Conference napalm::guitar

Is the new album even released yet?  I've asked about it at four different 
record stores and none of them have heard of it.

Greg

Yeah, supposedly.  I've also tried several music stores with no sucess.
GUITAR magazine had a cover story on Vai last month and they talked like
the album had been released.  

I wonder how this effort will stack up against Satch and Blues...

jc (BIG Vai fan)

Just a nit, but wasn't that Guitar Player magazine that had Vai on the cover?

    -1
    
    Doesn't matter...Vai ia on EVERY cover (and has been for the last two
    months...yawn!)
    
    I wanna see a full-feature article on Ronnie LeTekro!!!  I think he's
    better than Vai!

It was Guitar Player that I had...  Thats what I meant...How come you
didn't pick up onwhat I *meant* to say ?  Sheeeeesh, I gotta spell everything
out ?
;)

Okay, okay, I'll listen to TNT.

;)
jc

    
    
    Steve who?    ;)

                                     
    I'm sick of reading about Steve Vai and Joe Satriani - sure they
    are both good players, but on the covers of all the magazines for
    3 months ? Thats a bit excessive!

Agreed.  Media hype is a little oppresive, but I still love Vai's style.

Interesting article in Guitar Worlds MAY issue with Nuno Bettencourt,
Reb Beach and Richie Kotzen.  Read up boize.

jc

    -1
    
    What was so interesting about it?
    
    I thought it was slack!  Nuno is an idiot, Kichie is a great player,
    but doesn't have the soul that Reb Beach has...I was bored to sit there
    and listen to them all dribble about this, that, and other misc crap!
    
    

I kinda liked how they talked about their influences.  I like the
fact that these new guitar "heros" aren't intimidated by past 
heros like Page, Beck, Clapton etc...

I also think that those three are doing a lot for guitar playing
in general, and like to read about how they got ideas for songs etc.

What can I say ?  I'm a sap.

jc

    re: .7
    
    Needless to say, you're gonna HAVE to get used to this type of 
    'media hype'.  Satch and Vai are your typical 'guitar heroes' which
    *everybody* wants to read about.  Hence, they all go out a buy
    all the rags which contain pics of their 'heroes', but unfortunately
    the articles consist of the same old garbage (i.e., Gee, what kind
    of strings do YOU use, Satch?  Oh, I use Diaddario's!).  Then the
    rest of the rag contains Diaddario adds show yet another picture
    of our 'hero' alledgedly using their strings.
    
    It's all a big money game.  Too bad for Satch, though, 'cause someone
    out there is spending hours a day listening to his records so that
    he can play the same stuff, only 20 miles an hour faster.  He'll
    be the new hero, Satriani will be put out to pasture like all the
    rest, and everyone's new hero will appear on the cover of these
    magazines.
    
    Yes, it's overkill, but they'll milk it for what it's worth!
    
    Mike

	Anybody have any idea who was in the line-up for 1910 Fruitgum?
	Did Kama Sutra have a stable of studio guys on the Fruitgum
	and Ohio Express cuts? Didn't Lou (1-2-3 Red Light) Christy
	end up on Kama Sutra?

	Fess up all you lovers of sugary pink latex!

    I don't think you have to get used to the hype. 
    There are so many places and situations in this world, if you stay out
    of music stores, record stores, don't read music rags, no MTV, 
    you  will see almost no Vai or Satriani.
     They have saturated a small market with Vai and Satch but if you
    look from the perpective of 95% of the people around you they've never
    heard of them. 
    
    Well maybe not (% but a great deal.. 
    

>                    <<< Note 1823.13 by VLNVAX::ALECLAIRE >>>
>    I don't think you have to get used to the hype. 
>    There are so many places and situations in this world, if you stay out
>    of music stores, record stores, don't read music rags, no MTV, 
>    you  will see almost no Vai or Satriani.
>     They have saturated a small market with Vai and Satch but if you
>    look from the perpective of 95% of the people around you they've never
>    heard of them. 
    
