ard-rockin' fusion doesn't get any tastier than this. For the uninitated, Bobby Rock is one of the genre's most versatile and entertaining drummers; Neil Zaza is a blinding guitarist firmly in the Vai/Satriani mold; and Dickens is one of the fastest, most fluid bassists on earth. So why is it these guys aren't household names? Beats the heck out of me ... and so did this album.
Snap, Crackle & Pop Live! is mom than your garden-variety chop-fest. These 15 tracks have just the right balance of structure, melody and virtuosic showmanship to keep you enthralled from start to finish. Unbridled exuberance is the keynote here, from the sitar/drum intro through a few recognizable themes (Stevie Wonder's "I Wish," Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," the '70s funk classic "Jungle Boogie" and the traditional "Amazing Grace").
Then of course, there are those jaw-dropping solos. And on this album they are solos - 19 minutes (?!) for the drummer, 10 minutes for the guitarist and a "mere" eight minutes for the bassist. The original material is top-notch, with choices from Zaza's and Rock's respective solo albums, plus material vritten for the trio. Highlights include "Lightworker" and "I'm Alright," two melodic springboards for ripping instrumental flash, plus "Hailin and "The Duel" - perhaps the most intense bits of al1.
The set closes in an 18-minute radio interview with Rock and Zaza that puts the music, the tour, and the personalities of these fine musicians in context.
No, this isn't "prog" per se - but that shouldn't matter. It's rock it's fusion. It's close enough. And it's recommended.
ard-rockin' fusion doesn't get any tastier than this. For the uninitated, Bobby Rock is one of the genre's most versatile and entertaining drummers; Neil Zaza is a blinding guitarist firmly in the Vai/Satriani mold; and Dickens is one of the fastest, most fluid bassists on earth. So why is it these guys aren't household names? Beats the heck out of me ... and so did this album.