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STEVE VAI - 'SOUND THEORIES VOL 1 & 2' + COMPANION DVD
DOUBLE-ALBUM CONCERT SET CAPTURES THE GUITAR LEGEND’S COLLABORATION WITH EUROPE’S ACCLAIMED METROPOLE ORCHESTRA DOUBLE-DISC PACKAGE AVAILABLE NOW! Click here to order it now! COMPANION DVD ALSO AVAILABLE NOW! Click here to order the DVD and get a performance preview clip video download as a free gift! SOUND THEORIES VOL 1 & 2, a double-live CD capturing legendary guitarist Steve Vai’s electrifying collaboration with the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra is available now. The two-disc set spotlights rare material culled from five European performances, a studio session and a soundcheck rehearsal recording, all of which took place between mid-2004 and 2005. Volume 1 features Vai playing guitar with the Orchestra, which has earned worldwide acclaim backing artists ranging from Tony Bennett and Natalie Cole to Nancy Wilson and the Yellowjackets. Together they bring new life to both existing and never-before-heard Steve Vai songs, including, “For the Love of God,” “Liberty,” “The Murder” and “Attitude Song,” among others. Volume 2 features the Orchestra performing compositions penned by Vai, including “Shadows and Sparks” and “Bledsoe Bluvd.” Says Vai, “I wanted to be a composer ever since I was a young boy. Though the guitar fell into my lap and my fingers were glued to the instrument, I studied composition and musical notation long before I even started playing the guitar. Through high school, college and beyond, I kept up my studies but the prospect of getting your music performed by an orchestra when you’re only considered to be an over-the-top electric rock guitar shredder seemed virtually impossible. To be able to hear your music performed is the greatest gift a composer could hope for. This was a dream project for me.” The full track listing for both discs is as follows: Disc One Sound Theories Vol 1: “The Aching Hunger” 1. Kill the Guy with the Ball 2. The God Eaters 3. The Murder Prologue 4. The Murder 5. Gentle Ways 6. Answers 7. I’m Becoming 8. Salamanders In The Sun 9. Liberty 10. The Attitude Song 11. For The Love Of God Disc Two Sound Theories Vol 2: “Shadows and Sparks” 1. Shadows and.. 2. Sparks 3. Frangelica Pt 1 4. Frangelica Pt. 2 5. Helios and Vesta 6. Bledsoe Bluvd. The Visual Sound Theories companion DVD featuring highlights from the performances is also available now.
LIVE IN TOKYO - SATRIANI, VAI & PETRUCCI
DVD AND DOUBLE-DISC CD SET IN STORES NOW ORDER THE CD | ORDER THE DVD DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM: iTunes | Napster | Rhapsody | Real | Wal-Mart
CHECK OUT STREAMING VIDEO!
Click here to launch the Satriani.com promo page that includes streams of "Up In Flames" and the G3 jam of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady"!
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ABOUT LIVE IN TOKYO
Live in Tokyo is a DVD and double-disc CD featuring guitar legends Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Dream Theater's John Petrucci. These electrifying live performances were recorded on May 8th at the Tokyo Forum, when critically acclaimed guitarist Satriani brought his popular G3 tour to Japan for a series of sold-out dates. Fans attending the packed-house shows were treated to individual sets by each six-stringer, followed by an evening-ending all-star jam session. The G3 tour began back in 1996 with a lineup that featured Satriani, Vai and Eric Johnson. An action-packed DVD with performance highlights was released and has since been certified platinum. In 1997, Satriani and Vai again reunited and added Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Robert Fripp to the bill. In May 1998, the tour headed to Europe where Satriani was joined by Uli Jon Roth and former Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker. The 2001 G3 tour featured the team of Satriani and Vai again, along with Petrucci. In fall 2003 Satriani and Vai were joined by Swedish player Yngwie Malmsteen for a successful 5-week run. A live CD, entitled G3 Live: Rockin' in the Free World and a nearly platinum DVD entitled G3 Live In Denver were released on February 24, 2004. The track listing for Live In Tokyo is as follows: John Petrucci Glasgow Kiss Damage Control Steve Vai The Audience Is Listening Building The Church K'm-Pee-Du-Wee Joe Satriani Up In Flames Searching War The G3 Jam Foxey Lady La Grange Smoke On The Water
REAL ILLUSIONS: REFLECTIONS IN STORES NOW
Steve Vai's new album, Real Illusions: Reflections, featuring 11 new tracks, is in stores now. Steve Check out Vai.com for an extensive track by track journey through the record by Steve in Vai.com's new Inside Real Illusions feature. ORDER NOW!
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G3 LIVE CD AND DVD IN STORES NOW! JOE SATRIANI · STEVE VAI · YNGWIE MALMSTEEN GET CONNECTED! Use Your G3 LIVE: ROCKIN' IN THE FREE WORLD CD to Unlock Exclusive Bonus Content! G3 : LIVE IN DENVER DVD IN STORES NOW! BUY NOW! G3 LIVE: ROCKIN' IN THE FREE WORLD CD IN STORES NOW! BUY NOW!

