| Fire Garden | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 17, 1996 | |||
| Studio | Mothership (Hollywood Hills) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 74:05 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Steve Vai | |||
| Steve Vai chronology | ||||
| ||||
Fire Garden is the fourth studio album by guitarist Steve Vai, released on September 17, 1996, through Epic Records. [1] The album reached No. 106 on the U.S. Billboard 200 [2] and remained on that chart for two weeks, [3] as well as reaching the top 100 in three other countries. [4]
As described by Vai in the liner notes, Fire Garden is a concept album divided into two "phases": [1] [5] "Phase 1" comprises tracks 1–9 and is entirely instrumental (with the exception of Devin Townsend's backwards vocals on "Whookam" and some more vocals toward the end of "Fire Garden Suite"), while "Phase 2", the remainder of the album, features Vai on vocals on every song except the instrumental "Warm Regards". Fire Garden was intended to be a double album, but during mastering Vai heard about the new 80-minute CD format (instead of 74 for a standard CD), which meant that both sides were able to fit onto a single disc. [6]
"Dyin' Day" was co-written by Ozzy Osbourne during the writing sessions for Osbourne's 1995 album Ozzmosis . Another song from those sessions, "My Little Man", made its way onto Ozzmosis and is credited on that album as being co-written by Vai.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine at AllMusic gave Fire Garden four stars out of five, calling it "An impressive effort from a musician who continues to grow and stretch himself with each new release" and "enjoyable for non-guitar freaks, as well." He said that Vai's vocals "still have a way to go before they are as expressive as his instrumental work, but this subtle and dense concept album is the closest he's ever gotten to integrating the two sides of his musical personality together." [1]
All tracks are written by Steve Vai, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "There's a Fire in the House" | 5:26 |
| 2. | "The Crying Machine" | 4:50 |
| 3. | "Dyin' Day" (Vai, Ozzy Osbourne) | 4:29 |
| 4. | "Whookam" | 0:36 |
| 5. | "Blowfish" | 4:03 |
| 6. | "The Mysterious Murder of Christian Tiera's Lover" | 1:02 |
| 7. | "Hand on Heart" | 5:25 |
| 8. | "Bangkok" | 2:46 |
| 9. | "Fire Garden Suite"
| 9:56 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Deepness" | 0:47 |
| 11. | "Little Alligator" | 6:12 |
| 12. | "All About Eve" | 4:38 |
| 13. | "Aching Hunger" | 4:45 |
| 14. | "Brother" | 5:04 |
| 15. | "Damn You" | 4:31 |
| 16. | "When I Was a Little Boy" | 1:18 |
| 17. | "Genocide" | 4:11 |
| 18. | "Warm Regards" | 4:06 |
| Total length: | 74:05 | |
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish albums chart [4] | 22 |
| French albums chart [4] | 30 |
| Dutch albums chart [4] | 85 |
| US Billboard 200 [2] | 106 |
Steven Siro Vai is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist for Frank Zappa, and played in Zappa's band from 1980 to 1983. He embarked on a solo career in 1983 and has released eight solo albums to date. He has recorded and toured with Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake, as well as recording with artists such as Public Image Ltd, Mary J. Blige, Spinal Tap, Alice Cooper, Motörhead, and Polyphia. Additionally, Vai has toured with live-only acts G3, Zappa Plays Zappa, and the Experience Hendrix Tour, as well as headlining international tours.
Devin Garrett Townsend is a Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He founded extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad and was its primary songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist from 1994 to 2007. He has also had an extensive solo career and has released a total of 28 albums across all of his projects as of 2022.
Ozzmosis is the seventh studio album by English heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. Recorded in Paris and New York with producer Michael Beinhorn, it was released on 23 October 1995 by Epic Records. The album reached number 22 on the UK Albums Chart and number four on the US Billboard 200. "Perry Mason", "See You on the Other Side" and "I Just Want You" were released as singles.
Passion and Warfare is the second studio album by guitarist Steve Vai, released on May 22, 1990, through Relativity and Epic Records. It has been certified Gold by the RIAA.