    I agree!  I avoid all of the places, things above and never heard of
    these guys until I started reading in here.
    
    Mike

I read the Guitar Player interview with Steve Vai last night (couldn't sleep)
and I found it quite interesting.  Despite the incredible level of hype he's
receiving lately, I find Vai an intriguing character.

He talked a lot about where the ideas for the songs on new solo album came 
from and gave some interesting insight to his own character and musical 
motivations.

I don't really care what anyone else thinks of him, but for myself it 
wouldn't matter if he's the guy that lives around the corner or the guy 
with a photo on every guitar rags cover, I would still find him equally 
facinating.  Unlike many of the musicians around, Vai is intelligent, 
articulate, and comes across as honest and not pompous.  I find this quite
different from many of the other people I've read about in these same 
magazines.  Joe Satriani strikes me the same way.  Perhaps this is why
they are such popular subjects for interviews (because people can actually
read and appreciate what they say).

I'd much rather read yet another interview with Steve Vai, who I believe is
relatively humble and genuine, then to read 10 interviews with big headed
egomaniacs who have nothing to say to me except how great they are or how
many people they've had superficial sex with or something equally 
uninteresting!

You may say that this latest interview is just another of the same, but it
didn't strike me that way.  I enjoyed reading it and believe that I actually
learned some things from having done so.

JMHO of course,
Greg

         
    I read that article too Greg, interesting though it was, it was
    packed to the brim with bullsh*t!
                            
    Yo JC, I read that Nuno/Reb/Ritchie Interview and thourghly enjoyed
    it - Its great to read about players who aren't sat boasting about
    there chops or about how they intend to conquer the world. I loved
    the bit about modes!! :- Nuno : "Whats are modes?" "Oh I new that,
    I just didn't know what it was called".
                                           
    Buck, I agree with the fact that from a knowledge point of view
    it was a bit thin, but a bit of light reading of this sort never hurt 
    anyone.
    
    MO.
    -Tony
    

    Hey, Eddie VanHalen went through the same media blitz too.  I'd much
    rather see/hear an interview from Vai, Satch, or EVH, who I feel are
    musicians first, showmen/businessmen second.  Goobs (imo ...) like
    whatshisname for Nitro just give me a pain - "I can do X faster than
    any human or machine !".  Really kinda funny - Clapton probably hears
    this and just sits back in his easy chair, counting his millions ! B^)
    
    Scary

    I bet more people, alot more, have heard of Valerie Bertinelli than
    Eddie Van Halen. Those sit-coms on prime time TV saturate a lot more
    audience than the music rags, excepty for the news they maybe saturate 
    the biggest audience. 
    	( Co-incidently, the actors are usually paid
    only a weekly fee, with only big names getting residuals from re-runs.
    Music is potentially more profitable for the performer.) 
    
    I think Valarie's  ALOT better looking than any of those guys, too! 
    :-)
    
    	I think among these guys there must be some kind of competition as
    to who can be the most outrageous, concieted thwip. 
    Clapton is God, Eddie invented Heavy Metal guitar, Vai is God, the list
    goes on and on! Segovia once in a letter to the New York Times raged
    about a guitar he had ( Hauser ) as being the greatest guitar ever
    built, gimme a break.  I paraphrased that letter somewhere in here
    about my Bich but no one got the joke, I thought.
    
    Toenail who thinks the I'm better than you game is fun, and who knows
    about fights they had at concerts 100 years ago about the same thing!

RE: Greg

Vai is a RIOT !

I get a real charge out of hearing where he gets his ideas for his
tunes;  He actually hears his guitar speak, cry and whatever !
And I agree, that he's not like all the other speedie-bozos.

Vai doesn't play the 'put up or shut up game'.

