bom

A tour de force of guitar players Steve Vai has known rock around the Christmas tree in this must-have Yuletide album. Vai, who began his career as a member of Frank Zappa's band and in more recent years has been David Lee Roth's partner in crime, transcends both roles by playing matchmaker between a few of our more inventive (albeit overlooked) guitar slingers and some of the best-loved Christmas carols. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer's proboscis has never glowed quite so brightly as when Kenny Wayne Shepherd cranks up his guitar and takes us down an edgy blues journey. Eric Johnson's clear-as-a-Christmas-bell tones are a joy to listen to in his rendition of "The First Nowell." The standout, however, is Jeff Beck's haunting and emotional "Amazing Grace.

Steve Vai takes the concept of pairing guitar shredders and Christmas classics one step further, putting another string of pickers on the tree with a little less spectacular results than on his first outing. Which isn't to say that this album is a lump of coal. There are some riveting moments, especially when Steve Stevens dry-gulches "Do You Hear What I Hear," first lulling the listener into reverential submission with an almost medieval rendering of this time-honored classic, then shifting gears and jetting into Christmas future with some unconventional note-bending. Ted Nugent's "Deck the Halls" reminds one why the Amboy Dukes and Damn Yankees were appealing, before the Nuge filled himself full of hot air. An added plus is Robin Trower's rather restrained "O Little Town of Bethlehem." One complaint: the players tend to lose the melody line in their efforts to tart up Christmas classics into something experimental

Vol 1

Tracklist:
01 - Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
02 - Eric Johnson - The First Nowell
03 - Jeff Beck - Amazing Grace
04 - Brian Setzer - Jingle Bells
05 - Joe Satriani - Silent Night, Holy Night Jam
06 - Steve Morse - Joy To The World
07 - Steve Vai - Christmas Time Is Here
08 - Joe Perry - Blue Christmas
09 - Alex Lifeson - The Drummer Boy
10 - Richie Sambora - Cantique De Noel (O' Holy Night)
11 - Hotei - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)



Vol. 2

Tracklist:
01 - Steve Lukather - The Christmas Song
02 - Neal Schon - O Come, O Come Emmanuel
03 - Steve Stevens - Do You Hear What I Hear
04 - Stu Hamm - Sleigh Ride
05 - Trevor Rabin - O Come All Ye Faithful
06 - Zakk Wylde - White Christmas
07 - John Sykes - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
08 - Robin Trower - O Little Town Of Bethlehem
09 - Al Di Meola - Carol Of The Bells
10 - Ted Nugent - Deck The Halls