Review by Richard Henry for MPM
They’re back……., it’s been nearly 30 years since that 1996 tour, yeah that hurt saying that, I seen it in the UK in 1997, minus Eric Johnson, was Adrian Legg opened on that run, so it’s definitely bringing back some nostalgia for me, and making me feel old, cheers guys, right let’s get dug into this one!
Steve Vai
Gravitas
New track from Vai to open, synthy open and then an almost Racing the World style riff at the start, although this is maybe more of an intro, as it’s only a minute or so long, very sort of ominous and dragging in feel
Avalancha
Inviolate album for this one, with that interval skipped intro, really dirty bass sound on this one on the recording, for me that part in the middle where it half times and the groove gets really down and dirty, it gives Steves solo a bit of balls as well, really nice phrasing and trem bar action, kick in the face track to open!
Little Pretty
We get an unaccompanied guitar intro first to this one from the new album, then into those Hendrix chords on the start of this one, in fact this song really involves the chord work in a big way more than all out soloing, love the heavy guitar stabs as well going on, then that off kilter melody comes in again, when the solo does come in, there is a bit less gain in his sound, not that its clean but definitely laid back a bit, to quote Sterling Ball, “does anyone quite phrase like Steve Vai” and the answer is of course, no!
Tender Surrender
Back to the Alien Love Secrets ep from 1995, for this one, which is a classic, the way the song evolves, starting super clean with those sliding octaves, then he turns up the volume a little bit more, then a bit more as it hits that almost Stevie Ray swinging part, then that stuttered note before the solo really kicks in, it’s all there, the feel, the taps, the legato runs, the mini sweeps, and the thing I always have thought, it never seems like an excuse for a technique fest, it has loads of feel, and then it gets brought right back down again to the subtlety of the start to the pure chaos of the ending!
Zeus in Chains
New album again, that pull off lick that leads the song in and then that pulsing groove comes in again, pretty sure this is a seven-string song from memory, and again the more you listen to Steve the more he goes for things that are more out there, still massively melodic, but in a very different way, well to most people, but definitely compared to the other two giants on the bill, you can tell within a minute that it is Vai, that’s for sure, lovely solo and then like a flash your back to the pull off lick and into the melody of the song again, great transition!
Teeth of the Hydra
Mysterious, right from the start with that guitar run and then listen to the density of the chords in the background as well, and we are only starting the track, its great live sound on the recording, as you would expect but it just popped out at me there, again I sort of start to realize that Steve as a composer really comes across at times when you hear his newer stuff, soaring guitar melody on this between a more sliding chordal section, some great bass stabs in there as well, the solo over a sort of static bass groove, gives an opportunity to stretch out, lots of legato and trem bar work in there, love the overall feel of this track!
For the Love of God
Part of me just wants to write “do I need to say anything about this track”, I guess I do, so for me, I remember Expo 92 being shown on BBC, for those who don’t know it was a guitar festival in Spain over 5 days the BBC showed, it was the first time I ever saw Steve, I had heard him before this, but seeing him play this song, was life changing, and it still to this day has the same effect on me, the way the melody develops in intensity, the second melody with the bar scoops and dives, the fast run, the legato run down, the sweeps in two positions, the outro, it is burned into my mind and my fingers as I learnt it years ago, you cannot not play this I assume if you are Steve, but if there was ever a fitting track to close his set, well this is 100% it!
Eric Johnson
Land of 100 Dances
Now I could be wrong, it has happened, but I am pretty sure this is a new track, I cannot find it on an album, although I have seen footage of it being played since 2019, straight away there it is, that gorgeous super clean guitar sound to kick it off, lovely chord voicings, then it kicks in and it’s so Eric, that string skipped riff and then that fuzz laden guitar tone comes in with the melody, lovely vocal harmony part from a song you may have heard before, the lovely blues phrasing on the solo straight after it, I think it still holds true, as much as Eric is a virtuoso, he immediately affords a different feel and vibe to Satch and Vai!
