G3 lineup thoughts?

Anyone ever heard of the G3 lineup?
It’s basically Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and John Petrucci...
So, for those who actually know them—what's your take? How do you feel about their stuff?
Personally, I think they're 👍 👍 👍

I’ve spent plenty of time listening to the G3 trio consisting of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson, though I haven't heard anything involving John Petrucci yet.

And honestly? No... I absolutely don't like it... not even a little bit. Only Johnson works for me. I can't even wrap my head around the other two because I simply cannot stand that style of playing. I can only imagine how much worse it would be if Petrucci joined in... it would be utterly repulsive. Give them credit where it's due—the musicianship is high quality and technically flawless—but for me, it's unlistenable. I prefer Johnson on his own, without those show-offs getting in the way.

...so, there is my take on the whole matter.

Peace out.

So, Eric Johnson stepped down and John Petrucci took his spot... and you're telling me you don't like it because of what??? Too much technicality or something?

Exactly. That’s the issue. I simply cannot stomach that kind of playing or guitarists like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and John Petrucci. To me, that level of technicality isn't music; it's just typing. Don't get me wrong, I respect a world-class technician, but there absolutely must be a soul behind the notes—some sense of depth. I have no patience for shredding at any cost. I despise when a flurry of fast notes exists solely to show off technique, serving as its own reason for being. It should exist within a musical context, dictated by what the song actually requires. Of course, this is subjective; where you find soul, I might find nothing, and vice versa. A perfect example of my point is Al Di Meola. He is a master technician, certainly, but his compositions aren't merely vehicles for him to prove he can shred. Everything he does serves the music. When the moment calls for speed, he flies across the fretboard, but he never forces it just for the sake of it. There is melody and soul there. That is what I look for. You might feel that connection with the G3 trio, but I don't. To me, their music is utterly tedious—dry, monotonous, and flat. There is nothing to grab onto, nothing that triggers a "wow" moment. I tip my hat to their execution, but that's where it ends. It's nothing more than mindless note-stacking.

Greetings...

Alex Martinez4 said:Yeah, that's why. I just can't stand that kind of playing or guitarists like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and John Petrucci. I can't stand all that technicality being shoved into the music. To me, that style is basically just typing on a keyboard. Don't get me wrong, I love it when someone is a top-tier technician, but I absolutely have to feel something in their music—some soul, some substance behind it. I don't want guitar playing to be just a mindless list of notes or a race against the clock. I hate shredding just for the sake of shredding. I hate it when a bunch of fast notes are thrown together just to show off technique, making the skill itself the whole point of existing. I like it when it's used in context, when the song actually calls for it. But I guess it's all subjective; what you feel as soul, I might not. And vice versa. A perfect example of what I'm talking about is Al Di Meola. He's a master technician. But his songs aren't just there so he can prove he's a world-class shredder. Everything is in context, serving the music. If it needs to, he can fly up the neck, but he doesn't force it or feel the need to do it in every single thing he plays. He has soul, he has melody. He has what I'm looking for. Maybe you feel that way about those three from G3, but I don't feel it with Al Di Meola. I just don't feel it with those three. Besides, their music is endlessly boring to me. Dry, monotonous, flat. There's nothing to grab onto where I can say, "Wow!" I respect the technical execution, sure, but that's not it. It's nothing more than just hitting notes.

Hey...

See, this is exactly why people call me a hack..
Cheers, Alex Martinez4! I'm 100% with you on this one! 👍

Yeah, I’m with you on that... everyone’s entitled to their own taste... if we were all exactly the same on this planet, life would be fucking boring!!! 🙂

It's comments like these that make me look like a total hack..
Cheers, Alex Martinez4! I am in complete agreement with this sentiment.

Much appreciated! 🙂

Alright, I'll give you that... everyone is entitled to their own taste... if we were all identical on this planet, life would be incredibly boring!!!

There is an old, wise proverb from Kamchatka: Our differences are precisely what define us. 😁 😁 😁

No, in all seriousness... I am genuinely grateful for those variations... and I find satisfaction in being able to debate and hold opposing views without someone perceiving it as a personal attack and retaliating with insults. That is the only way forward.....🙂 👍 🙂 👍 👍

I’m a huge fan of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and John Petrucci. Also love Dustin Johnson, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, and Pat Metheny. Oh, and Jason Becker too. And Jeff Beck. Honestly? I just really love myself.

Not really my thing, though—Yngwie Malmsteen.

Alex Martinez4, you might actually dig An evening with John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess. It's got a bit of that classical vibe to it.

Bryan Barrett said:Alex Martinez4, maybe give "An evening with John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess" a listen. It’s got a bit of that classical touch.

Do you actually have that???? Where on earth did you find it????

