Rating: 
Summary: I'm so happy to own this DVD.
Review: You can't ask for a better combo. Billy Sheehan, Tony Macalpine,& Steve Vai. Despite all the negative critics,I'm so glad I didn't give a SH*T and had to judge for myself. I feel grateful to own this since there are so many crapy bootlegs out there at twice the price. For those Guitarist who are starving for captured vertuacity on DVD also checkout Strunz & Farah. I'm talking about flawless unpluged Guitar work at the speed of light.
Rating: 
Summary: a little disappointing
Review: Steve rules, of course, but I'm surprised that while some here complain about the visuals no one mentioned that quite often the audio and video are out of synch. For example, you'll see Virgil Donati hit the snare drum and an instant later you'll hear it. This is especially noticeable/annoying during the drum solo. If you listen to the commentary track, you'll realize that Steve himself added all those cheesy visual effects, so I'll cut the guy some slack for trying (although I'm not so sure the long-awaited live DVD is the time to experiment). He also says that he had to intersperse two different nights' worth of footage along with the audio for a lack of good shots. So all in all it comes off as sort of "patched together." Still worth having though, especially for the lack of anything else Vai.
Rating:
Summary: Late music critic Lester Bangs said it the best.............
Review: Famous/imfamous dead music critic Lester Bangs said it ALL when he once said of John McLauglin's 1st solo album "Extrapolation" but the quote easily fits Vai today: "EASILY THE BEST F*#KING GUITARIST I'VE EVER HEARD!"
This fit's Vai to a T, & the dbl dvd as well! I guess you have to be MY AGE to get it? Didn't anyone see Steve Vai when he was with the greatest composer of the past 50 years(Frank Zappa whom coined a new phrase just for Vai, "Stunt Guitarist" because Vai could do 'anything' w/a guitar!)FZ, BUT ME? Get over it! Vai's showmanship is not an act! he's been playing that way for over 23 years! This IS how he plays & I find it more refreshing & much harder to do what Vai does, & play how he plays than say an Alan Holdsworth, a great guitarist to listen to, but nothing to veiw! As far as the band goes, Vai NEVER had a finer drummer(which Vai basically admits to in the commentary track which is great!Plus every other band member, other than Donati whom was playing has their commentary heard, which is great. Plus MacAlpine has been playing w/Donati in the best, heavy progressive band around "Planet X", for 4 years so he should know all about Virg!)than the incredible VIRGIL DONATI! Add the finest bass player in music today, Billy Sheehan, take out the great Mike Kenealy & put in virtouso master TONY MACALPINE on unreal guitar & keys, & throw in a 24 yr old Dave Weiner, on guitar too, & you've got the greatest band playing! WOW! A MUST SEE!! I've had these dvd's since the day they were released, & have watched the performance over & over, & I still find myself TOO BUSY enjoying what i'm hearing & seeing to burn 'negitive energy'
on nit picking at any minor flaws on the dvd production or the filming of the event! Hands down this is the greatest guitar or music dvd ever & if you call yourself a guitarist and won't own up to the fact that VAI IS THE BEST, then maybe you'd better rethink your 'status' as a musician or someone whom professes to LOVE electric guitar music.(I've been a professional musician for 34 years, & this is what 'performing' is ALL ABOUT! So don't listen to this other crap, it's being spewed by people not smart enough to know real talent, & BUY THIS IMMEDIATELY as you'll love these 2 dvd's! INCREDIBLE! Btw the performance itself is 2 & 1/2 hrs long! Plus you get a commentary track which is great & informative & funny, plus rehearsals, & lots of other extras!It's just a shame that people outside the U.S. & Canada cannot(at the time of this writing) veiw the dvd's as only NTSC versions have been released! It's also a damned shame that this dvd's general release took 24 months from the day(s) the shows were filmed(Dec. 6th & 7th 2001)at the Astoria until Dec. 04! I feel for ya Paul, cause you've been waiting since you saw these shows(actually 3!)LIVE & still don't have the dvd ready for you to purchase!) BUY BUY BUY!
Rating:
Summary: ⿢⿢⿢⿢⿢⿢⿢⿢⿢ wow
Review: The guy's a maniac, and that's my compliment to him. I've been following Vai for some 10 years or so, but I never got to see his full concert. Yeah, G3 concert was great but I thought we could have cut down Joe and John Petrucci's stuff so Vai could do more. Well, I was finally able to see his full performance with this video and it's a mind blower. The guy can kick any guitar player's ass so bad that you never wanna touch the guitar again.... well for a while. I must say the video production was the worst part about the video, but if the video production was any better than that, I will give it 10 stars. or 100 stars. I don't know, ok, 1000 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Guitar God DVD Gone Wrong
Review: When Metallica's S&M Dvd came out, I was amazed with the feature of watching one member in the band at a time. This continued on with another great buy (albeit only on 3 songs) Rush in Rio. Steve Vai is an amazing guitar player. The editing is downright annoying most of the time, seeing Steve's facial expressions more often than his fluid and amazing finger work on the guitar. Most guitarists will enjoy this more than most people because hey, it's Steve Vai. Being a bassist, the few tauntings of watching Billy Sheehan are also greatly worth the effort, as he has some amazing solo spots as well. All in all, Steve's crazy antics are amusing, and its well worth it to see Steve play some of his greatests. Although, would love to have a camera selector for some of the songs as the DVD's above. That's what a concert's really about, focusing on one person at a time (especially when we're talking about musician super groups like Steve's band). Not to drive a point to death but some of the camera angles, and camera angle changes, would send some epileptics into a seizure. Oh well, great music.
Rating: 
Summary: Great guitarist and band but the video production is lame.
Review: I sorry but I'm amazed Vai released this crap.
Choppy video production, mixing dv video and movie
style footage during the concert. Not to mention the 1980's
video effects.If you think this is a perfect video you're
not asking for much. I'm a big fan of Steve Vai but this DVD
is a rip off. DO NOT BUY THIS DVD !
Rating:
Summary: STEVE VAI HENDRIX OF OUR TIME
Review: If You like guitar music Then see the best
Rating:
Summary: unbefreakinleavable
Review: Hey, you know steve invented those "rock star moves" when touring with Dave, so hey New Zealand, lay off. He does that because he's so into the music and it moves him, not to try to be cool. This DVD is the most amazing musical feat I have ever witnessed.
Rating:
Summary: If you love guitar, you will dig this
Review: Steve shows why he is one of the most popular guitarists in the world today. With a world class band, you will be both inspired and awestruck. I agree with a couple of other reviewers who were distracted be the horrible editing, bad transitions and wipes. If you can get past that, then you should enjoy 90 percent of this DVD. Steve and his band are amazing. Great players with great stage presence, but of course, Steve goes a little too far with some of his onstage antics, some personality is great, but gyrating with your guitar between your legs is too much!
The second DVD has some amusing stuff. All in all, both discs are easily worth the money for anyone who loves rockin' guitar music.
Rating:
Summary: Leave the rock 'star' posturing to adolescents, please!
Review: I bought this DVD on the strength of Steve Vai's performance on the G3 concert. It's obvious he's a talented guitarist and songwriter, but it saddened me to see yet another middle-aged rock 'star' act out his own adolescent fantasies. Quite frankly, I was embarrassed to see the U R A Q T caption flash up when the camera caught a glimpse of a female in the audience, and will be avoiding this track when showing it to my friends who would cringe as much as I. Steve Vai, you've got the personality, the talent and a great band. If you want to gain the respect of an adult audience (as Joe Satriani has) just get on with the music and leave the teenage posturing for those twenty years younger than yourself.
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