Righteous
Right back to Ah Via Musicom for this one, into that oh so shuffly groove, again it’s all so subtle, the lovely chord movements that then show a bit of the melody before coming back to the chords, then little flurries of those pentatonic runs from Eric, lovely gritty solo in the middle and some of those string skipped runs in there again, then straight after it kicks into the clean guitar chords while the band just keeps on grooving, then an outro solo with a bit of Hendrix Wah comes in, lovely playing!
Trial of Tears
Right back to the start to the Tones album, dedicated to the Native Americans, clean wash of guitar comes in with a lovely bass line carrying a melody in the background straight away, then the driving groove comes in before Eric steps up to the mic and you know, you sometimes forget, he has a great voice, when that slips into the chorus, its pure almost Toto sort of vocal part and feel, really commercial sounding, then into a middle eight that lands back to the chorus again, before the groove changes and into an absolutely soaring guitar solo, great track!
On Ramp Improv
Almost sitar sounding at the start of this, Eric is unaccompanied to start this off, very subtle guitar sound and it brings the dynamics right down and just is a moment of almost calm amongst all the chaos, almost Steve Morse style voice leading and then the cascading harmonics, all clean tone, absolutely beautiful
Freeway Jam
Then the groove kicks in, there are some very outside chords and playing going on at the start of this one, now for those who know, there is a massive tip of the hat to Jeff Beck here, now I would urge everyone to go watch Jeff play Freeway jam, Eric does his best Beck impressions on this one and it sounds majestic!
Desert Rose
If Eric does have a hit apart from Cliffs of Dover, I would say this is it from the Tones album, from that clean guitar part at the start to the way the groove comes in, plus I love the vocal on this one as well, lovely little bass pops from Roscoe, it’s the way it almost gets more subtle in the chorus instead of building up, then that is a fuzzy solo, it’s so melodic with the little fast runs in it but it really just soars the whole time, then back into that chorus again with that little guitar hook in the rhythm part, the band and Eric getting a chance to stretch out on the outro to this one, still stays very melodic but just jumps in intensity!
Venus Reprise
Last track and also the last track on the album Venus Isle, there they are, those string skipped arpeggios at the start, then into the melody, in the same but different than Joe, it’s all about the melody in these tracks, beautiful chords under the guitar parts as well, on reflection this one really has everything Eric in it, the chords, the melody, the runs, like it’s all there, and for those of you with a keen ear, there is a tip to Hey Joe by Hendrix just as the last notes of the song!
Joe Satriani
Raspberry Jam Delta V
To the Crystal planet album to kick this off, now I could be wrong but this is track I don’t think I have heard live before at a Satch gig, pull off lick at the start and then into that solid groove, the one thing Joe has, it’s the blues, that solo is pure blues fest, again like all these guys, you can tell them so easily, the legato runs, the blues phrasing, I love the little sweeps in this one as well, then it all goes weird near the end, on purpose obviously, almost like a 70s cop show, yeah probably just me, some really nice bass work and comping on the keys, interesting one to open with to be fair!
Surfing with the Alien
Wow, that is early in the set for this, I have said before, it set the benchmark for instrumental guitar playing in a land of virtuosos in the 80s, this had it all but had what a lot of those guys lacked, feel and melody, and let’s face it, that is something Joe has always had, the feel and the soul, as much as this track is furious with the tapping, the legato runs, there is a ton of blues phrasing and melody to catch onto, I adore this track, and no matter how many times I hear it, it will never not bring a smile to my face!
Satch Boogie
Ok, so that is a serious one – two punch from the Surfing album, now I have to say it, this song to me isn’t the same without Jeff drumming it, the swing just isn’t there and it feels more metal, but that’s nothing it do with the guitar playing, it’s just my opinion, the playing from Joe is flawless, I still have nightmares about that tapping part in the middle, it took me so long to learn, again it’s a staple of Joes set and one that never fails to make you sit up in your seat and smile!
Sahara
Off to the new album “Elephants of Mars”, that sustainiac intro at the start, really well employing that to let the notes drone on, its beautiful, then the song kicks in with its middle eastern groove, the keys really adding to that turnaround in the background, little short staccato notes just add to that melody part, then the sliding octaves, the keys though just add so much space to that verse part, then it comes down for that next melody part, then that transition to the melody played with the bar scoops, I adore this track!
