Steve Vai - Fire Garden Suite

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

Though Vai is not a progressive artist generally, he does have one magnificent 12 minute piece that I think would be of great interest to prog fans. He combines elements of fusion and prog metal with a notable raga-indo influence to produce 1996's Bangkok/Fire Garden Suite, one of my favourite instrumentals at the moment. It is presented as two tracks on album but Bangkok is a sort of overture, establishing the instrumentation and flowing directly into Fire Garden Suite. Don't let the refrain of One Night In Bangkok scare you away. Or the terrible artwork.

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
Textbook Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: October 08 2009 Status: Offline Points: 3281	Topic: Steve Vai - Fire Garden Suite Posted: April 13 2010 at 17:16
	Though Vai is not a progressive artist generally, he does have one magnificent 12 minute piece that I think would be of great interest to prog fans. He combines elements of fusion and prog metal with a notable raga-indo influence to produce 1996's Bangkok/Fire Garden Suite, one of my favourite instrumentals at the moment. It is presented as two tracks on album but Bangkok is a sort of overture, establishing the instrumentation and flowing directly into Fire Garden Suite. Don't let the refrain of One Night In Bangkok scare you away. Or the terrible artwork.

harmonium.ro Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: August 18 2008 Location: Anna Calvi Status: Offline Points: 22989	Posted: April 13 2010 at 17:19
	^ The artworks is acutally quite interesting.

Queen By-Tor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 13 2006 Location: Xanadu Status: Offline Points: 16111	Posted: April 14 2010 at 04:16
	I love that whole album. Although I am actually a bigger fan of the half that has vocals. Aching Hunger and Genocide kick a lot of motherf**king ass. Of course no one can compete with the shredding of There's A Fire In The Machine or the groove of The Crying Machine. Awesome album all around.

Mr ProgFreak Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: November 08 2008 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 5195	Posted: April 14 2010 at 05:29
	I remember that when I argued in favor of his addition, M@x commented very favorably on the Fire Garden Suite ... I think he even called it a Prog Epic. And rightly so IMHO.

Textbook Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: October 08 2009 Status: Offline Points: 3281	Posted: April 14 2010 at 16:12
	Fire Garden Suite definitely is a prog epic. However it's pretty lonely in Vai's catalogue in that regard. Elton John's law states: "One prog song does not a prog artist make." I still hope that one day Vai will record a whole album of this stuff, I think he could pull of a Mike Oldfield style composition, only more rocking.

Mr ProgFreak Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: November 08 2008 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 5195	Posted: April 16 2010 at 06:21
	^ What about all the tracks on the two Flexable albums, and most on The Ultra Zone and Real Illusions, plus his latest live albums? Edited by Mr ProgFreak - April 16 2010 at 06:23