Audio CD review:
Paul Gilbert - Beehive Live

Paul Gilbert - Beehive Live

Band: Paul Gilbert Title: Beehive Live Rating: Release Date: 09 November, 1999 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Heavy Disco Trip 2: Be My Wife 3: Get It 4: Mr. Skin 5: Down To Mexico 6: Girls Who Can Read Your Mind 7: Tell The Truth 8: Bumblebee 9: Million Dollar Smile 10: Hold Her Tight 11: I'm Just In Love 12: Red Rooster 13: To Be With You 14: Karn Evil 9

Customer Reviews This guy is just amazing Most folks know him as the guitarist for Mr. It's a shame that a true musical genius like Paul Gilbert gets as little recognition as he does. Big (some even know him from Racer-X), and let's face it: those bands faded away several years ago. Paul has been putting out solo records for at least a decade now and they are ALL incredible. As another reviewer wrote, Gilbett is the perfect blend of pop sensibilities and guitar noodling. I totally agree. Gilbert's guitar playing ability is every bit as monstrous as any other shredder out there, but where Gilbert surpasses them all (and I mean ALL) is in the songwriting department. Gilbert writes songs that have melodies--memorable ones--and the guy can sing. Somehow Vai and Satriani are about the only 2 virtuosos who seem to sell records these days, but for my $$$, Gilbert is unbeatable. Though most of Gilbert's songs have ripping solos that'll have you stare at your speakers in disbelief, the songs on any PG release are SONGS first, not 3 or 4 minutes worth of background music with a solo over it. I bought my first PG solo disc on a whim. I had only heard of him via Mr. Big and was never a huge fan. Man am I glad I found his solo work. It really is amazing stuff if you like memorable pop/rock songs with killer guitar solos. The Ultimate Hybrid Of Addictive Songs And Guitar Noodling! The songs themselves are generally light rock / pop and infectiously catchy, with Paul's vocals sounding better than ever. This is a top quality live album from guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert and is possibly his best release to date. Needless to say the guitar playing is top-notch throughout, and there are enough slabs of gonzo guitar to satisfy even the most ardent Gilbert fan. The production too on this album is great and would put many bands studio efforts to shame. Combine this with only the shortest of pauses between the songs and you have a live album with a very polished feel. Overall this is a fine album which perfectly combines the best elements of Paul's recent studio releases (catchy & up-beat songs) with the flashy musicianship of his earlier work. This album should be regarded as an essential purchase for fans of hard rock. And it's also great to hear a matured guitar hero who can still play to impress. As a final point of note this album contains a fantastic cover version of Mr. Big's 'To Be With You', and although the tempo is close to the original the electric guitar work makes it sounds so different. It's cool, and it fits perfectly with the rest of the songs on the album. So go buy it!. Gilbert Still Shreds With The Best Paul's vocals sound particularly good throughout this collection of up-beat and good humoured songs which are far more than platforms for guitar solos. This is a highly enjoyable live album which perfectly illustrates Paul Gilbert's versatile musical skills. Needless to say the quality of the guitar playing is superb with enough lead guitar to satisfy even the most ardent Gilbert fan. There are plenty of harmonized lines (with second guitarist Billt Morris) and improvised jams as well as PG's signature 'terrifying' licks. The production on this album is also fantastic and would put many bands' studio efforts to shame. For these reasons it could possibly be regarded as Paul's best release to date. Overall this is a great album thoroughly deserving a five star rating. The blend of catchy songs and wacky guitar is great and sounds pleasantly familiar yet unique at the same time. Listening to this album is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, so go buy / steal / kill for it, I promise you won't be disappointed! All this and I haven't even mentioned the radically revised cover version of Mr. Big's 'To Be With You'. . You can see a complete list of all Paul Gilbert discography, or go back to the Paul Gilbert tabs