DVD Audio review:
Paul Gilbert - Alligator Farm

Paul Gilbert - Alligator Farm

Band: Paul Gilbert Title: Alligator Farm Rating: Release Date: 26 June, 2001 Media: DVD Audio Tracks: 1: Better Chords 2: Individually Twisted 3: Cut, Cut, Cut 4: Alligator Farm 5: Attitude Boy Will Overcome 6: 2 Become 1 7: Lancelot Link 8: Rosalinda Told Me 9: Let the Computer Decide [Instrumental] 10: Koto Girl 11: Dreamed Victoria 12: Six Billion People 13: Ballad of the Last Lions 14: Whole Lotta Sonata [Instrumental]

Customer Reviews Very Broad Mix of Great Stuff Better Chords -- very cool, punkish vibe about it. 1. . . good kick in the pants to get things started but only a minute long. . . should've made a "real" song out of it, because the vibe is great! (3/5) 2. Individually Twisted -- very catchy pop/rock tune with a couple guitar transitions that might not fit the song that well, but are just what we all want to hear from Pablo! Main guitar solo kicks tail and does fit the song perfectly. (4/5) 3. Cut, Cut, Cut -- cut, as in "cut all the ties". . . think of being in a stinky relationship and cutting all the ties, then blazing down the road scenting that sweet smell of freedom. . . Gilbert catches that vibe and runs with it here. Punk music, though, with no guitar solo: just a straight-forward uptempo punk rocker. (4/5) 4. Alligator Farm -- uptempo swing rocker; catchy and kinda funny, great guitar sprinkled throughout; imagine the Setzer's Stray Cats with Gilbert on guitar. Hey: it works -- catchy as hell and he really rips it up! (4/5) 5. Attitude Boy Will Overcome -- Straight-forward, in-your-face, uptempo rock and roll with gobs of screaming guitar and all kinds of attitude: this is why we listen to Paul Gilbert. If this doesn't get you out of your seat, you are surely dead! (5/5 and then some!) 6. 2 Become 1 -- Incredibly cheesy ballad that is so over-the-top you swear that he's intentionally doing a parody of the sappy garbage you hear elsewhere. I really hope it's not a serious song, but the music is excellent making me think he's serious. . . but the words are total puke. . . also his vocals don't quite cut it on slow stuff either. . . the redeeming factor is the humor, though: I can't take it seriously, and because of that it's kind of funny. (2/5) 7. Lancelot Link -- non-serious acoustic strumming with vocals that make very little sense; kinda funny but not really worth our attention. Like an inner joke that we don't get(?). Anyway, it's very short so don't let it sway your decision to buy. (1/5) 8. Rosalinda Told Me Your Name -- mid-tempo (nowhere near fast, but not a ballad) and I don't want to like this song, but it's just so danged catchy. . . reminds me of some of those interesting chord progressions Nuno Bettencourt would come up with on Extreme's 3rd CD. (3/5) 9. Let the Computer Decide -- instrumental: really wicked shredding; has a vocal statement about a third of the way in saying, "First we'll check every component inside out, next we'll compile all the data. . . then we'll let the computer decide. " Interesting song, seems to have some meaning, and I reiterate: REALLY wicked guitar! (5/5) 10. Koto Girl -- slower number, a ballad about a girl from Koto who goes and gets famous and Paul is lusting after. . . I dare say it's touching, BUT most of us don't really listen to Paul for this kind of stuff, and there are unfortunately some cheesy lyrics mixed into the otherwise decent story. . . although his vocals are better than in track 6. . . overall it doesn't quite float my boat, but isn't bad. (3/5) 11. Dreamed Victoria -- another midtempo one not unlike track 8. . . not quite as catchy as that on, though, but is along those lines and roughly similar in overall quality. Aside: is it just me or could this be a bonus track on Dream Theater's "Scenes from a Memory"? Not for the music as there's no Portnoy or Rudess here, but for the story/lyrics? The similarity is almost startling. . . (3/5) 12. Six Billion People -- very jazzy and catchy, captures the silly nature of love and isn't generally what you look for in a Gilbert CD, but is a very pleasant surprise: this is just plain good music. . . and even if you don't like it, it's short. (4/5) 13. The Ballad of the Last Lions -- uptempo, rousing ballad, packs a very good punch. . . extended guitar solos a-la Free Bird (seriously, except on this song it's Gilbert really ripping the guitar to pieces, not that the guys in Skynyrd can't play, but they are NOT Paul Gilbert!) Anyway - this is just plain good music that makes you feel like you can conquer the world. (5/5) 14. Whole Lotta Sonata -- Paul plays Mozart. Brilliant, but I prefer either Gilberto Concerto or Haydn's No. 88 from other CD's. Despite that slight preference, this still kills. (5/5) Overall (4/5) : Anything I gave a 4 or better is particularly good to me, so that makes 8 really good songs - well over a half hour of quality stuff. . . if you just want screaming guitar, then his more recent "Get Out of My Yard" is all instrumental and much preferable, or even the old Racer X stuff. This is darned good, though, and if you really like neo-classical stuff, then "Whole Lotta Sonata" is worth the price of the entire CD. Attitude Boy and the Last Lions ballad are also worth the price of admission entirely on their own. . Thumbs up!! Paul showcases excellent songwriting sensibilities while keeping his blazing guitar work prominently displayed. I don't know what to say other than this is a really good cd. Some songs sound very punk influenced while others, were they promoted, could easily be Top 40 standards. If you've ever been a Paul Gilbert or Mr. Big fan, you should definitely check this one out. Excellent when he rocks - indifferent when he doesn't However after that inital thrill the rest of the album is a little disjointed - An unnecessary cover version of The Spice Girls 'Two Become One', a mind-blowing instrumental 'Let The Computer Decide', the infectious 'Rosalinda Told Me', a fun jazzy interlude, as well as a few other 'softer' pop / rock songs which seem to nestle slightly uneasily in the context of Paul's recent solo work. The first five songs on this album are superbly catchy poppy / punk / shred songs that supuss virtually everything that Paul has ever done (and for people not in the know this man has recorded some of the coolest rock songs over the last 15 years). Being diplomatic I would describe this as an album with 'high-points' - and the high points do justify the cost of the album. But after the wonderfully consistent 'Flying Dog' the awesome 'Beehive Live' and the excellent Racer X reunion 'Technical Difficulties', Paul has set an incredibly high standard for himself and this therefore comes as a bit of let down. This man is a great songwriter and an intelligent singer as well as being one of the greatest ever rock guitarists, but a little less diversity in song tempos and styles would more appreciated by this fan at least !!. . You can see a complete list of all Paul Gilbert discography, or go back to the Paul Gilbert tabs