FIRE GARDEN is a 1996 album by virtuoso rock guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and producer Steve Vai. This is his fourth solo album, as ALIEN LOVE SECRETS is an EP.
FIRE GARDEN is a massive, dense, ambitious musical project from one of the best guitar players currently breathing. It opens with a gunshot, sirens and general mayhem. What follows is 1 hour 14 minutes & 13 seconds of concept metal fusion madness.
FIRE GARDEN is divided into two "phases". Phase 1, consisting of everything from "There's a Fire in the House" to "Fire Garden Suite", is all instrumental (with the exception of Devin Townsend's backwards vocals on "Whookam" and some more vocals toward the end of "Fire Garden Suite"). The remainder of the album, Phase 2, features Vai on vocals on every song except "Warm Regards", which is an instrumental.
The album was intended to be a double album, but at mastering time Vai heard about the new 80 minutes CD format (instead of 74 for standard CD), and both sides would eventually fit on one disk.
"Dyin' Day" was co-written by Ozzy Osbourne during the writing sessions for Osbourne's OZZMOSIS album, which was released in 1995. One other song from those sessions ("My Little Man") made its way onto OZZMOSIS, and is credited on that album as being co-written by Vai.
All songs on the album is a showcase for Vai's prodigious talent and his desire to keep the basic sound of the heavy-metal guitar intact while branching out into more ambitious directions. On "The Crying Machine" Vai defines a simple melodic line, then explores that line, and the fretboard, with a vengeance. At times pure wail, at times staccato chirp, but always in the middle of everything, Vai's guitar is more a Presence than a mere musical instrument. It ain't rock and roll, it ain't jazz, it ain't pure fusion...it's simply Steve Vai!
Personnel: Steve Vai (vocals, various instruments, guitar); Devin Townsend (vocals); Will Riley (keyboards); Stu Hamm, John Avila, Fabrizio Gossi (bass); Deen Castronovo, Greg Bissonette, Chris Frazier, Mark Mangini, Robin DiMaggio (drums); C.C. White, Tracee Lewis, Miroslava Mendoza Escriba, Kimberly Evans, John "Gash" Sombrotto, Mark McCrite, Jim Altman (background vocals).
Produced, Arranged & Engineered by Steve Vai.
Track Listing:
1. There's a Fire in the House - 5:26 2. The Crying Machine - 4:50 3. Dyin' Day (Steve Vai, Ozzy Osbourne) - 4:29 4. Whookam - :36 5. Blowfish - 4:03 6. The Mysterious Murder of Christian Tiera's Lover - 1:02 7. Hand on Heart - 5:25 8. Bangkok (Björn Ulvaeus, Tim Rice) - 2:46 9. Fire Garden Suite: Bull Whip/Pusa Road/Angel Food/Taurus Bulba - 9:56 10. Deepness - :47 11. Little Alligator - 6:12 12. All About Eve - 4:37 13. Aching Hunger - 4:45 14. Brother - 5:04 15. Damn You - 4:31 16. When I Was a Little Boy - 1:18 17. Genocide - 4:11 18. Warm Regards - 4:06
Fire Garden (1996) (EPIC)
ReplyDeleteSteve Vai
Album Description:
FIRE GARDEN is a 1996 album by virtuoso rock guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and producer Steve Vai. This is his fourth solo album, as ALIEN LOVE SECRETS is an EP.
FIRE GARDEN is a massive, dense, ambitious musical project from one of the best guitar players currently breathing. It opens with a gunshot, sirens and general mayhem. What follows is 1 hour 14 minutes & 13 seconds of concept metal fusion madness.
FIRE GARDEN is divided into two "phases". Phase 1, consisting of everything from "There's a Fire in the House" to "Fire Garden Suite", is all instrumental (with the exception of Devin Townsend's backwards vocals on "Whookam" and some more vocals toward the end of "Fire Garden Suite"). The remainder of the album, Phase 2, features Vai on vocals on every song except "Warm Regards", which is an instrumental.
The album was intended to be a double album, but at mastering time Vai heard about the new 80 minutes CD format (instead of 74 for standard CD), and both sides would eventually fit on one disk.
"Dyin' Day" was co-written by Ozzy Osbourne during the writing sessions for Osbourne's OZZMOSIS album, which was released in 1995. One other song from those sessions ("My Little Man") made its way onto OZZMOSIS, and is credited on that album as being co-written by Vai.
All songs on the album is a showcase for Vai's prodigious talent and his desire to keep the basic sound of the heavy-metal guitar intact while branching out into more ambitious directions. On "The Crying Machine" Vai defines a simple melodic line, then explores that line, and the fretboard, with a vengeance. At times pure wail, at times staccato chirp, but always in the middle of everything, Vai's guitar is more a Presence than a mere musical instrument. It ain't rock and roll, it ain't jazz, it ain't pure fusion...it's simply Steve Vai!
Personnel: Steve Vai (vocals, various instruments, guitar); Devin Townsend (vocals); Will Riley (keyboards); Stu Hamm, John Avila, Fabrizio Gossi (bass); Deen Castronovo, Greg Bissonette, Chris Frazier, Mark Mangini, Robin DiMaggio (drums); C.C. White, Tracee Lewis, Miroslava Mendoza Escriba, Kimberly Evans, John "Gash" Sombrotto, Mark McCrite, Jim Altman (background vocals).
Produced, Arranged & Engineered by Steve Vai.
Track Listing:
1. There's a Fire in the House - 5:26
2. The Crying Machine - 4:50
3. Dyin' Day (Steve Vai, Ozzy Osbourne) - 4:29
4. Whookam - :36
5. Blowfish - 4:03
6. The Mysterious Murder of Christian Tiera's Lover - 1:02
7. Hand on Heart - 5:25
8. Bangkok (Björn Ulvaeus, Tim Rice) - 2:46
9. Fire Garden Suite: Bull Whip/Pusa Road/Angel Food/Taurus Bulba - 9:56
10. Deepness - :47
11. Little Alligator - 6:12
12. All About Eve - 4:37
13. Aching Hunger - 4:45
14. Brother - 5:04
15. Damn You - 4:31
16. When I Was a Little Boy - 1:18
17. Genocide - 4:11
18. Warm Regards - 4:06