Gotta love it

I have only looked at a guitar mag once - my teacher gave me a copy that had
a full transcription for Layla.  In thumbing through this rag I came across
the section called "In the Listening Room".  Vai and Satriani were giving their
opinions on tunes that were being played.  These two guys were familiar with
almost all of the tunes.  They did come to one blues number they didn't 
recognize.  One of them says "Whew, I wouldn't want to meet the dude just after 
he recorded that."  The other said something like, "Yeah I can't play that kind 
of style".  They were surprised when they were told that it was Clapton from 
his days with the Blues Breakers.

re: Tony

>    I read that article too Greg, interesting though it was, it was
>    packed to the brim with bullsh*t!

Yeah, I never denied that.  Just said that I enjoyed it and got something 
out of it for myself.

It wasn't completly devoid of musical content though, you just had to read
a little around the bull, like the fact that Vai has been recording things 
(sometimes just sounds that interested him) since he was in his teens and 
still has and uses these tapes today. 

It also said that he gets some of his musical ideas from his dreams and he's
been keeping a log of what he dreamed about for several years.  That's an 
interesting perspecive on the dream process for me.  I've written about dreams
before and thought about them from a psychological standpoint (trying to 
figure out why on earth I might have dreamed about some particular thing
mostly), but I never thought about thinking about them simply as abstracts 
that might be used to begin writing a song.

Regardless of whether it has anything to do with his music or not, he has 
some interesting perspecives on things.  Whether you agree with them or not,
it can make for some entertaining reading.  I figure that no interview type
article can contain nothing but musical information.  I'd rather read about 
someone's personal eccentricities then about how may groupies they've boffed
or how much smack they shoot.

Greg

    The album should be in the stores tommorow (Tuesday, May 22).
    
    Now as to whether Vai is really deserving of all the hype he gets,
    my answer is "Hell Yes".
    
    IMO, he is *NOT* yet another "Varney guy".  He is ANYTHING but that.
    For one thing, his stuff strikes me as very musical and very much
    from the soul.  Not only doesn't he sound like a dozen other guys,
    but there is tremendous eclecticism in his playing - no two songs
    even sound alike.  And he consistently seeks to try something new
    every time - that's why he's been in so many diverse bands.
    
    I think that what it boils down to, is this is a guy with the
    unbeatable combination of having incredible "ears" (what allows
    him to hear and immediately immitate notes in speech), talent,
    blazing chops, and artistry/creativity.
    
    I'm REALLY looking forward to this album.   I'm very anxious to promote
    Vai into the ("my") Morse/Satch/Carlton category and this album sounds
    like the medium that would be required - I've always known he was
    talented enough.
    
    	db

    
    
     Have people forgotten where Steve came from.  Why from Frank
    Zappa.  That in itself should tell you about and backup where he
    gets his inovations from.
    
      Vai is great!  don't rag on him join him...
    

after seeing Vai I came to the conclusion that he's one of the best in the 
business, musically and technically.


IMHO

dbii

    
    Anybody schooled by Satch is A-O-Tay with me too.

    
    	After hearing a tape of SRV playing the blues while we were
    	packing the truck after a gig saturday night, I heard a cut
    	from Vai's new album on BCN - they have a sampler CD.  
    
    	Coincidentally, Vai's cut was very "slow bluesy"... but what
    	a contrast from the traditional style of SRV!!!  I'm not real
    	familiar with Vai (he seems to be too much in the background
    	in his "bands").  This was very similar to that initial song
    	he did for Guitar Player (was it the Attitude Song??).  Not
    	that it was as nuts, just that within a few notes I knew it
    	was him!!!  
    
    	It was TERRIFIC and I'll be looking for it tomorrow for sure!!
    
    	Tom
    
    	

This was aweful.  I went to Camelot Music today to pick up a TNT CD (Yep
Buck, I finally get to hear LeTerko... ;), and they HAD Vai's CD's on the 
counter but they WOULDN'T SELL ME ONE !  I was highly bummed.

