2012: Hit s & misses (1)

As we flip the final pages of 2012, some of us are tempted to back-track & refresh those highs for the year. We would also like to give the rancid encounters a last look to remind ourselves that everything isn't that sweet as we went along. Here's my edition of 2012's hits-&-misses, strictly personal, of course. Feel free to disagree.

Hit- The new Marshall DSL series. Re-vamped interpretation of the manufacturer's defunct JCM2000 DSL series only this time, with a more snarling drive section & then that spanking clean. This isn't an instant hit of course, it's made in Vietnam but that speaks very little of the actual performance on offer. A re-booted stellar performer for lesser asking price- why the heck not?

Miss- Commander Vai is someone I look up to regardless of his artistic directions. His phrasing & arrangements are simply sublime, so when a release like this comes my way, I takes a little more reach into my deeper understanding to accept what took place. There isn't any sublime messages on board, but a different manifestation of Commander Vai's music which is off tangent to my preference. A respectable release but not for me.

Steve Vai: The Story of Light

This is Steve Vai's latest release, The Story of Light. What do you expect from Commander Vai's album- loads of guitar? They're here alright but this is NOT Passion & Warfare, mid you. It's a celestial journey through music wonderland perhaps one inhibited by Alice & company.

Because this is my personal reflections on The Story of Light, I must say that it's the least likable Vai offering in my collection. I have this uploaded in my phone but have deleted all vocal tracks- I'm just just not into them. The remaining instrumental tracks aren't exactly what I had hoped for either, I understand Vai has this musical emphasis over his songs but they are somewhat unappealing to me this time round but hey, who am I to tell Mr. Steve Vai what to do. 

There is a strong parallel between TSOL & Vai's Ultra Zone, I find the latter more tasteful in terms of guitars, maybe it was intentionally dished out that way, lots of guitars with numbered eccentricity but this one's just off-focus. The guitars tones here are also very fuzzy, a departure form Passion & Warfare.

Commander Vai: Racing the World

I think many of us are anticipating Steve Vai's new album, The Story of Light.

In the mean time, here's a track from this upcoming release, Racing The World: