Alive In An Ultra World

Steve Vai introduces this ambitious live double-album thusly: "This is an indulgent compilation of music with many little guitar notes!" It's a typically self-deprecating, if telling comment. While big-guitar rock virtuosity has largely been consigned to cult status in his home country, Vai's worldwide audience thrives. That ongoing international love affair seems the inspiration behind this industrious collection. The 15 tracks were each inspired by a different country (spanning from the U.K. to central and eastern Europe, the Mediterranean to the Pacific Rim), then recorded live in '00 tour performances or, in some of the most gratifying cases, improvised in as little as 10 minutes at soundcheck jams. Instead of a slavish devotion to ethnic modalities, Vai wisely lets them wash over and seep into his own eclectic music. Indeed, many of the tracks weren't necessarily recorded in the country they pay tribute to, adding yet another savory dimension to the musician's challenging stew. The results of such an undertaking can't help but be mixed, but the high points here range from bold drama (the metallic swagger of the improvised "Giant Balls of Gold [Song for Poland])" to the anthemic majesty of "Blood and Glory (Song for the U.K.)" to the pyrotechnics of "Iberian Jewel (Song for Spain") to understated grace ("Burning Rain [Song for Japan])." Only rarely do Vai's compositions fall victim to nationalist musical clichés. Vai's playing is as free and playful as ever, his often prodigious and tortured constructions undercut by stage banter that refreshingly mocks the very trappings of stardom his musical dedication has earned him.