They did hold one for me though, as in,e I have to wait til tomorrow.

What a tease !

:(

    If you ever get a chance, try renting the movie "Crossroads". 
    
    The end of the movie has Vai playing some really heavy blues!!
    
    Mike

    re: .27
    
    > They had one... but they wouldn't sell me one
    
    Amazing.  It means they are honoring the official "release date" which
    is tommorrow.
    
    I suggest you start patronizing less reputable record stores.  ;-)
    
    	db

I know DB, but...

<insert cheesy-strung-out-guitar-player-puppy-dawg-face>

Whahaaaaaa.

On the other hand, I did get TNT's Intuition album, and Buck and Greg are
right LeTerko WAILS !  Love those rhythms !

jc

> LeTerko WAILS !

Le Tekro.  

    Vai was on Rock Line last night; That talk show on the radio that
        takes over 2 or 3 radio stations.( WHJY-ROCK 101- ? )
             
        They were interviewing him but it seemed like I heard it all
        before, probably because I've read all his articles.
    
    I think they played the whole album, or was I just dreaming ?
    
                                                      /          
                                                 *B^)-|---====={
                                                      \           
                                                                mArK

    Rockit records got it in today.
    
    I've listened to it, and I think album may be Steve Vai's "Surfin' with
    the Alien" but I'll have to listen to it a lot more.  It's pretty much 
    what I had hoped for and expected. 
    
    This is *NOT* at all like the "Flexible" records.  A lot more serious,
    although not without humor either.  The begining of "The Audience
    is Listening" floored me.
    
    It is very original, and very Vai, so don't misinterpret me as
    comparing it to "Surfin" when I say that if you liked "Surfin"
    you might want to check this album out.
    
    	db

I would offer my one-listen review too, but it would be too much like
DB's.  Yep, I liked it.  Very creative, and VERY Vai.  Kinda strange 
too, but like I said, very Vai. ;)

One thing I did note was the "Thank you" section in the liner notes 
(which are immense I might add) include a real who's-who of music.
Marshall and Boogie, of course Ibanez, The Whitesnake boize etc..etc..

Cool album !  Scope it out !

jc

    The new issue of "Guitar School" (put out by the Guitar World folks)
    has Vai as the cover interview this month.  It also has the standard
    notation & tab for 2 songs from the new album: "For the Love of God"
    and "I Would Love To" (not sure about the title for the second).
    
    Mike

Incredible

I'm not a real big Jeff Beck fan, ergo, I've not listened to much Beck...
But this latest efforrt from Mr. Vai seems to REEK of Beck.
Anyone else see where I'm comin' from ??

jc

    
    Gee Jeff, you haven't listened to Beck much, but IYO it reeks of Beck?
    Is there an album by Beck it reminds you of?   Mebbe Guitar Shop?
    
    -pat
    

No, nothing in particular.  See, I can tell a song is Beck generally by
his unque style, but I wouldn't know the names of any of his
stuff.  

The style that Vai projects on his latest seems right up Becks alley.
Of course Vai is unique in his own right, but the way the album is put 
together reminds me of something Beck would do...

I like this album, but it's different than what I expected.  I was hoping
to get something more along the lines of Skyscraper.

I'm a major Jeff Beck fan and I think Vai's album sounds NOTHING like Beck.  
I'd even go so far to say that it sounds like noone except Steve Vai.  This 
album is like a direct extension of Vai's background.  

He studied at Berklee (big jazz influence), he played with Frank Zappa (also
undoubtably an influence), he's played with several big rock groups...

This album represents a merging of these styles.  Flexable represented where
he was several years ago, and Passion & Warefare represents where he is now.
I hear a lot of similarity to the Flexable work in this album, seems like a
logical progression.  It's almost exactly what I expected from Vai.