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STEVE VAI

Even in a career filled with great moments, SOUND THEORIES VOL. 1 & 2, the double-album live recording of guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and the Holland Metropole Orkest, stands out as a dazzling technical accomplishment, the culmination of a 25-year friendship, and a dream come true.
"The first time I heard an orchestra as a young boy, I instinctively knew I was hearing the result of little black dots strategically placed on manuscript paper by a person who could capture-and make real-the audio vision of their mind's eye. That's what I wanted to do," says Vai, who went on to compose his first orchestra score at fourteen. By his late teens, however, it was his undeniable guitar wizardry that set the world on fire, so although he continued to amass "hefty heaps" of scores through the years, hearing them performed by an orchestra seemed way out of reach.
Those familiar with Vai's astounding achievements-his celebrated stint as "stunt guitarist" with Frank Zappa, his Eighties work with Whitesnake and David Lee Roth, his excellent soundtrack contributions, and his wildly successful solo career-acknowledge that the New York-born virtuoso's high standards continue to push the boundaries of the guitar and of his chosen genre (rock), but he's not one to say no or back down from a challenge. Through the years, Vai managed to get a few of his orchestral compositions performed at world-class music schools like Berklee College of Music in Boston and Eastman School of Music in Rochester, but it would take the efforts of a Dutch national radio employee and a forward-thinking symphony orchestra to help Vai realize his boyhood dreams on a whole new scale.

HIDDEN IDENTITY

Vai first met Co de Kloet when Kloet's company imported Vai's first solo album, Flex-Able, to the Netherlands in the early Eighties. They stayed in touch, and after a lengthy 1997 interview for Dutch public radio, Kloet commissioned Vai to write 60 minutes of music for the Holland Metropole Orkest. Vai jumped at the chance and ended up writing two hours worth of music. Right from the first rehearsal, in 2004, Kloet says Vai's "hidden identity" as a composer to be reckoned with became apparent.

"At times, the uniqueness and sheer beauty of the compositions took control," Kloet says. "By the time we did the second run of shows, in 2005, we not only had a superb audio crew but a fantastic video team as well. Vai was way more confident, the music had matured, the orchestra and its conductor, Dick Bakker, were loving Steve. The whole evening was magic."
The feeling was mutual. "The leadership, confidence, and conviction that Co displayed throughout this entire process was bulletproof and supreme," Vai marvels. "He had to seduce the funds out of the Dutch government; organize and promote every show; oversee the bookings of flights, hotels and rehearsals; make sure everyone had what they needed, were happy and delivered what was required of them; and many other things that blow up my amps when I think about it."
Above all, the 60-piece Metropole-renowned for their collaborations with artists like Tony Bennett and Natalie Cole-showed a special affinity for his music, a fact not lost on Vai. "Most symphony orchestras have a repertoire of songs that are popular and accessible, the old favorites that they can sight-read," Vai says. "Then there are the more adventurous ensembles that actively look for challenging and thought-provoking pieces. One such ensemble is the Metropole Orkest."

NO REST FOR THE WICKED

For the shows on SOUND THEORIES VOL. 1 & 2, Vai proceeded to write new orchestrations, dust off old ones, orchestrate old compositions, and "decorate" some of the more accessible instrumental guitar songs from his catalog with the orchestra. After hundreds of hours of data input, music proofreading, revisions, and rehearsals, Vai and the orchestra, augmented by a five-piece electric band, performed the pieces to ecstatic Dutch audiences in May 2004 and July 2005. The material-culled from five shows, one studio session, and a rehearsal/soundcheck-would've been good enough for most people. Not Vai.