Nineteen Eighty
Off to the “Shapeshifting” album for this one, side note, there was some really cool versions of this played in lockdown on YouTube, love that little slinky bass part that comes in after the intro pull off lick, again it’s just classic Joe, it’s so melodic and it just feels really uplifting, there is really cool groove in the middle off the cymbals, that tapping lick right in the middle is so cool, right before that bass riff comes in again and the guitar follows it, its nearly in places like another Satch Boogie in feel, just had that thought while writing this!
Big Bad Moon
Now I think from memory I last saw this on the Unstoppable Momentum tour, from the “Flying in a Blue Dream” album, again this for me was an Expo 92 moment, he looked so cool in that leather jacket with the holes in it, it’s just a big boogie blues piece, and the best thin there are 2 solos and a harmonica solo, I mean what more could you want, I love this one, it’s just a good time vibe that emanates from it!
Always with me Always with You
Back to Surfing and it sort of brings the intensity of the set down a bit, and again you sort of struggle writing about this, from that chordal intro to the melody that builds, the key change then back to the intro melody again before you get the par that everyone loves which is the little tapping pull of part, then it builds up to some soaring leads and bluesy phrasing, and the bit i think gets lost, after that screaming high note, the way it backs off and slips right back into the opening melody again, it’s just a perfect track, isn’t it!
Summer Song
The “Extremist” album, this is the ultimate fun, good time song, and if it doesn’t bring a smile to your face hearing it, then I don’t know, lovely intro from Joe about G3 and about the documentary upcoming and then a really nice piece about his son ZZ, the melody, the groove, this song is burned into my memory, the way it changes into that into the solo, and my favorite part, is just after the explosion (what I hear you say), watch the original video for the song, that melody that slides down and then into the pull off part on the single string, it’s just perfect for me, yeah, I love Joe!!!
Crossroads
Jam time and I was trying to decide who picked what song before I listened to this, now for me and the Clapton thing this is Erics, it’s really interesting hearing guitar players play a classic song because you think what will they do, Eric is up first and you know its him but I would say he really shows his Clapton influence on this one the most, Steve next and its definitely more Steve as far as the phrasing and the licks, loads of legato and phasing that can only be him, then Joe and as I thought from the first G3, Joe is the most bluesy out of all three of the guys, lovely phasing and ultimately really Hendrixy, but yeah of all three Joes solo was definitely the tastiest on that!
G3 Jam
Spanish Castle Magic
Speaking of Hendrix this has to be Joes choice; I could be wrong cause that’s Eric singing it, I think, I’m leaving that in because I legitimately guessed before listening who picked what, now when you see 12 mins, you know there is going to be some jamming on this one, Eric first and that is some serious fuzz on that tone, the thing is, Eric is so Eric, it just screams him, then in comes Steve and again, it’s so different from what you would expect on this, it’s all about the phrasing and the note choices, it’s definitely more notey, Joe next, and again, listen to the space in the notes, the phrasing just drips blues, more so than the other two, like a cross of Billy Gibbons and Hendrix, then back into another verse, then it breaks again and Eric is up first on a bass and drum vamp, then Steve, then Joe, sort of trading 8s against each other, and yeah it gets a bit more and more out there as it goes along, then they combine at the end to play a melody line that builds and builds like a tapping legato part, it’s really cool, then there is a break and Eric lets rip, then two hits on the drums and Steve goes and then another three hits and Joe really Hendrix’s it up, great version!
Born to be Wild
Now I had this pegged as Steves pick, not something I thought I would hear at a G3, Steppenwolf getting represented, its full of energy, that’s for sure, like the sustainer part Steve is playing following the vocal chorus melody, Eric again up first, fuzzed up guitar tone on this, then Steve so looks like it’s the same order for all the songs, now Steve sounds so at home on a track like this, his solo is awesome, then Joe who’s solo again is so bluesy in feel, love that harmony on the end of the solos between them all, then into the song again and then a big jam outro with Eric holding down the chords while Steve and Joe go ape, great end to the set!
Was that worth the 29 years wait, yeah, I just wish I had got to see a G3 with Eric, the album is great, interesting set lists for sure, but three masters at work who have been there for 40 years and let’s face it, are still at the top of their game!
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