No Region / NTSC / Image Entertainment
Full Frame
5.1 Surround & 2.0 Stereo
Commentary, Interview, Multi-Angle Footage
Director : Devin Meadows
Stars : Steve
Alien Love Secrets
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No Region / NTSC / Image Entertainment |
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Jesus Christ, how I've wished to be talented at so many things. One of these things has been the electric guitar - unfortunately, this was not to be, and I wound up sucking at it more than I ever sucked at most other things. But there are still times when I sit back and dream about the fame, fortunue, smug expressions and silver body paint that come with a successful career as a legendary guitar hero.
Anyway, Alien Love Secrets, sums up a
large part of what is cool about being a shit hot guitarist. This disc provides eight
videos of Mr Vai 'finger-syncing' to all the tracks from the ALS EP. This is probably the
major disappointment, as you'd think they wouldn't need to do this. I'm sure that Vai
prentending to play like Vai is just as difficult as Vai actually playing like Vai.
Still, it's pretty cool. Bad Horsie and Kill The Guy With The Ball are the highlights of the disc - Vai wearing the afforementioned body paint and churning out some of the heaviest (yet musical) guitar playing you're likely to hear. Unfortunately, the camera darts around so fast that us guitar god wannabes can't get a good look at how he pulls off our favourite licks. As is the case with Ya-Yo Gakk - which focuses mostly on a couple of junior Vais syncing along with dad.
The remaining tracks are far more sedate, and give us a better chance to examine Vai's fingerwork. Not only that, but they also provide us with multiple angles! This is a neat novelty in concept, but it doesn't work as well as I'd hoped. See, it takes [at least on my Toshiba] a second or two for the angles to change when you hit the button, so sometimes it's hard to tell if the angle has changed because you've told it to, or because the angle within the angle has changed. Still, it's nice to finally be able to use that button.
So, what else do we get? Well, the two main extras are a short (7 minutes), but nonetheless entertaining little featurette containing snippets of an interview with Vai, and a great full length commentary.
Shot on Video, the picture quality seemed mostly OK (remember, this thing isn't The Matrix), but several shots on the less highly produced tracks were slightly out of focus. Because it's shot on video, there are no problems with NTSC 3:2 pulldown nasties, and let's face it, a PAL release probably won't be coming any time soon.
Soundwise - well, let's face it - you have no excuse not to play this mutha loud!
Frankly, this disc is a must have for any Vai fan or anyone who can't help be amazed by the impossible talent that his type behold, and can do little more than dream of having such ability. Sigh.....