"I listened to each section of every song, sometimes one bar at a time, and picked the performance of that section that had the most 'right' notes and the best tempo, feel, and dynamics," Vai says. "After a master performance was edited together, every single note of every instrument had to be checked; if one instrument played a wrong note, we had to find and use the right note-if it existed-from an alternate performance. If the right note didn't exist, I had to try to cheat that note in from another section of the piece. If none of the similar notes in any other section worked, I would have to try and re-fabricate the note(s). Some pieces ended up having over a thousand little edits!"

Vai wasn't the only one burning the midnight oil, though. His superstar team included Metropole conductor Dick Bakker, music programmer Will Riley, arranger and orchestrator Tom Trapp, and composer, pianist and Finale guru Chris Opperman. SOUND THEORIES VOL. 1 ("The Aching Hunger") features several Vai classics with his orchestrations tweaked by Trapp and Opperman, and although the compositional process for SOUND THEORIES VOL. 2 ("Shadows and Sparks") was more personal, he affirms it would've been impossible without his compadres, who pushed the limits of endurance, deadlines, music publishing software to make it all happen.

'OVERWHELMED WITH JOY'

Two summers after the last encore, it's clear that it was all worth it. Listen to the exuberance of the performances and the orchestra. Feel the emotional weight, the life, the fire, color, and radiance these skilled players brought to the maestro's work. It's great to hear Vai classics like "The Attitude Song," "For the Love of God," "Gentle Ways," and "Salamanders in the Sun"-dressed up in a suit, adored by players who know how to rock for audiences that know how to show their love.

"Hearing this music as it turned out is the realization of some of those wondrous vibrating colors that mentally embraced me when I was that little boy who put his finger on a keyboard for the first time. It's an honor and privilege to hear this music performed by such a fine orchestra. How can I thank Co de Kloet enough? I can't.

"I'm overwhelmed with joy, and I feel extremely grateful and humble," Vai says. " With this record, I feel as though I was able to bring a specific stimulation to a small-yet interested-audience who finds the results satisfying. What else can you ask for?"

