Vai can shred with the best of them, but he can also play with "soul"...

http://www.youtube.com/wa...teve%20vai

BlaqueKnight said:

It's funny...I saw the last G3 from Tokyo and two things stood out to me.

The first thing is Steve Vai is the only guitarist on the tour that actually decides to wear a shirt and slacks while he plays. Satriani, while bothering to learn Japanese to greet the audience, walks out in a tshirt and jeans. Petrucci wore a shirt but also wore jeans.

It seems like a little thing, but I kinda expect a performer to actually look as if he didn't roll out of bed to come before an audience. It's a pet peeve of mine from way back. Now no one wants to go back to the 70's Earth Wind and Fire days, but if you have enough respect for your own talent, hey, dress up a little.

The more important thing I discovered is that Steve Vai was my favorite on the tour and my second favorite guitarist. He can do it all...

Also bought the Tony MacAlpine essentials collection. Every song was a neoclassical Yngwie lovefest. After the first song, bored to tears. It all sounded the same.

His name is Stevie Vai
And he's a crazy guy
Last November, I recall,
He needed a spanking

He decided then
A female specimen
Would be excitin' for a night
To give him a spanking

Laurel was her name
She came to Notre Dame
He told me just the other day
He oughta be thanking
Her for the spanking

She was large and soft
And she beat him off
Made him drool upon his dork
And gave him a wanking
After the spanking

Hair brush!
Oh! What a hair brush!
(Its not that he requires grooming!
Guys with light blue hair never do!)

Then she did explain:
There's another game
That we can play with this device,
And then a banana!

It was slightly green
Vapors in between
Rising up to fill the room
And cook the banana

She said it was dry
Stevie won't you try
To drool a little drool on it
And grease the banana

Later in the dawn
Laurel carried on
She got right up and dressed herself and
Ate the banana

- Frank Zappa

BlaqueKnight said:

That is not correct. Vai bought a Prince live bootleg in Japan which had "Tender Surrender" on it (according to the tracklist). In fact, it was Prince's version of "Villanova Junction" by Hendrix. Both songs are said to be rather similar, so Vai thought Prince covered his song (and was excited about it, since he is a Prince fan).

Paisley Park has confirmed that Prince never covered "Tender Surrender".

There was a thread about this story quite a while ago.

Apart from Malmsteen Vai is the most technically gifted player on earth; NO QUESTION

mikek1 said:

I guess that might be true for the pop/rock scene. There are plenty of fantastic guitar players in classical music (accoustic guitar, of course) and in Jazz.

mikek1 said:

Vai is not only technically gifted in that he can play all the shred you could ever want and probably imitate everyone from Hendrix to Malmsteen to Satriani, but he is also just so damn versatile. He can do anything he wants to on guitar and make it all sound different, alive, exciting, raw, polished, passionate, and God Knows How Many Emotions.

Malmsteen playing the blues is like Prince playing the accordian. They may know what notes to hit, but it just sounds wrong...

EmancipationLover said:

Sorry, I didn't know. I don't read every thread on Prince.org.

BlaqueKnight said:

PREACH! And for the orgers who say that Prince, (my favorite guitarist), is the Alpha and Omega of rock guitar, Steve Vai has always given Prince props as a player and a performer.

BlaqueKnight said:

Doesn't matter in the end. What counts is that they both seem to appreciate each other (I think Vai was once invited to Paisley Park). At least Vai is not one of these metal heads who dismiss Prince just because of his personality or the colour of his skin, as Prince is not one of these R'n'B guys who think of Vai as just another white rock musician.

Prince bites Vai alot.

Alasseon said:

Using Earth Wind & Fire's costumes (or the Jacksons, Isleys, Commodores, et. al) as an example of "dressing up" is kinda laughable. There are a lot of people who don't come to see whether Joe Satriani wears khakis and a dress shirt - they just want to hear some great guitar playing. I don't see it as disrespecting one's talent, though. That sounds like something a non-musician might say. I've seen cats (and I've done so myself) get up in "street clothes" to play gigs. Didn't matter one bit what we wore (or didn't wear). Unless you're Boys to Men or New Edition, those days of dressing up are kinda over. Well, cats on the oldies circuits like the Tempts still do it...

Dressing up in your jeans and t-shirt never stopped Springsteen either...

I do, however, dress up for church gigs. That's a given, for the most part.

I misread your Earth Wind & Fire comment - sorry about that Still, I don't agree that not dressing up disrespects one's talent. This ain't jazz - it's rock 'n roll!!!

Vai is amazing and I was one of the first people I know to pick-up his first album "Flexable" but his music just lacks emotional energy to me. Clearly, not to other people because I know a lot of fans who must be feelin it.

Live, he plays like everybody else. He uses a lot of tape effects and studio trickery when he records, so don't think he is as good as he seems. Prince and many others beat him on the soul beat.

JesseDezz said:

Yeah, I know. I'm sick that way. It's kinda like what Steve Harvey said--the peoples pay dey money, ya gotta look good...

In a small club, let's say, like CBGB's or a gig like that, it's no big deal. I just appreciate how Prince always takes every aspect of the performance under consideration.

I want the performer to somehow look special...LOL, which has NOTHING to do with how the music sounds.

Bowie hits the stage and it's a show... Iggy Pop hits the stage and I really would be disappointed if he wore a shirt, 'cause that's *his* look.

Wait until I perform in front of a crowd larger than five people and I may change my mind...

I hear 'ya - a P show is definitely an experience

Steve & Prince are very alike.

Both talented multi-instrumentallists, composers, arrangers, producers, sometimes too good for their own good.

Both visually inclined towards the ornate & flashy.

Steve has an album called Sex & Religion. If that's not Prince I don't know what is!

Steve is misunderstood, lumped in with a group of musicians with much less talent, just like Prince.