Band : Steve Vai
Album title : Where The Other Wild Things Are – Live In Minneapolis
Label : Favored Nations
Distributor : Rough Trade Benelux
Release date : 13/04/2010
Release : CD

While checking out some additional info with this release, I found out that Where The Other Wild Things Are is actually the second part of a concert recorded at the State Theatre in Minneapolis (Minnesota), during the 2007 tour Steve Vai undertook in support of his Sound Theories album (review by yours truly posted 12/08/2007), the first part titled Where The Wild Things Are having been released in September of last year.

Released at the same time as WTWTA, were a DVD and a Blu-ray release containing the complete 2 hours 40 minutes show plus an hour’s worth of bonus material (band interviews, behind the scene footage, etc). In fact, pre-orders of the CD/DVD package and the first 400 Blu-ray discs included an access code to a free download of WTOWTA, containing the remaining songs that were not available on the WTWTA CD. Joining Steve Vai on stage that evening, were rhythm guitar and sitar player Dave Weiner, lap steel guitarist Zack Wiesinger, bassist Bryan Beller, drummer and comic relief guy Jeremy Colson, plus violinists Alex DePue and Ann Marie Calhoun.

Together, they would perform re-orchestrated pieces from Vai’s back catalog (not always with the addition of the violinists (whom dó perform a “solo”  duet of “Apples In Paradise”) and some new songs (featured on the WTWTA CD part of the concert). Interesting are the moments when the drummer “acts” out on Vai (towards the end of “The Audience Is Listening” he’s shouting at Steve to stop his ranting guitar play (he repeats that treatment at the ending of “Answers”), everybody knowing he can play…then “Beastly Rap” is a dialogue between the two about a “contraption” (some stage prop, and I guess you would have had to witness it on stage yourself, or see it on the DVD, to know what it’s like) the drummer is about to play (real wacky sounds there, man!) on in the ensuing drum “solo” tittled “Earthquake Sky”. Evidently, the violinist-only “Apples In Paradise” is another highlight on the album.

With 12 tracks, there’s 70 minutes on the album…which has me wondering about the fact that the set was in fact 2 hrs 40 minutes, because you can get only just under 80 minutes on one CD, right? Well, I suppose the DVD has some more extras as compared to the two CDs then! As always with Vai, the delivery is flawless and highly enjoyable, the sound quality of the highest! Even if you’ve got the regular studio CDs, it’s interesting for the live stuff as well…although I would personally go for the DVD version, after all (get the visual thing as a bonus, you know!).No rating, but I suppose you dó understand that the album will be featured in my year-lists?

Tony.