Steve Vai - Appreciation and Album thread *

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mark winstanley, Feb 4, 2020.

  1. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Alien Orifice
    This is a really cool jazz feel track. It is an instrumental. The percussion is great, and we get it doubled by Vai the second time through. Meanwhile Thunes does a really good job of holding down that jazz feel bass.
    I assume we have Tommy Mars laying down a really nice little synth interlude ....
    The its the money shot, with Zappa laying down a typically great lead break ....
    I need to rebuy this album, I haven't had it for a while now, and this is a lot better than I remember ... I wonder what the deal is there.
    We come out of the lead break and into a fantastic series of runs that involve a little bit of everybody, and slide effortlessly into the opening theme, with a couple of variations.
    Excellent track.

     
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  2. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Yo Cats
    This track has a kind of old timey Jazz club feel. Ike Willis puts in one of his somewhat effected vocals, and it is pretty decent as a track, but I just find it a little dull.
    And dull isn't something I can generally say about Zappa, nor do I want to.

     
  3. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    What's New In Baltimore?
    This sounds like it could have been on Flex-able lol.
    This track is wonderful. We get this wonderful meandering series of arpeggios that have the Ed Mann, Tommy Mars and Steve Vai special sauce, and it is a really intense instrumental that rolls along nicely and then we burst into a very cool musical refrain, that would really be used to great effect in live shows.
    On the album it is a Zappa guitar clinic, and I, of course, Love it.

     
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  4. MikeMusic

    MikeMusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Surrey, England
    Just started this and will be reading from post no.1
    I may be some time........
     
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  5. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I'll look forward to reading any comments you have about the material, and also to you joining us on the stuff we are in the process of going through. Have fun :righton:
     
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  6. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Little Beige Sambo
    Is this Zappa's first synclavier based release?
    This track somewhat pointed the way to Jazz From Hell. It is a very interesting track, but comes off somewhat cold sounding in context with the other stuff on the album ... in my opinion of course.
    There is no real debating the musicality, and I completely understand the composer in Frank enjoying the ability to use this tool to more fully realise some of his ideas.
    This is a sonic assault with some quite amazing runs of notes that leave the listener who is really listening somewhat breathless.

     
  7. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Porn Wars
    This track is a collage of speeches, and sounds that Zappa chose to put with it.
    I never had this US version of the album, so I am not particularly close to this track. I found the whole PMRC stuff intriguing, and quite disconcerting, but this track never crossed my radar. this is somewhat in the avant garde Zappa mode, and although I appreciate it for what it is, it isn't something that I particularly reach for when I feel like getting my Zappa fill.

     
  8. MikeMusic

    MikeMusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Surrey, England
    I'll give updates so you know I'm on the case and you don't miss me
    :)

    My first experience of Steve was Jack Butler and that put me off him for years.-My loss
    I know he adored Frank Zappa and I hear elements of FZ in his albums.
    However hard I try I can't get into FZ. Good in places is about it for me.
    Also love most of what Beefheart did and I know the FZ connection there too....
    Tried FZ again recently. Good music, hated the singing and lyrics seemed pointless
     
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  9. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I enjoy eighties Zappa, but for me the prime Zappa period is Hot Rats through to probably Zoot Allures.
    Zappa certainly liked to use unusual lyrics, but in that period he was more focused (to me) and his lyrics were better.... having said that though. Joes Garage and Sheik Yerbouti from 79 are among my favourite albums of his.
     
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  10. MikeMusic

    MikeMusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Surrey, England
    Good point. Will try those albums, possibly again. Must get it into my head that artists produce different albums
     
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  11. MikeMusic

    MikeMusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Surrey, England
    I have most or all of Steve's albums and some DVDs so will put them in date order and go through them - for the first time in date order.
    Not played for a while on the super upgraded system so way more music to come to me

    Will add in the albums he played on as a group member later.

    This is taking even more time than I thought with all those video clips - not a problem! - just played the Crossroads duel - wonderful

    I'll be back
     
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  12. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    No worries mate. Enjoy!
    Every Saturday I put a reference list up with links, so that the albums and songs are more easily found/accessible. So you can always skim through and go back for listens if it makes the journey easier for you :righton:
     
  13. StarThrower62

    StarThrower62 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY
    I rarely listen to Prevention. I like some of the tunes including Alien Orifice, and Baltimore but I listen to the live versions. Orifice from Vol 6 has a really good synth solo by Mars.
     
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  14. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Steve Vai - a rough history
    The JEM guitar
    Interview
    Talking about Zappa
    Some guitar techniques

    Stevie's Spanking with Zappa 1981


    May 1981 Zappa Tinseltown Rebellion
    Fine Girl
    Easy Meat
    For The Young Sophisticate
    Love Of My Life
    Ain't Got No Heart
    Panty rap, Tell me you love me, Now You See it now You don't, Dance Contest, Blue Light, Tinseltown Rebellion, Pick Me I'm clean
    Bamboozeld By Love, Brown Shoes Don't Make It, Peaches 3

    1981 - Shut Up And Play Yer guitar - Frank Zappa Guitar Book

    sept 1981 Zappa You Are What You Is

    Teenage Wind
    Harder Than Your Husband
    Doreen, Goblin Girl, Theme From the 3rd movement of sinister footwear
    Society Pages, I'm A beautiful Guy, Beauty Knows No Pain
    Charlies enormous mouth, Any Downers, Conehead, You Are What You Is
    You Are What You Is - video
    Mudd Club, The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing, Dumb All Over
    Heavenly Bank Account, Suicide Chump, Jumbo Go Away, If Only She Woulda, Drafted Again

