Steve Vai - Real Illusions: Reflections

Wednesday, 23 February 2005 14:49

From the first seconds of the opening track, "Building the Church", you know you're in for a treat with Steve Vai's latest release, "Real Illusions: Reflections". From a blizzard of rapid-fire notes to a heavy crunch to an absolutely gorgeous melody (this is all in the first 20 seconds), Stevie wastes no time.

What can one say about a Vai recording? You expect incredible guitar, and he always delivers. You expect some zaniness, and he always delivers. You expect musical depth & passion in composition, arrangements, and delivery, and he always delivers. The new disc is no exception. So, what sets it apart? Is it better or worse? Has he done something profoundly different?

Walking into this, I had a somewhat negative attitude, to be honest. The press release spoke of his assuming the lead vocal role, and all I could think was "Hire Devon Townsend, then!". I'm happy to say Steve's voice won me over. Not that we haven't heard him sing before, but Steve really steps up to the plate with this one. While most of the CD is instrumental music, 4 songs get the vocal treatment, and they're all fantastic.

This is the part where I'm supposed to list highlights during a play-by-play review. Sorry, Charlie - no can do. Every single track has various gems, from the sublime "Lotus Feet" to the aptly titled "Freak Show Excess". The disc finds Jeremy Colson handling drums and one half of the Wonder Twins (Billy Sheehan) on bass, with Steve handling everything else, save for a few special guests. The music will most likely be delivered live with equal flair by Steve's touring band (which features Tony MacAlpine on keys & guitar and Dave Weiner on guitar, in addition to Steve, Jeremy, & Billy) and many fans are hoping the set will include some of Billy's new music - his new solo CD was released on the same day (stay tuned for a review)!

Bottom line: Worth every penny.

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