music

Buy	The Infinite Steve Vai: An Anthology Release Date:  November 18, 2003 Track listing for CD Longplay (090713)
	Disc 1 1  Liberty  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 2  Die To Live  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 3  The Attitude Song  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 4  Salamanders In The Sun  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 5  The Animal  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 6  The Riddle  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 7  For The Love Of God  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 8  Bangkok  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 Fire Garden Suite  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 9    Bull Whip 9    Pusa Road 9    Angel Food 9    Taurus Bulba 10  Ya-Yo Gakk  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 11  Blue Powder (Album version)  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 12  Bad Horsie  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 13  Tender Surrender  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 14  All About Eve  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 15  Dyin' Day  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 16  The Blood & Tears  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 17  The Silent Within  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 Disc 2 1  Feathers  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 2  Frank  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 3  Boston Rain Melody (Bonus Track, hey hey)  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 4  Kittens Got Claws  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 5  Lighter Shade Of Green  ra  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128  wma128 6  Giant Balls of Gold  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 7  Whispering a Prayer  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 8  Jibboom  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 9  Windows To The Soul  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 10  Brandos Costumes (Gentle Ways)  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 11  The Reaper  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 12  Christmas Time Is Here  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 13  Essence  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 14  Rescue Me Or Bury Me  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128 15  Burnin' Down The Mountain  ra  wma32  wma32  wma32  wma128
Buy	Alive In An Ultra World Release Date:  June 19, 2001 Track listing for CD Longplay (085183)
	Disc One 1  Giant Balls of Gold  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 2  Burning Rain  wma100 3  The Black Forest  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 4  Alive in an Ultra World  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 5  Devil's Food  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 6  Blood and Glory  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 7  Whispering a Prayer  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 8  Iberian Jewel  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 Disc Two 1  The Power of Bombos  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 2  Incantation  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 3  Light of the Moon  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 4  Babushka  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 5  Being with You (In Paris)  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 6  Principessa  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 7  Brandos Costumes (Gentle Ways)  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128
Buy	G3 - LIVE IN CONCERT Release Date:  May 23, 2000 Track listing for DVD Video Longplay (050157)
Buy	The Ultra Zone Release Date:  September 07, 1999 Track listing for CD Longplay (069817)
	1  The Blood & Tears  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 2  The Ultra Zone  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 3  Oooo  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 4  Frank  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 5  Jibboom  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 6  Voodoo Acid  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 7  Windows To The Soul  wma100 8  The Silent Within  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 9  I'll Be Around  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 10  Lucky Charms  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 11  Fever Dream  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 12  Here I Am  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 13  Asian Sky  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128
Buy (Explicit Lyrics)	Flex-Able Leftovers Release Date:  December 08, 1998 Track listing for CD Longplay (069703)
	1  #?@! Yourself 2  So Happy 3  Bledsoe Bluvd 4  Natural Born Boy 5  Details At 10 6  Massacre 7  Burnin' Down The Mountain 8  Little Pieces Of Seaweed 9  San Sebastian 10  The Beast Of Love 11  You Didn't Break It 12  The X-Equalibrium Dance 13  Chronic Insomnia
Buy	Passion And Warfare Release Date:  June 24, 1997 Track listing for CD Longplay (068030)
	1  Liberty  ra  wma32  wma128 2  Erotic Nightmares (Album version)  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 3  The Animal  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 4  Answers (Album version)  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 5  The Riddle  ra  wma32  wma128 6  Ballerina 12/24 (Album version)  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 7  For The Love Of God  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 8  The Audience Is Listening (Album version)  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 9  I Would Love To (Album version)  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 10  Blue Powder (Album version)  ra  wma32  wma128 11  Greasy Kid's Stuff(Mixed Twelve) (Album version)  ra  wma32  wma128 12  Alien Water Kiss (Album version)  ra  wma32  wma32  wma128 13  Sisters (Album version)  ra  wma32  wma128 14  Love Secrets (Album version)  ra  wma32  wma128
Buy	Sex & Religion Release Date:  June 24, 1997 Track listing for CD Longplay (068032)
	1  An Earth Dweller's  ra  ra  wma32  wma32  wma100  wma128  wma128 2  Here & Now  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 3  In My Dreams With You  wma100 4  Still My Bleeding Heart  ra  wma32  wma128 5  Sex & Religion  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 6  Dirty Black Hole  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 7  Touching Tongues  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 8  State Of Grace  ra  wma32  wma128 9  Survive  ra  wma32  wma128 10  Pig  ra  wma32  wma128 11  The Road To Mt. Calvary  ra  wma32  wma128 12  Down Deep Into The Pain  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 13  Rescue Me Or Bury Me  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128
Buy	Flexable Release Date:  June 03, 1997 Track listing for CD Longplay (068033)
	1  Little Green Men  ra  wma32  wma128 2  Viv Woman  ra  wma32  wma128 3  Lovers Are Crazy  ra  wma32  wma128 4  Salamanders In The Sun  ra  wma32  wma128 5  The Boy/Girl Song  ra  wma32  wma128 6  The Attitude Song  ra  wma32  wma128 7  Call It Sleep  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 8  Junkie  ra  wma32  wma128 9  Bill's Private Parts  ra  ra  wma32  wma128  wma128 10  Next Stop Earth 11  There's Something Dead In Here  ra  wma32  wma128 12  So Happy 13  Bledsoe Bluvd 14  Burnin' Down The Mountain 15  Chronic Insomnia
Buy	Fire Garden Release Date:  September 17, 1996 Track listing for CD Longplay (067776)
	1  There's A Fire In THe House  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 2  The Crying Machine  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 3  Dyin' Day  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 4  Whookam  wma32  wma100  wma128 5  Blowfish  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 6  The Mysterious Murder Of Christian Tiera's Lover  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 7  Hand Of Heart  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 8  Bangkok  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 Fire Garden Suite  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 9    Bull Whip 9    Pusa Road 9    Angel Food 9    Taurus Bulba 10  Deepness  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 11  Little Alligator  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 12  All About Eve  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 13  Aching Hunger  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 14  Brother  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 15  Damn You  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 16  When I Was A Little Boy  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 17  Genocide  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128 18  Warm Regards  ra  wma32  wma100  wma128

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