JOE SATRIANI, ERIC JOHNSON, STEVE VAI - G3 LIVE IN CONCERT

From the opening of Joe Satriani's squelching lead over a soft backdrop of Cool No. 9, to the group's extended jam of "Red House," this is a live show that is an electric guitar-lover's paradise. "Flying in a Blue Dream" is one of my favorite Satriani pieces because it shows him being quite economical, and the rhythm is exquisite. "Summer Song," which is no song at all since it lacks lyrics, has a fantastic introduction. I'll go ahead and say that I find Eric Johnson to be a more enjoyable guitarist than his stage mates, and this for three reasons: First, his tone is meticulously crafted. His pick attack is also virtually inaudible. Second, he doesn't play blistering solos throughout- he engages in clean, lovely chord progressions and doesn't try to play a hundred notes a second when it isn't called for. Third, Johnson gives his rhythm section a place to shine (in "Zap," his rhythm section, particularly Roscoe Beck, upstages him). "Manhattan" is the crowning moment of the entire set, which sounds tremendously better than the original even. I love performing this piece myself, as it has not only beautifully crafted solos, but exquisite and shimmering clean guitar passages. "Camel's Night Out" is another good piece, and an unexpected one (one might have thought that the worn "Cliffs of Dover" would make an appearance). Steve Vai opens up with "Answers," and it's a rhythmic jungle gym, full of various sounds and great bass playing. Halfway through, it's a mess though, with very little coherence that becomes another one hundred notes a minute bit of business. "For the Love of God" is Vai's most melodic piece, and my favorite from his set. "The Attitude Song" (also not a song) is full of insane guitar playing and whammy bar abuse, but it serves its purpose. The finale features all three guitarists, one of them on vocals, performing three heavy blues covers. Satriani isn't much of a singer, but this music isn't meant to showcase the vocals anyway. Jeff Beck's "Going Down" is boring to me, but Johnson does a great job with his stunning precision and stellar tone. Frank Zappa's "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama" is likewise dull; one can only take so much shredding and lazy singing. "Red House" by Jimi Hendrix is a nine minute jam, and has a real smokehouse feel, with Johnson's soft voice handling the lyrics. This is the best of the three cooperative performances, as the guitarists compliment one another well, are panned quite nicely, and play so tastefully, even when at high speeds. All in all, this is a great live recording for anyone remotely interested in guitar virtuosos or people wanting to hear one of any of these guitarists for the first time.