ay back when, there was a virtuoso forefather shredder by the name of Frank Zappa. This virtuoso gave birth to another virtuoso by the name of Steve Vai. When Steve proved he was capable enough to play with Zappa by being able to transcribe orchestral pieces by ear (and the fact that he mastered an enormous amount of Zappa tunes), Zappa enlisted him as the "stunt guitarist." Zappa is quoted as saying "he (Vai) plays without a net." Twenty plus years later, Steve is still playing without that net. The 7th Song is a testament to Zappa's characterization of Steve Vai.
Reaching all the way back to Steve's first solo album Flex-able, and through to his latest pre-7th Song disc, The Ultra Zone, Steve has reserved the 7th track of each album for a pick that he feels is "the" melodic tune of the release.
As Steve tells us in the CD jacket liner notes, "Traditionally, I have made the 7th song on all my CD's the mellifluous guitar ballad that serves the melody on a silver platter. In numerology, the number 7 is shrouded in mystique. In a record sequence, it has always felt like the sweet spot. These songs are more devotional in nature than technical. They are a reflection of one man's desire to expose a glimmer of the depth of his longing for spiritual communion."
I have to be honest and say that I wasn't aware of this. But after looking at my Vai collection, and playing tidbits here and there, I'm reminded of the first time I saw the movie "The Sixth Sense", when I was so surprised. The clues were there all along, and I never picked up on them. As I am so very fond of that movie for it's mystique, I am also fond of Steve for his "7th" mystique. I am so glad that Steve released this disc.
As I have always thought that Steve's best work was when he was playing in a melodic fashion, rather then his frets of fire fashion, this CD serves as a greatest hits collection in my mind. And what a collection it is! Steve has such a way of blending the bizarre with the shred; to mix it with tenderness and joy is just wonderful to hear. As you listen to the Grammy nominated "Tender Surrender" (from Alien Love Secrets), you can't help but to get chills up and down your spine as he begins soft and gracefully, then slowly builds up the shred into an orgasmic eruption, then finishes by soothing your quivering senses by brushing over the frets like a summer breeze across your face. A few of my other favorites are "touching tongues" (sex & religion), "for the love of god" (passion & warfare) and "windows to the soul" (the ultra zone).
Steve also throws three brand new tracks on this disc. "Melissa's Garden", "The Wall Of Light" and the ultra-creative "Boston Rain Melody", which reared its ugly head as a result of a sound check at a gig at Boston's "Mothership Club."
So, if you're a Vai fan, wondering if three tracks are worth the cash to buy the disc, or a newcomer wondering if little Stevie Vai should break you in with ballads, think no more. I command you to purchase this disc. The sheer intensity that you will feel after listening to the tender shredding (wow... didn't know there really was such a thing, eh?) this disc throws at you with the ferocity of a pitbull on crack is something that every guitar fan should experience. This disc has been residing in my stereo at home for some time now. The recording is great, the songwriting is beautiful, and the production regarding the song selection is flawless. The 7th Song is a collection of Steve's best work yet. Too bad there isn't a rating of 11...
Shred - 10
Production -10
Vibe -10
Songwriting - 10
Overall - 10
ay back when, there was a virtuoso forefather shredder by the name of Frank Zappa. This virtuoso gave birth to another virtuoso by the name of Steve Vai. When Steve proved he was capable enough to play with Zappa by being able to transcribe orchestral pieces by ear (and the fact that he mastered an enormous amount of Zappa tunes), Zappa enlisted him as the "stunt guitarist." Zappa is quoted as saying "he (Vai) plays without a net." Twenty plus years later, Steve is still playing without that net. The 7th Song is a testament to Zappa's characterization of Steve Vai.
Reaching all the way back to Steve's first solo album Flex-able, and through to his latest pre-7th Song disc, The Ultra Zone, Steve has reserved the 7th track of each album for a pick that he feels is "the" melodic tune of the release. 