Customer Reviews

Ultra Zone

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

In general, I can tell you that I like how Steve Vai plays the guitar. He learned from Joe, what else can you say...The only thing is that Steve Vai fails to show what he can really do on his c.d.s. I hope that he will take a lesson from his mentor and finally put out a c.d. with a great song on every track.

Have we not been down this road before? This is him again trying to do Passion and Warefare again. I want more and did not get it!

This CD has all sorts of fretwork to assault you from just about every avenue. From the SRV tribute on JIBOOM to the Frank Zappa juices on FRANK. I really think this CD, unlike some reviewers, is one of his best, if not his best. (UP until the LIVE IN AN ULTRA WORLD CD, which was released after this one and is nothing short of astonishing).

If you enjoy guitar in the mode of ultra adventuristic, compiled with music that just make you scratch your head, this is the CD for you.

Not recommended for children or republicans.

Vai produces another album of great creativity: from the hyper-blues Jibboom to vocal pop tracks such as The Silent Within and Asian Sky (with Japanese group B'z) to the musical highlights on this album, The Blood & Tears and Windows To The Soul - for which Vai was nominated for a Grammy. These last two tracks mark the best example of a more developed musical sensibility first introduced in Fire Garden, in which Vai leaves behind some of his rock music cliches ("the scum and smut that my ego threw up" - see below) and focuses instead on using the guitar as an instrument of pure music. (As opposed to rock guitar, uhh, 'self-gratification'.)

The rather unusual track, Voodoo Acid, while no doubt open to interpretation, is actually about music itself. Complete with a nod to an important early musical inspiration of Vai's, namely Bernstein's music from West Side Story, (in this case, "Cool") it also covers his recent musical growth. As mentioned earlier, he appears to downplay some of his musical past to contrast between that and his new, more mature approach. In typical Vai fashion the track culminates in much WEIRDNESS....about bees and honey. So, what's that about? I won't get into specifics; it's best to take from it what you will... However, just going by what Vai once explained on his website, the Ultra Zone of the title appears to be a SATORI-like place of music experience. That is what he is alluding to here.

That all said, the practical heart of the album, following the documentary Voodoo Acid - is Windows to the Soul, in traditional #7 . Following this, are mostly vocal efforts, as in the second phase of Fire Garden, and each notable in their own right. Vai has an OK voice, but he's treating it like a perfect instrument (trying to play it like he does his guitar) yet his voice doesn't really live up to this. Thus, he comes across as trying too hard sometimes, the perfectionist that he is.

Needless to say, this album is a must-buy for guitar fans and Vai fans, though meatheads needn't apply.

So, I bought this CD when it first came out and I liked only one song, Windows to the Soul. It laid dorment on my CD shelf for years when recently I decided to listen to it more closely, as I was bored and needing something a-new.

I started to absorb these songs in the car, when as you can imagine, the songs started to forment in me like a fine red wine. All day and night, these songs have entered into my mind, one way or another.

Previously, Fire garden was Vai's masterpiece to me. After listening more closely to this CD it's starting to climb the alltime charts, surpassing Fire Garden. Everyone knows Vai's guitar playing is second to none, but his canny writing style "ala Frank Zappa" has started to blossom to unimaginable levels. Listen to Flexable, then swap to this CD's first eight tracks, like I did. An amazing turn, yet his style is still there........Buy this CD if you can appreciate fine musical talent.............maybe sip some wine when listening to it!

Steve Vai is my favorite guitar player/artist/composer ever. This is a great cd that I would rate about third on my Steve Vai favorites, first being the 7 song mini-cd, "Alien Love Secrets", and second being his fresh off Alcatrazz, "Passion and Warfare". The Ultra Zone defintley compares to these cd's also though. It has one of Steve's best songs out there, "The Blood and the Tears". Some other highlights are "Frank" which is his tribute to his long-time mentor, Frank Zappa, "Windows To The Soul" which is the 7th song, and the title Track, "The Ultra Zone". The whole CD is good though. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes good music especially guitar music.

Ok, a lot of people have bashed this album...and I really can't see why. People forget how talented Vai is and just call him a shredder with no heart. If this was really true, he wouldn't have played with so many big names, he wouldn't have his own charity organization, he wouldn't have so many albums...and most of all...he wouldn't have gotten a PHD from Berklee! He writes and records all of his music. And it sounds great, from a writers and a recording stand point. I agree that he does have a different approach to music, but thats why real music lovers like him so much. You can not find any other person that sounds like Vai. And that is why he is great.

Steve Vai is my favorite guitarist and musician. I always feel like I have to make this clear before i put down a Vai album... Ultra Zone has its moments. However,even the good songs, like the Blood & Tears, or Frank, for example, lack the fire and passion that is Vai.
Windows to the soul sounds like a [bad] attempt to come up with another song like "for the love of god". As you all probably know, the sequence is never as good as the original. In this case, it's just kinda boring.

there's still one powerful track in this album, Voodoo Acid. Maybe I only like it cause I actually met the queen bee once (before this album came out). this song always takes me back. so this album wasn't a total loss after all. Say hello to her for me if you decide to buy this album!

I love Steve Vai but this is not a good album. Most of the time I wonder what the hell is Steve Vai doing and who is letting him do it. But Vai has a very odd ball approach to music that is totally unclassifyable.As always the 7th song on the album is a miracle everything else only Steve Vai can understand. To get a CD with nothing but Spritual Guitar Heavenly Sweet Sex Miracles on it get Steve Vais "The 7th Song" which is like his greatest hits CD and if you like guitar music ....he will haunt your dreams!!!...

Vai has not done a single album that has not touched me in some way. This album is another example of that. He is the mad scientist of music and emotion. "I'll Be Around" was my wedding song. I believe the words invoke the spirit of the man and I wish he would sing more because his vocals are as passionate as his guitar playing. People that criticize instrumentalists simply do not understand that these performers have the gift of evoking passion and warfare without uttering a word. Sorry, I couldn't help myself, however, I hear "Adagio for Strings" and it invokes a strain on my heart that words cannot describe. This is the type of power Steve Vai possesses. Steve Vai is GOD!