Alex Martinez4 said:No, seriously... I’m actually grateful for all the different perspectives here. It’s refreshing when you can debate someone or hold a different opinion without them taking it as some massive personal insult and immediately firing back with more insults. That's how we should keep it...🙂 👍 🙂 👍 👍

Look... we aren't savages... though there are definitely still some out there...😢 😢

[QUOTE]Justin Taylor says:
you got that???? where on earth did you find it???? [/QUOTE

I downloaded it, obviously. How else would you do it? 🙂
You want me to fry your hard drive or something? 😁[/QUOTE]

Oh man, please... I would be eternally grateful if you could do this 😁

Just shoot me a DM then and drop your address.

Bryan Barrett said:Alex Martinez4, you might want to check out An evening with John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess. It has a bit of a classical touch.

I see... thanks for the tip, I'll look for that album. I am always open to discovering something new. Could you elaborate on what you mean by this "classical touch"? Did they perform actual classical compositions, or is it just the style? Is it an acoustic set? If it is, I might actually find Petrucci appealing. My feelings toward him are much like my view on Voja Stefanovski: I cannot stand his electric playing, yet I absolutely adore him on acoustic when he's paired with someone like Boris Tadić. Perhaps Petrucci will be similar. Go ahead and describe the album so I have a better idea of what to expect. Thanks.🙂

First off, sorry for being so slow to get back to you, but my internet connection is absolute garbage today. 😠

They played their own original stuff (live), but you could honestly call it classical in a way—those Jordan Rudess keyboard parts and the acoustic sections give it that specific vibe. The guitar and keys just weave together; the music feels really fluid even though the tracks run pretty long (around 9 minutes). It gets a bit frantic at certain points, but mostly it’s all about building those melodies. And man, you don't even need to talk about the technique when JP is involved. There are moments where it reminds me of Al Di Meola, but then again, that’s just his style. He mixes acoustic and electric guitar so well. It’s basically Petrucci in a different light, showing off how much range he actually has. If you want, shoot me a PM and I'll send it over to you.

I’d also suggest checking out two things by Jason Becker—Air and Altitudes; just so you can see how metal guys can play incredibly beautiful, light, and atmospheric stuff too.

As for Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, sometimes (okay, often) they tend to go a little overboard with the technical "self-indulgence," but it doesn't bother me that much. I value technique just as much as feeling, since they're really two sides of the same coin.😉 I think it's a different story with John Petrucci (listen to the solos on Voices, Learning to Live, Under a Glass Moon, and Take the Time); he’s managed to perfectly balance insane technique with actual soul.

BillGatesMustDie, you're my new hero!

And no, I'm not sucking up just to get you to send me An evening with John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess...😁

Nah, I should probably send you some rolls and chocolate milk first. 😁 😁 😁

Bryan Barrett said:Nah, I'll just send you some pancakes and chocolate milk instead. 😁 😁 😁

you're killing me here😳 😁

No, I just think the solo on Voices is one of the best ever. And what is John Petrucci doing on Metropolis Pt. 1? It's unreal.

Henry Barrett11 said:Man, you really riled me up.😳 😁

Nah, I just think that solo on Voices is one of the best ever recorded. And what's John Petrucci doing on Metropolis Pt. 1? Unbelievable.

And that extended solo on Take the Time (Once in a Lifetime version)???
John Petrucci 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

Alex Martinez4 said:Yes, precisely. I simply cannot stand that style of playing or guitarists like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and John Petrucci. I can't stomach that level of technicality being forced into the music. To me, that kind of playing is just finger-tapping gymnastics. Of course, I respect a world-class technician, but there absolutely must be a sense of soul behind it—something deeper. I don't want a guitar performance to be nothing more than a list of notes or a race against the clock. I have no patience for showing off at any cost. I hate when a flurry of fast notes exists solely to demonstrate technique, where the player becomes their own sole purpose. I appreciate it when it serves the context, when the song actually demands it. But then again, it’s subjective; where you feel the soul, I might not, and vice versa. A perfect example of what I'm talking about is Al Di Meola. He is a master technician, certainly. But his compositions aren't just vehicles for him to prove he's a shredder. It all stays within the musical context. When the moment calls for it, he can fly up the fretboard, but he doesn't violate the music just to force it into every single bar. There is soul, there is melody. It has what I look for. You might feel that connection with those three from G3, but I don't feel it with Al Di Meola. In fact, I feel nothing for those three. Beyond that, their music is endlessly tedious to me. Dry, monotonous, flat. There is nothing to grab onto that makes me say, "Wow!" I tip my hat to the technical execution, but that isn't the point. It's nothing more than mindless note-crunching.

Greetings...

Bravo... for me, that applies to the entirety of Dream Theater, which is why I can't stand them... to my ears, it's just unbearable listening because everything is too precise, too perfect...