Steve Vai: Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Steve Vai: Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray Movie Review

I was introduced to Steve Vai and his music by a good friend of mine, a classical musician, who was a big fan of Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen and his band Rising Force. I was already familiar with Malmsteen and liked what he was doing but did not find his music to be overly original. To this day, I remain convinced that his best work was with Joe Lynn Turner, who spent quite a few years singing in Rainbow.

Vai replaced Malmsteen in Graham Bonnet’s Alcatrazz, a band that I thought at one point tried to emulate the sound of George Lynch's Dokken. After a short stay with Bonnet and his pals, however, Vai hooked up with David Lee Roth, who really kick-started his career. Vai did quite a few solo gigs while Roth was in court with Eddie Van Halen, and some of the big boys in the business noticed him. In 1989, he replaced Vivian Campbell in Whitesnake, as they were putting the final touches on their upcoming album "Slip of the Tongue".

After Whitesnake pretty much everyone knew who Vai was. For awhile, he worked with Ozzy Osbourne, but eventually decided that performing alone was a much better idea and began touring, first North America and then the rest of the world. Vai also appeared in Joe Satriani's hugely popular G3, a spectacular show where some of the world's best guitarists came together and performed in front of their fans.

Steve Vai: Where the Live Things Are was recorded live at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on September 19, 2007. The show is a little over 2 hours and 30 minutes long and it is spread over two discs. Disc 1 contains a total of 19 tracks while disc 2 contains 8 tracks. For the show, Vai was assisted by violinist Alex DePue, bass guitarist Bryan Beller, drummer Jeremy Colson, guitarist Dave Weiner, and violinist extraordinaire Ann Marie Calhoun.

Mixed and produced by Vai, Steve Vai: Where the Live Things Are contains some brand new material as well as tracks from a number of older albums. The selection is very strong, allowing Vai to shine not only as an instrumentalist but also as a singer (listen to the wonderful acoustic set).

Anyone expecting a straightforward rock show from Steve Vai: Where the Live Things Are, however, will be pleasantly surprised with what Vai and his band have put together. In addition to the traditional rock improvisations, throughout the show you would see and hear Vai, Calhoun, and DePue perform some very unusual neo-classical rock compositions; the arrangements are remarkably bold and the violin solos unlike anything I have heard before (and for the record, this reviewer is well familiar with Finnish rockers Apocalyptica).

Technically, Steve Vai: Where the Live Things Are does not disappoint either. This is a small but carefully put together show that allows one to get an excellent feel of how Vai and his band look and sound live.

The Magician

Steve Vai: Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-2 and granted a 720p transfer, Steve Vai: Where the Wild Things Are arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Favored Nations. For the record, the disc does not have a pop-up menu option.

Even though this is only a 720p high-definition transfer, I have to say that it looks notably better than some of the 1080i high-definition transfers that I have seen during the last two years (a perfect example would be Eagle Rock Entertainment's Ted Nugent: Motor City Mayhem). Detail is pleasing, clarity quite good and contrast levels definitely a lot better than what has been claimed on various online forums. Many of the close-ups, for example, look surprisingly good. There are only a few panoramic shots but they also look pleasing. Also, as far as I am concerned, motion-judder is never a serious issue of concern. This being said, there is some mild noise that is visible during selected scenes. For example, when the stage lights go on and off, the noise is fairly easy to see. On a couple of occasions I also noticed some background blocking, but truly, these are issues that I often encounter in 1080i transfers. Finally, I did not detect any purely technical anomalies with the presentation to report in this review. All in all, Steve Vai: Where the Wild Things Are isn't as disappointing as quite a few people have claimed. Again, I find the manner in which it was recorded as well as the actual presentation a lot more convincing than selected 1080i transfers of live shows that have already been released on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Steve Vai: Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. For the record, the disc also contains an audio commentary with Steve Vai, Ann Marie Calhoun, Jeremy Colson, and Michael Mesker. There are no optional subtitles for it.

The audio treatment is indeed somewhat underwhelming. I am unsure why a more elaborate lossless audio track was not included on this Blu-ray disc - either a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 or LPCM 5.1 track - but if I had to speculate, I would say that the budget the producers had to work with was probably quite small. Again, this is only a guess.

The LPCM 2.0 track is fairly convincing. It is raw and, in my opinion, captures the intimate nature of the show quite well. Steve Vai's solos sound very good. All the crazy things he does with his guitar in "The Murder", for example, sound quite impressive. Generally speaking, however, the dynamic amplitude does seem somewhat limited.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track does not offer any dramatic improvements. On the contrary, I felt that despite the surround activity, it is actually the weaker audio option. The drums, for example, feel distant during "Now We Run" and "Taurus Bulba", and the violin solos not as crisp. This being said, the crowd noise is never overwhelming.

Steve Vai: Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Commentary - an audio commentary with Steve Vai, Ann Marie Calhoun, Jeremy Colson, and Michael Mesker. I have to say that this is a very interesting commentary. I actually listened to it from start to finish as I found it to be incredibly informative. Vai, Calhoun, Colson, and Mesker basically deliver what I could only describe as a masterclass. The music, the performances and the program are addressed in detail.

In the Steve Vai Band - introduction (11 min) and short interviews with Alex (2 min), Ann Marie (5 min), Bryan (4 min), Dave (10 min), Jeremy (8 min), and Zack (6 min), in which they talk about what it means to them to be part of Steve Vai's band, what he demands from them, how they prepare for their live shows, etc. (1080i).

Jemini Distortion Pedal - Steve Vai discusses a distortion pedal he designed with Ibanez. (11 min, 720p).

Steve Vai: Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you are a fan of Steve Vai, I strongly recommend that you consider getting Steve Vai: Where the Live Things Are. It is a phenomenal show, one that you would watch over and over again. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Favored Nations, could have looked and sounded a bit better, but I still think that it is worthy of a recommendation. RECOMMENDED.