Joe Satriani and
Steve Vai seemed to hog all the press in guitar mags during the late '80s and early '90s, as both six-string shredders scored big with fans of hard-rocking instrumental music. But bassist
Stuart Hamm also received quite a bit of coverage around that time as well, due to the fact that he played alongside the two aforementioned artists. And while his solo recording career didn't move the amount of units that both
Satriani and
Vai did (thanks to such popular titles as
Flying in a Blue Dream and
Passion and Warfare),
Hamm has issued sporadic solo albums along the way, with his first-ever live solo album,
Live Stu x 2 arriving in 2007. Recorded from performances in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, you'll find renditions of tracks from throughout
Hamm's long and winding career, with an emphasis (obviously) on the bass guitar throughout. Included are such early fan favorites as "Terminal Beach" and "Radio Free Albemuth," the latter of which contains some nifty slap funk from
Hamm. Additionally, you'll find tracks that focus solely on
Hamm and his instrument ("Nostalgia") as well as compositions that fully utilize a band in a rock setting ("Lone Star") and an easy listening jazz setting ("Yellow Happy"). And it all ends on a tranquil note, with the almost lullaby-esque "A New Peace."
Stuart Hamm continues to impress with this bass technique, as evidenced throughout
Live Stu x 2. ~ Greg Prato