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Sex & Religion is the third studio album by American guitarist Steve Vai, released under the band name "Vai" on July 23, 1993, through Relativity Records. It is known as the first major appearance of Devin Townsend, who performed vocals for the album and went on to fame with Devin Townsend Project and Strapping Young Lad. Townsend also co-wrote the tracks "Pig" and "Just Cartilage", the latter of which was only released as a bonus track in Japan. Vai also co-wrote "In My Dreams with You" with Desmond Child and Roger Greenawalt.
Alien Love Secrets is an EP by guitarist Steve Vai, released on March 21, 1995, through Relativity Records. The EP reached No. 125 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for two weeks, as well as reaching No. 72 on the Dutch albums chart.
The Ultra Zone is the sixth studio album by guitarist Steve Vai, released on September 7, 1999, through Epic Records.
Crystal Planet is the seventh studio album by the guitarist Joe Satriani, released on March 3, 1998, by Epic Records. It was his first album to be released on Epic, whereas his previous six albums were released by Relativity Records. Crystal Planet reached No. 50 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for eight weeks, as well as reaching the top 100 in five other countries. "Ceremony" was released as a single, reaching No. 28 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and featuring Satriani's first recorded use of a seven-string guitar, namely the Ibanez Universe. "A Train of Angels" was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1999 Grammy Awards, Satriani's ninth such nomination.
Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing is the debut studio album by Canadian extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad. It was released on April 4, 1995. Century Media Europe released a remastered version of the album on June 12, 2006, which includes the video for "S.Y.L.", several bonus tracks, and a 12-page booklet containing extended liner notes.
City is the second studio album by Canadian extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad, released on February 11, 1997. Frontman Devin Townsend assembled a permanent lineup of Strapping Young Lad to record the album, including prolific drummer Gene Hoglan, and Townsend's former bandmates Jed Simon on guitar and Byron Stroud on bass. The album was critically acclaimed, with Revolver naming it one of "the greatest metal albums of all time", and it is widely considered Strapping Young Lad's best work. The album was re-released in 2007 with several bonus tracks and altered cover art.
Infinity is the third solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and the first released under his real name. The album was released in October 1998 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.
Synchestra is the eighth solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and the second and final album he recorded with The Devin Townsend Band. The album was released in January 2006 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.
Ocean Machine: Biomech is the second studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, originally released as Biomech under the name Ocean Machine. The album was released in July 1997 via Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.
Venus Isle is the third studio album by guitarist Eric Johnson, released on September 3, 1996, through Capitol Records. The album reached No. 51 on the U.S. Billboard 200, the highest position in Johnson's career, and remained on that chart for six weeks. "Pavilion" was released as a single and reached No. 33 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, while its B-side "S.R.V." is a tribute to guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and features his elder brother Jimmie Vaughan as a guest soloist. "Camel's Night Out" is featured as downloadable content for the video game Guitar Hero World Tour (2008) and can also be exported to Guitar Hero 5 (2009).
Jedson Louis Simon is a Canadian guitarist. He was a member of supergroup Scar the Martyr and has been a member of numerous metal bands, including Front Line Assembly, Strapping Young Lad, Zimmers Hole, Tenet, and Vimic.
Mystery Tracks – Archives Vol. 3 is the 12th studio album released by guitarist Steve Vai. It is the third in a series of discs collecting unreleased tracks, demo recordings and other bits. The track Speeding is a playable song in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, although it is a re-recording.
This Is Volume 4 in "The Secret Jewel Box".
Empath is the eighteenth studio album by Canadian metal musician Devin Townsend, released on his own label HevyDevy Records on March 29, 2019. It is his first solo album since Dark Matters, which was a part of the 2014 double album Z², and his first release to act solely as a solo album since 2007's Ziltoid the Omniscient.
The Puzzle and Snuggles are the nineteenth and the twentieth studio albums by Canadian metal musician Devin Townsend, released on his own label HevyDevy Records on December 3, 2021.
Lightwork is the twenty-first studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, released on November 4, 2022. The album has been described by Devin as a return to a "song oriented album", with "more traditional arrangements", after his latest releases. Lyrically, the album addresses the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic, while reflecting about the post-pandemic future.
