Rating: 
Summary: For Guitar Fanatics x3
Review: G3 Live from Denver is a DVD for rock guitar fanatics. If you don't like anything that any of these guys put out before, this isn't going to convert you. If you like any of these three or all three, you're going to love this. The format is the same as the first G3 DVD. There is a set by each musician, and then all 3 join forces for encore jams of cover songs. I didn't like this one as much as the other, but there are still many moments of greatness. The sets break down like this:
Joe Satriani:I dont' know what happened to Joe. Don't get me wrong, the man can still play. He used to be the most improvisational/Creative guitarist of any genre on the planet. Check out Dreaming #11 or the '88 show part of Time Machine's second disc. Simply unreal. Joe hasn't done anything like that since, but I can't complain about this set. He does have a nice intro into "Satch Boogie", and he finishes with a brief flurry at the end of it. 'The Extremist" is pretty much a verbatim duplication of the studio version. "Starry Night" is a new song and sounds like other Joe ballads as far as style and tone, but it is still good. "Midnight" is next and Joe displays his two-handed ability.(I did mention that he can play still, didn't I?) He even adds a little bit of improv to this version. "The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing" is the last song and is also done verbatim. I love this song, but it would be far more interesting if Joe took one of the themes and went off to another world with it. Overall, a good set of music, Joe shows his diversity and taste. I just remember how things were before Joe had improvised as much/little as Rush or Yes.
Steve Vai:
Vai shows the world that he is probably the most creative and improvisational Rock guitarist on the planet. It used to be Joe, but as I mentioned he doesn't do that as much anymore. Vai plays 3 songs only. I never heard the first or last songs before, and I believe that he wrote them for this tour. The first song is entitled "I know You're Here" and starts off with Steve playing unaccompanied and using looping for a one man jam. The song turns into a typically creative Vai song that is loaded with virtuosity, despite the presence of Vai singing for a few measures. If this song was on a disc, I'd buy it. "Juice" is another Vai original and is loaded with more chops,etc. "I'm The Hell Outta Here" is the other new song and turns into a chops fest with the whole band. First Sheehan gets a few bars of madness and then Vai, Macalpine, Sheehan and Weiner all go to the front of the stage and exchange notes and short chordal phrases. Although this does seem comical at first viewing, it does end up having some good parts. There are moments of interplay between all 4, but it wasn't anything like the unison lines that I've heard Vai and Sheehan do. The jam turns into Vai and Macalpine dueling and trading fours, which does become interesting, to say the least, especially when Tony switches to keyboards and doesn't miss a beat/note. This tune ends up becoming a lot of fun and seems to be a large improvisation for the most part. Over the last couple of years, Steve Vai has given me reason to buy everthing he has released, and this set continues my thinking that Vai is the best Rock orientated guitarist around.
Yngwie Malmsteen:
Let's face it. Other than Hendrix and Van Halen has there been a more influencial rock guitarist than Yngwie? His emergence in the mid 80's led to two types of guitarists. One, loved what they heard and wanted to sound like him and spent hours trying to copy his style. The other couldn't stand him, and spent hours trying to do as much as they could to not sound like him. There is good and bad with Yngwie's set.
The bad/ugly: There is something comical about a thirty-something guy who has gained a few pounds, trying to dress and act like he is still 20. I had to pause Yngwie's set before it even started to laugh. Yngwie even has all of the same stage antics since I first saw him in 1985. His show seems very 'Spinal Tap' at times. Once I got over the fact that Yngwie still thinks he is 20, I paid attention to the music which leads me to the;
Good: The man can still play. Yes, his style hasn't changed one bit since he first came onto the scene;However, Yngwie is the only Classical/metal guitarist that still has a worldwide fan base. If it still works, then why bother changing? The set is one-hundred-percent instrumental(Thank God) Yngiwe opens with a flurry of notes, and then plays 'Evil Eye' which is from his first Cd and also on a live Alcatrazz recording. This is one of my favorite tunes by him and he delivers a great version of it. Yngwie plays a new instrumental called 'Baroque and Roll' from a new cd and it sounds like the same format that all of his instrumentals have.(except the Guitar/Orchestra stuff) Still, if you like the formula, then you'll be loving this. "Acoustic Guitar Solo" is exactly what the title says. There aren't many people out there that can play acoustic like Yngwie. He displays chops, etc. during this piece. There is even a mini-version of Bach's 'Air' which is beautifully played and he also does the intro. to 'Black Star'. He doesn't let this solo last 10 minutes, so I found it enertaining instead of overly self-indulgent.(Just self-indulgent) Yngwie then plays the intro to Paganini's 4th violin concerto and follows that with 'Adagio'. "Adagio" is a shred fest based on Albinoni's adagio for Organ/Strings. The original classical piece is a beatiful adagio and Yngwie turns it into a big notes display. Still, even though it really completely leaves the original intent of the piece, it is entertaining. Yngwie showed with 'Air' that he can duplicate a classical piece, I guess he wanted to play a lot of notes and improvise a piece. Last is 'Far Beyond the Sun' which has been a Malmsteen concert staple since 1985. This is another classical influenced piece of mayhem from his first Cd. Great back then and still is now. At the end of this piece, Yngwie decides to break a guitar. I am sure someone out there likes seeing this, but it isn't me. I would have rather had another song. Once I got over the comical aspects, this is a great set of Malmsteen guitar instrumentals.