I think Vai as a hired hand in bands like David Lee Roth, and 
Whitesnake.  I don't consider this primarily *his* work.  While he was
excellent on these albums, that's only one side of him.  He was playing 
what he was hired to play there, not necessarily what he wanted to play 
for himself.

Greg

Wha !  No one *every* agrees with me.  :(

jc (Who still thinks it sounds like Beck, because it's wacked out!)

    
    JC...I picked up "Passion and Warfare" and yeh, I see where you are
    coming from.
    
    While the playing of the two men is not very similar for many reasons,
    the first, I suppose, being Beck's heavy use of blues figures, the one
    similarity that strikes me is the use of humor!  I think you called
    it "whacked out."  It is!  Great!  Do we really need any more
    solemn opuses?
    
    Nearly twenty years ago Beck made his guitar "say", "She's a woman"
    on the Blow By Blow album, and Vai makes his guitar talk back
    to DLR in Yankee Rose, mew like kittens on Whitesnake's "Slip of
    the Tongue" and say several new things on the new album, which I
    have only been through twice.
    
    Although this is a small point, it is representative of what makes
    these guys stand out from the rest of the crowd.  Both men also like
    to dump in wierd cackles, shreiks, noises, and other guitar tricks
    in places that seem to spoof the music...I like it!  The willingness
    to do something different is what appeals to me in the music of both
    men.
    
    I sure as hell can't imagine Yngwie sliding in a musical joke into one
    of his Paganini-inspired pieces.
    
    IMHO, technique is wonderful and awe-inspiring, but never should be
    an end in itself.  So many guitar heroes set up fairly boring musical
    platforms and just blow over them....obviously this is not the case
    on the new Vai album.
    
    I think its fair to state that Beck's instrumental albums were similar
    in that they, too, had interesting arrangements and songs, not just
    a bunch of lightning quick double-bass drum junk with a bass guitar
    droning on a root tone while the guitarist does everything he can
    think of with ultra-speed and the whammy bar.
    
    But back to the Beck thing...you might want to pick up the ancient
    Beck, Bogert and Appice, as well as Guitar Shop, and hear some some
    really colorful guitar sounds in a "hard" environment.  For the most
    part, Vai is a much more high-power, sonic blaster than Beck but
    let's give Jeff a mild break...he is forty-six, ain't he?!?
    
    
    Between Beck, Vai, Eric Johnson, we've gotten off to a rip roaring
    start for guitar in the 90's.
    
    Brian

    > I sure as hell can't imagine Yngwie sliding in a musical joke into one
    > of his Paganini-inspired pieces.
    
    That's one BIG difference between Vai and Malmsteen.
    
    I *love* some of Malmsteen's stuff, but it's all so damned "serious"
    (reflecting what I understand is his own personality and nature).
    
    Vai on the other hand flits from super serious to utter clown, happy
    to sad, warmth to angst.
    
    He has a infinitely larger musical vocabulary than Yngwie.  I can put
    Yngwie on, at most, one every couple of weeks.   I can listen to a
    Vai album several times in a row.
    
    	db
          

I agree with Dave, this album is one that can be listened to many many times 
without growing tired of it.  Every time I listen to it, I hear something
DIFFERENT that I didn't hear the last time.

The thing that strikes me about this album is not the technical virtuosity, 
even though it's there in abundance, it's the emotional content.  

I've listened to virtually nothing else since I bought it.

Greg

RE: .42 

Yes !  Thats what I was trying to say exactly.  Thanks for helping me say it.
;)

I've listened to Vai's album daily since I got it also.  It's very cool.
he has such a diverse approach to music it doesn't get old...'Cept to
my WTB, who is going to hide my Satch and Vai CD's so I won't play them
anymore.  

"...They don't even sing..."  

jc (Who sez: Hey, they don't have to, they say it all
    to well with out vox. )

    
    	Does this album cook, or is it more laid-back?
    
