MUSIC REVIEW: Joe Satriani - Live in San Francisco

"Awesome songs get intense live treatment."

Where did this come from? I consider myself a big Satriani fan, although I didn't even know this was coming out, and there's a DVD for the same concert! I guess I wasn't paying attention, but what counts is that this album caught my eye when I slid into the record store to shuffle through the bargain bin (which sometimes holds inconspicuous treasures). Naturally, I made the purchase, and was later blown away by the great performance captured on these two discs.

The power of Satch's infectious, virtuoso music is caught so effectively here, thanks in part to Eric Caudieux contributing the rhythm guitar section, which was often a neglected factor of Satch's live shows. The techno element of the Engines of Creation songs is buried under a raw, robust performance, so if you didn't like the last album for being "too techno", you'll probably love the iterations of its songs compiled here (which consumes a chunk of Disc 1.) Stu Hamm's compelling bass occupies a big space in the mix, which is cool because although Joe's arresting virtuosity is the highlight, his songs are often anchored to cool bass lines. An enjoyable solo spot also underscores Hamm's tasteful ability, where he integrates a quote from Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" and really gets the crowd going with some galloping grooves.

"Time" can be forgiven as a somewhat tepid opener (great song, though), for it segues into the aggressive attack of "Devil's Slide," which blisters with intensity and sounds more visceral with real drums and a speedier take on the song's big crunchy riff. From there, the song selection is great, covering almost 150 minutes of Satch songs, from concert staples "Satch Boogie," "Summer Song," and "Surfing with the Alien" to newer tunes like the beautiful "Until We Say Goodbye," the quirky, sparkling "Borg Sex," and the dynamic, sizzling "Crystal Planet" (with a cool piano intro). Joe's hairpin soloing is often embellished live, so keep an ear open for elaboration, and he has fun with the crowd too. All the songs are treated with a favorable production that effectively balances clarity with rawness, and each song is performed awesomely. I would have liked to hear "Up in the Sky," because it's probably a smokin' live song (it'd be a good opener), and I wish he'd perform "Motorcycle Driver," because it's one of my favorites, but those are wishes, not detriments. Buy this...it just might become the most listened to Satriani album in your collection.

MUSIC REVIEW: Buckethead - Monsters & Robots

"A truly great guitar player."

As a music lover I admire technical guitar albums that do nothing but show off amazing skill. Still, as a listener, I get a bit impatient with such indulgence if the songwriting isn't good. That is why listening to Buckethead's music is such a pleasure for me. He'll stun you with technique, but he'll also catch your ear with his great melodies. Beyond the thrash, funk, and rock you might except from Buckethead, things gets pretty weird too. Rap? Kung-fu music? Only Buckethead can take these things and combine them into a successful product like this. Awesome songs, awesome talent. Buckethead is da man.

MUSIC REVIEW: Buckethead - Colma

"Different Buckethead is still excellent Buckethead."


If you're a Buckethead fan, you're invariably drawn to his inventive technique, his furious yet tasteful blend of speed, heaviness, and melody, not to mention his quirky sense of humor. As such, Colma will be a surprise for many people. Here, Buckethead sheds all his pseudo-metal bombast in favor of a slow and mellow album of incredible beauty. Many fans might be turned off (or even put to sleep) by the change in sound, but if you don't mind lighter, less intense aural experiences, Colma proves to be rewarding album.

The songs are largely acoustic based, with only the occasional electric guitar (most notably on the dynamic solos that close "Machete"). The music is prominently soothing, sometimes beautiful, and sometimes establishing an ineffable emotional clarity despite the fact that no words are ever spoken. This is a testimony of how expressive Buckethead's guitar playing is. Most of the melody lines are great with a few that are merely good. It's nice that the album included a few string instruments on some of the songs...the interplay between guitar and strings is always nice. Personally, I would have liked to see a piano worked into a song or two -- I really think it would have fit some of the tracks. This is just a wish however, and the lack of a piano doesn't detract from the music.

The music is great, although diversity is a problem. Because every song follows a very formulaic structure the same tempo is used for nearly every song, the CD can feel like a sludge of almost interchangeable tracks. The songs ARE excellent, though, and if you give it enough attention you will see that the music does explore many subtle variations of the main musical idea. Also undermining some of the album's excellent music is the lifeless nature of the looping drums. Usually it doesn't bother me, but there are times when I find myself unwittingly giving them too much attention and I am a little irked.