3 Man Jam:
'Keep On Rocking in the Free World'? If this was an acoustic summit, then I'd understand playing Neil Young, but it still works. The guitarists then delve into Hendrix with 'Little Wing' and 'Voodoo Child(Slight Return)'. These two songs are great and the improvistion is awesome. Malmsteen does his thing while Vai and Satriani seem to be one person at times. Satriani shows that he can still create and improvise with the best of them and his sections seem the best to me. This is always a G3 highlight and this jam session is no exception.
There you have it. If you like these guys, then you'll love this. I like it a lot and recommend it to guitar fans.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best sounding DVD's I've heard.
Review: I wish they would have done the G3 with Petrucci, but oh well, Yngwie is cool. Vai and Satch are awesome on this DVD. Vai played 2 songs that I had never heard before. They were awesome. It is cool to see the mighty Billy Sheehan rip up the bass. Joe is plain cool! He has chops, but he focuses on feeling so much more. Yngwie is cool, but he plays the same damn licks all the time. This DVD shows his lack of melody and feeling, which is something that he has always lacked in my opinion. Despite that, he was still entertaining to watch. The best thing about this DVD is the sound quality. Epic really does an awesome job on the sound production. I give the sound 100 stars. If you want to see guitar masters at their best, buy this DVD. If they really wanted some cool interplay between the G3 guitarists, they should get Greg Howe. He is unbelievably talented!
Rating:
Summary: Guitar virtuosity is still appreciated!
Review: I enjoy all three players;they played their hearts out.It was a nice contrast having Satch and Vai's legato style phrasing with Malmsteem's ferocious picking style; his vibrato is awsome! Anyone who puts down Yngwie is also putting down Satch and Vai they would not have played with him if they didn't respect his playing.I think a lot of people put him down out of jealousy to play at his level requires too much discipline.Also he pioneered a new style of playing which the critics have never done. Also the person who said Macalpine should have played instead of Yngwie does'nt realize that Macalpine's style is based on Yngwie original style. Like Eddie V, everyone was ripping off his style when he first came out . As for the guy who put down his looks... you listen to music with your ears. Overall a great performance by all three players but the improv on the jam songs is where the magic happens exspecially Vai's innovative rhythms and breathtaking solos. So for all the critics Whats on your resume of musical accomplishments? Probably nothing.
Rating:
Summary: Almost Perfect
Review: ... This is G3 -- if you want pretty melody lines go to the symphony for cryin' out loud! The production is pretty good. The camera switches seem a little 'jerky' at times, but there is a nice mix of closeups of fingering and capturing the artist's emotions while they are playing. Joe starts off with a new (not better or worse, just new) sound and plays a solid set. He maintains his usual penchant for hogging all the attention, and his backup band is mediocre except for the drummer. His set is very good, but nothing really special jumps out at you. Vai's set in the middle is clearly the best of the three individual performances. ... I missed Mike Kineally, but Tony McAlpine is probably a 'bit' better, and the rest of Vai's awesome band is the same as on Steve's new live DVD - and Billy Sheehan is incredible as usual. It is obvious that Steve likes to interact with other musicians more than he wants to be 'the star', although he is definitely a 'hammy' showman on stage. Yngwie ... well, he was Yngwie. No more, no less. Although he does look a little bloated, his energy and ability to play lightning fast and still evoke feeling from the music is undiminished. As ususual he surrounded himself with very talented bandmates. As usual he played scads of blistering-fast chromatic and dimished scales forward, backwards and inside-out. Like Joe's set, Yngwie's is very good, but nothing special. The jam at the end IS truly special. Although a big fan of Eric Johnson, he was clearly overmatched in the G3 '96 version jams - and they suffered because of it. The level of play these three push each other to is simply amazing. Never forget that Joe INVENTED most of the hot licks that modern virtuosos play - including much of Steve's (a former 'student'). He just keeps moving on, looking for new ways to play the guitar - and NO ONE can play the guitar as many ways as Joe Satriani. This Jam really brought out his best chops. Vai showed that he has a technical mastery of the instrument that is unsurpassed. Although he does it more with amazingly complex finger taps than straight picking, Vai is the fastest of the three, but you would need a computer and slow motion camera to tell the difference in speed between them when they start bouncing speed licks off of each other. Yngwie wanders all over (and off) the stage, playing lightning fast 'Yngwie' chops on a guitar that is not quite loud enough. He seems unable to vary his style to match the interaction of Joe and Steve as they push each other into different styles of play. I personally think Rockin' in the Free World was the best 'jam' song, but all three songs had moments of 'magic' ... even though Yngwie does sound a bit drunk on Voodoo Chile. But then anyone might need a little reinforcemet before sharig the stage with Satriani and Vai. ..., this is not a 'pretty' DVD, but it is a must have for all serious students and fans of quintissential lead guitar. And after all, THAT is what G3 is all about, IMHO. p.s. I prophetically remarked to my son a couple of years ago that the next G3 should have Yngwie Malmsteen. Maybe I should try again and say that Eddie Van Halen should be next . . .
Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: Three of the Best guitarists in the World on the Same stage,This is a must have DVD for any Guitar player or just a great music lover!
Rating:
Summary: A great DVD , 3 great guitarists .... A must buy !
Review: I enjoyed this DVD , Wish it could have been longer with more bonus footage , But for the price , its worth it to have a DVD of my 3 favorite players live . Also ...If your into bands like DREAM THEATER , QUEENSRYCHE , YNGWIE , TNT , etc .... CHECK OUT this new CD you can find here on amazon :
MAGNITUDE NINE - " DECODING THE SOUL "
Rating: 
Summary: DVD or 2 packs of strings? tough choice
Review: As a child of the 80's and a guitar fanatic, I had to take a look, and for 10 bucks anyone into these guys might as well check it out, right ~ although it really lacks depth when compared to say the Alien Love Secrets DVD. So, why 3 stars?
There was a curious dynamic going on that becomes apparent towards the end of the video between Joe, Steve and an apparently drunk Yngwie. It seemed they had to pander to Yngwie's ego a bit and let Yngwie butcher Hendrix (honestly, Voodoo Child sounded like hackwork), and stand off to the side while Yngwie tears through the same scales and modes he always uses... the lack of creativity and improvisational ability of Yngwie was, in my assumption, due to his not being sober at the show ~ technically he had a lot of his routine down of course but overall he seemed to put a limit on the evening. Jack Black has got love Yngwie and I don't mind that he's still a Viking, but even so, something about his personality or dysfunction made it impossible for the 3 to do somthing amazing.
And my main dude Tony McAlpine's amp wasn't mic'd properly or something because you can't hear his guitar when he goes back and forth with Steve ~and Tony's terrific - if it wasn't for the marketing appeal of Yngwie, Tony would have been a better choice for a 3rd wheel. Satch's sound is cut out too at some point to terrific disappointment.
I digress, Joe has an excellent performance and really lends a good vibe to the show. Starry Night sounds like People Get Ready in the hook and that was distracting ~ still a class act and something to take note of...
Steve is very great of course, but doesn't have a long set so it kind of misses the sort of soul-wrenching, synapse-exploding guitar you can find elsewhere of this mastermind fellow.
Overall, Yngwie's kind of a mess and the missing audio for Tony McAlpine and Satch is ghastly for a guitar DVD and lends to the sence that G3 wasn't taken seriously by it's creators or producers beyond a marketing bit for Peavy, Carvin, Ibanez, Fender, Epic, and the three fellows who make a wonderful living playing guitar.
Rating: 
Summary: not so good
Review: I have to admit that this wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be. Joe was cool, but it's all the same stuff. And what's up with Steve having only three songs?! His live at Astoria is pretty sickening! Way more recomended! And good grief, hows about laying off the Krispey Kremes Ing-wee!! It was sad to see someone who used to be one of the more exciting players to watch be so weird looking. I mean his playing is cool, if not the most tasteful, but wow! He looked like some kind of 80's version of Leslie West!
Rating:
Summary: 3 headed monster
Review: Ever since this DVD was announced, I coundnt wait to see and hear the end result. To me its like putting ketchup, raw fish and beer into a blender and expect something very tasty to come out of it. Fortunately this world is full of preferences and in my opinion this mix of guitars is actually good.
For those of us who grew up listening to "Surfing with the Alien", Passion and Warfare" and "Rising Force", this G3 is heaven.
You quickly find out that the only guitar player who is still in evolution is Vai. He is the only one of the 3 that still comes out in new ways, with new sounds and better than before. Satriani rallies around his old stuff for most of his set and Malmsteen still lives in the 80s and plays the music that made him great 20 years ago and 60 pounds ago. There are better videos of the 3 of them by themselves sold at this website.
The good stuff comes when its time to jam. Yngwie actually complements Steve and Joe fine and adds a new spark to the G3 jam. You cant help but watch in awe as these 3 guitar mosters play their best chops and duel it out. Climax hits when in the middle of "Little Wing" all 3 players sound like one guitar just for a couple of seconds and you realize that harmony is universal.
I wish that these 3 great players would have thought of G3 during the early 90s when Malmsteen was sharper, more sober and would actually play rhythm; Satriani was more rebelious and Vai was a bit more raw.
For rock guitar players who were influenced by the 80s and 90s, this is still too good today to miss it
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I'll make this short and sweet. Satriani is the real rocker of the bunch and has the best songs. Vai has the best technique and gives the best performance. Yngwie is the funnest to watch but gets boring quickly. The jam at the end would be better if Yngwie could play with other guitarist. Yngwie showboats and hot dogs so much, I wonder if he knows there are two other guitar players on stage. Personally I think Yngwie ruined Voodoo Child (he did'nt even get the words right at the end). I could play the 3 songs in the jam section better than Yngwie. You will end up hating Yngwie or just laugh at him. All in all this is fantastic music by three dedicated musicians. And don't forget the bands! All stellar musicians as well.
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