back to this experimental stuff today. I think he gave up his trippy imagination for technical fortitude.

C'mon Steve, you know you wanna revisit your FZ loving roots. I would love to hear what you can do with it.

I am a huge Steve Vai but I will keep it real. It is left over tracks that did not make it on Flex-able with bonus cuts. So if you don't have any Vai or are just starting to check him out, you may find other items in his catalog more satisfying. But if your a fan well grab it and enjoy it.

In spite of what other reviewers think, an artists album should not sound like his other albums, the artist would then be AC/DC! And to counter the review it is in the style of Vai. Give a listen to his other solo albums and you will find 1 track on each that contains the utterly brilliant silliness of The Mothers of Invention. The works on this album, while agreed not as "commercially" popular as his mainstays, are works of shear genius. It's raw and rough around the edges, yet whimsical and seductive, created with his natural prodigial passion and his recent "fine-tuning" by Frank Zappa. Listen to Zappa's "Sofa" and "Theme from Sinister Footwear" and you'll know what I mean. I would recommend this to almost anyone. If you don't like guitar instrumentals, crude comedy and vulger language then stay away, otherwise buy and enjoy

After listening to a cassette version of Leftovers copied from vinyl for over 13 years, I must say that I am delighted to finally own a digital version of this hilarious work. I still laugh at this EVERY time and I am now 30 years old. I only hope that Mr. Vai still cherishes this as much as I. God Bless...

I havent heard Steve Vais more rock oriented stuff so I can only speak about this record.

The overall feeling is: forced. Vai is technically skilled and surely very musical ear. But when it comes to creativity.. he fails short. Its obvius how he, through the songs, with all his strength and skilles, try to be another Frank Zappa. Unfortunately the compositions are walking on stiff legs and sounds way to overworked and pointless at the same time, not fluent and natural like Zappas.

Tiresome attempts to be "weird" like "so happy" and "little pieces of seewead" stands beside forgottable instrumentals like "Bledsoe blud" and "San sebastian". !"#¤ Yourself was really funny the first 20 times i heard it now I dont like it anymore.
Is "details at 10" supposed to be funny? It aint.

The most speaking song is the last one, Cronic insomnia: You almost hear Vai screaming out his frustration he can never be a true genius. Steve Vai is to Zappa on "Flexable" what Salieri is to Mozart in "Amadeus"!