Nearly an hour of like sounding slow songs might be a hard sell, but the music IS great and Colma's merits shine past its flaws. In the future, I hope Buckethead makes another album like this but with more visceral drumming and a little more attention to song variety.

Buckethead - Giant Robot

"Great, quirky guitar album."

All too often these instrumental guitar albums are simply vehicles for the musicians to flaunt their amazing technique, and nothing more. Melody is forgotten and we are treated to plodding instrumental virtuosity without rhyme or reason. These albums have their merit, but they sometimes fail to stand the test of time because they lack qualities that keep us coming back for more.

Buckethead is different. He's got reams of technique, sure, but he also writes great songs with infectious, fun melodies. Buckethead is a great musician, evidenced by challenging instrumental passages, and he also provides tons of variety in his playing, from the keen rockin' melodies in "Binge and Grab" to the fusion-injected "Robot Transmission" to the pretty, delicate and elegant ballad "I Love My Parents" (complete with string ensemble). Buckethead has a quirky sense of humor (in a good way) that is revealed to the listener through several weird skits interspersed among the album's nineteen tracks. It creates a wonderful, surreal musical journey that you aren't likely to grow tired of.

This is 73 minutes of great guitar music. Fans of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai will eat this up.

Ozric Tentacles - The Hidden Step

"No one knows what it is, but it's damn cool."

Ozric Tentacles' latest album pretty much encapsulates all their best qualities. Like all their albums, this disc sounds like something from another dimension, fusing jazz with space rock with African and Middle Eastern song influences. Sometimes people compartmentalize them as an hippie stoner jam band, but that's...not quite right. With those heavy downbeats and synthesizer-laden tracks, an initial suspicion is that the Ozrics are some kind of electro group. While they do acknowledge various conventions of that genre, make no mistake - they are a rock band. Their elaborate, inventive, and sophisticated musicianship combined with a knack for dynamic and innovative songwriting and a crystal-clear production all mesh and take you on a crazy instrumental music ride that only this band can offer. Swirling sonic textures blend and weave in hypnotizing patterns, and sometimes you must simply stop and be amazed by what these folks are doing. Songs also ooze atmosphere, especially on songs where they utilize Eastern chord progressions. Very cool. The songs are perfectly varied, from the energizing opener "Holohedron" to the slow, mesmerizing "Aramanu" to the jaw-dropping dynamics of "Tight Spin" (with a killer acoustic solo to boot!). Great CD.

Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien

Outstanding Instrumental Rock

I challenge anyone to release a more accessible instrumental rock album than Joe Satriani's Surfing With the Alien. I don't play guitar myself, but that is hardly an impediment to enjoying his music...and that's probably the best thing about Joe -- you don't need to be a musician yourself to love his songs. That is often not the case with albums meant to show off a musician's crazy skills.

Surfing With the Alien was Joe's first successful record, and after listening to it just once you'll understand why. Joe eschews needless self-indulgence like most 'guitar heroes' and just plays rocking songs with interesting melodies. My favorite songs are "Crushing Day" -- an exhilarating song with mind-bending solos and some good hooks, that builds and builds in intensity -- and "Echo" -- a great track that flows naturally and beautifully. Every other song here is excellent, from the epic and orchestral-sounding "Hill of the Skull" to the pretty ballad "Always With Me; Always With You."

I highly recommend this album to guitar players and rock fans alike.

Dream Theater - The Silent Man [Single]

An essential release for "Eve" alone!

"The Silent Man" is a great song. This version of "Take The Time" is also pretty good. But "Eve"...the English language is inadequate to describe this song...it's so good that our vocabulary would need endless synonyms for "beautiful" to accurately convery the sheer beauty of this tune. It is without a doubt one of the greatest instrumental rock songs I've ever heard in my life, and it is brimming with emotional power. It exudes a slow, silent intensity and is tremendously vocal despite the fact that James never even says a word. Simply beautiful. I'd happily pay five times the cost of this disc for "Eve" alone.