    	I didn't even think of getting it when I went shopping the
    	other day, and ended up with "Shotgun Messiah" and "Rover's
    	Return" instead.
    
    							GTI
    

    Sounds like I'll be out some bucks for the new Vai album soon.
    
    Aw shucks...;^)
    
    Will

re: Shawn

It's got a little of everything.  Overall, I'd have to say that I think of
it as being more laid back then Vais work with say David Lee Roth.

Greg

    I picked up "Passion and Warfare" last Friday, and spent the good part
    of the weekend with it (much to the annoyance of my so).  It left me with
    two distinct and somewhat contradictory impressions (oh yeah, remember,
    these are only opinions, etc. etc.)

    First, I was blown away by the virtuosity that Vai displays on this
    album.  I think it's a landmark work, in the way that, say, "Blow By
    Blow" and "Surfin with the Alien" were; it sets a high watermark for
    modern electric guitar that seems impossible to surpass (but will of
    course be surpassed, someday).  I consider Vai's work to be squarely
    in the metal (for lack of a better term) idiom, but unlike much of the
    stuff I've heard, his playing is never trite or repetitive.  He states
    themes, develops them, works variations, much the way a jazz musician
    would; the tunes are challenging and complex.

    Which brings me to my second impression.  This album reminds me of
    of one of those "dry" beer commercials; you know, great taste and
    no after taste.  I can barely find one memorable moment on it.
    Listening to the album is dazzling, but when it's over I'm hard
    pressed to recall one catchy melody, one insistent rhythmn.  Usually
    a great album buzzes around in your brain, different tunes and snippets
    taking their turns at the front of the line.  But "Passion..." leaves
    me cold.  I think it may be the ultimate guitar wanking album, a
    breathtaking display of chops and ideas with hardly a musical moment.
    Anyone else feel the same way?

    Well, as they say, jmo

    /rick
    

re: .last

> I can barely find one memorable moment on it.

I know exactly what you're saying Rick!  That was the way it affected me at 
first too.  I think it may be because I end up concentrating on the things 
that blow my shorts off and not "hearing" the real musical themes on 
something like this.

Now that I've listened to it for about a week now, I find myself humming
"I Would Love To", the main theme from "The Audience is Listening" and parts
of "Sisters" a bit.

Greg

    
    I heard some snatches of it on the radio over the weekend and was
    favorably impressed.  Much more tasteful than I was expecting.
    
    I'd disagree that it's as groundbreaking as Beck or Satriani's albums
    but it might just be timing...if this had come out before Surfing then
    Joe would have been less impressive.  
    
    							Brian

    
    	Steve played the national anthem at the start of the "Rock
    	vs. Jock" game on MTV last night, and I saw most of it.
    
    	Not bad at all.
    
    							GTI
    

                               
                            
    Does anybody else think that 'Liberty' (track 1 side 1) sounds like 
    a slowed down version of the verse melody to "With a little help with 
    my friends" by the Beatles.
    
    'What would you do if I sang you a song would you stand up and walk 
    out on me' etc....

    
    Well, Steve's sure got amazing chops, vibrato, speed, and control.
    Now, if this album had some real SONGS, he'd have something!
    
    An amazing technical display, but is that 'enuf?
    
    Kevin
    

    Wow.
    
    Just got the album Thursday,  I have to say he combines all facets of
    musical expression together.  It's not just a chops record and it not 
    a bridge album,  It does remind me a lot of Surfing but it is unique.
    
    JMO
    Joe

There is a *fantastic* interview with Vai in the latest Musician magazine
(he's the cover story!). Highly recommended reading for all his fans. Talks 
honestly of his time with Whitesnake and David Lee Roth, along with Zappa 
and (of course) his recent solo stuff.

Besides, its the guitar heroes issue, and there is a very interesting piece
with Yngwie Malmsteen and John McLaughlin talking together.....

alan

    
    
    I met Steve Vai last Saturday at Castle Donnington rock festival, here
    in the UK, where Whitesnake were headling, and he was a great guy.
    