    NYC Palladium 1981 - with Zappa

    May 1982 Zappa Ship Arriving Too Late to Save A Drowning Witch
    No Not Now
    Valley Girl
    I Come From Nowhere
    Drowning Witch
    Envelopes
    Teenage Prostitute

    Mar 1983 Zappa Man From Utopia
    Cocaine Decisions
    The Dangerous Kitchen
    Tink Walks Amok
    The Radio Is Broken
    Moggio
    The Man From Utopia Meets Mary Lou
    Stick Together
    Sex
    Jazz Discharge Party Hats
    We Are Not Alone

    Jan 1984 Zappa Flex-able + leftovers
    Little Green Men
    Viv Woman
    Lovers Are Crazy
    Salamanders In The Sun
    Boy/Girl Song
    The Attitude Song
    Call It Sleep
    Junkie
    Bill's Private Parts
    Next Stop Earth
    There's Something Dead In Here

    Oct 1984 Alcatrazz - Power Live dvd

    Oct 1984 Zappa - Them Or Us

    The Closer You Are
    In France
    Ya Hozna
    Sharleena
    Sinister Footwear II
    Truck Driver Divorce
    Stevie's Spanking - live Vai and Zappa jam
    Baby Take Your Teeth Out
    Marque-son's Chicken
    Planet Of My Dreams
    Be In My Video
    Them Or Us
    Frogs With Dirty Little Lips
    Whipping Post

    March 1985 Alcatrazz Disturbing The Peace
    God Blessed Video
    Mercy - actual song
    Will You Be Home Tonight
    Wire And Wood
    Desert Diamond
    Stripper
    Painted Lover
    A Lighter Shade Of Green
    Sons And Lovers
    Skyfire
    Breaking The Heart Of The City - live

    Vai Live at the Spirit Club 1985

    Nov 1985 Frank Zappa - Meets The Mothers Of Prevention
    We're Turning Again
    Alien Orifice
    Yo Cats
    What's New In Baltimore
    Little Beige Samb
    Porn Wars

    with David Lee Roth -
    Big Trouble

    The Crossroads dual

    For The Love Of God -live with the Metropole Orchestra
     
  15. Anthrax

    Anthrax Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    The Perfect Stranger predates it.
     
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  16. Anthrax

    Anthrax Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    Mostly instrumental FZ albums for you to try:

    Hot Rats
    Burnt Weeny Sandwich
    Waka/Jawaka
    The Grand Wazoo
    Sleep Dirt
    Make A Jazz Noise Here
     
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  17. MikeMusic

    MikeMusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Surrey, England
    Phew.
    Through 16 pages and that was skimming.
    Thanks Mark for the in depth analysis.
    Working out if I stick with Steve's own albums or follow right from the beginning now.
    The boss has a task for me in the garden so my brain can work on my decision
     
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  18. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    lol the boss always has a task :)
    The only Vai album we have actually done yet is Flex-able
    Cheers mate
     
  19. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Being a Beefheart fan, he may like Bongo Fury too.

    One Size Fits all is brilliant, and that was my breakthru Zappa album @MikeMusic ... The lyrics are not as ... sort of juvenile as the later albums
     
  20. MikeMusic

    MikeMusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Surrey, England
    I may have played or sampled all the FZ albums.
    Bongo Fury some years back
    Will give them all another bash
    Soon I will be working on sorting the boss's pc, screen, interweb connection.
    Not a great list for the technically challenged punter like wot I am
    Still thinking on all or solo Stevie output
     
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  21. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Aerobics In Bondage
    Another interesting exercise in synclavier.
    I like the melodies and the typical structural diversity that one gets with Frank, but one thing that Zappa's synclavier work misses, from my perspective is the warmth and personality of the guys he used to get in his bands.
    There is kind of a cold sterile feel to a lot this stuff. Which doesn't discount it as valid....
    For me, each of Zappa's bands had a unique character that was infused to the ideas Zappa would get them to execute ... the original Mothers, Flo and Eddie, George Duke and Napoleon Murphy Brock, Ray white and Ike Willis etc etc ... there are certain definable sections of Zappa's career, where the members had a significance on the music and its personality. The synclavier removed this dynamic, and I think it ends up a little lesser because of it.

     
  22. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I Don't Even Care
    This is almost a good example of what I mean in the last post. This is musically a less interesting track than aerobics in bondage, but Johnny Guitar Watson adds enough personality to give this a better presence. Also we cab clearly here Ike and Ray in the backing vocals.
    This isn't a favourite track, but Watson makes it worth a revisit every now and then...


    Of course this is from the European version. The tracks covered prior to this are the US version of the album.

     
  23. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    One Man, One Vote
    This is another track that seems to be synclavier based, and it is surprisingly almost a Zappa variation on new wave or something. It starts with a perky kind of beat, that is almost danceable, but then of course being Zappa he wanders into fields unknown to experiment with the rhythmic and melodic structure.


     
  24. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Yo Cats
    Here we have a Zappa/ Tommy Mars composition.
    This track has a sort of jazz feel to it. It is essentially some layered keys with Ike doing his best to breathe some life into this track. Lyrically this kind of follows the Joe's garage ideas that Joe had in the twilight realm of his existence, and the prison sequence. Kind of a scathing attack on industry types.
    This isn't really a favourite.... it is there, but it doesn't tweak my interest the way Zappa normally does.

     
  25. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    H.R 2911
    This track has a sort of cross between Lumpy Gravy, and the synclavier years thing going on.
    It is working on atmosphere, and it manages to create a lot of atmosphere. We have some, sort of erratic percussion, with sound effects and little chordal and melodic sections coming through. We get the snorks also.
    To me this is Zappa just messing about and creating an aural landscape.

     

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