    He was THE ONLY band member from the show (including Thunder, Quireboys, 
    Poison, Aerosmith + of course, Whitesnake) who bothered to come into the
    VIP enclosure to meet people. The rest of them hid in their own band
    tents!
    
    Thats Steve Vai, such a nice little boy 8).

    He's fairly articulate too.  Not your run-of-the-mill guitarist in more
    ways than one.
    
    Mike

    
    On stage though, Vai's playing sucked !
    
    He screwed up big time on several occasions and his solos (some of them
    badly improvised) where awful. 
    
    Adrian Vandenberg blew Steve Vai off the stage!! 

    	re -.1 ARE YOU KIDDING!!!
    
    When they played here in Ottawa Canada, Steve was by far the better
    player with Adrian relegated to 2nd guitar. All of Steve's 'tricks'
    worked.

    
    Nope, not kidding.
    
    At this particular gig, Vandenberg blew Vai off the stage.
    
    Vai frequently screwed up and his licks, which were fast, were anything 
    but tasteful. On the other hand, Vandenberg's licks were much more 
    controlled, but he still shredded and did'nt make a single mistake.
    
    I normally like Vai, but at this show, he was out of it.
    
    -Tony (just my opinion, if its allowed).

    re.-1
    
    It's commonly known that Vai is not original while playing live.
    I love his work but his licks are mostly taken from other guys.
    I've seen him a few times during several tours and found out that
    he plays the same licks as the other guys did some concerts earlier.
    The only difference I heard was the speed .
    His soloing is almost faster as the speed of light.
    He is great in copying licks from SATCH and Adriaan Van Den Berg(real
    name)
    Nevertheless I love his way of playing and can't get enough of it.
    
    Arie....
    

    
    I just wish the guy would get a decent guitar sound, and put that
    bleedin' harmoniser away for 30 seconds !!
    
    -Tony

    
    Agreed.  I can think of a lot better guitar tone outta a lot lesser
    players, IMO, of course.
    
    J.

    I've been listening "Passion & Warfare" all morning.  I have to confess
    that he didn't impress me at all with DLR, but I like this tape a lot
    better.  Very diverse!  Very talented!  Very wierd! ;-)
    
    I doubt if I would go out of my way to buy it (friend loaned it to me)
    though.  I also still like Satch's style a lot better (bluesier).
    
    Mike

    Re: .45
    
>"...They don't even sing..."  
>
>jc (Who sez: Hey, they don't have to, they say it all
>    to well with out vox. )
    
    I'm really surprised that this quote came from a guitar player!  The
    guitar has a voice of its own.  Some guys, like Vai, appreciate this
    fact and use the guitar's voice to express themselves.  
    
    I prefer instrumental music because of this.  I often tell others (mostly
    out of jest), "Why ruin a good song by adding a singer?"  ;-)
    
    Mike
    

    
    	re: Mike.  
    
    	Eric Johnson doesn't seem to do any damage with his vocals...
    

    No Eric Johnson is a decent vocalist.  Guys like Johnson & Keaggy (who
    I might sound very similar) choose to use their own voice and also
    the guitar's voice on occaision.
    
    I'm just trying to point out that the guitar is unique in this respect. 
    It has a voice that shouldn't be taken for granted.
    
    Mike

    Yo Mike....
    
    Re-read my note...  I was saying that Vai doesn't NEED vox...
    It's my WIFE that sez she like the vocals on records.
    I LOVE stuff thats instrumental.
    
    jc

    Re: -1
    
    I don't have to.  You weren't the guitar player quoted as saying that
    "...they don't sing...".  You defended them!
    
    Mike

    The November issue of GFTPM has the notation for "I Would Love To".
    
    Mike

    Is Vai's extra B string in the bass, lower than the E or between the E
    and the A?
    
    Mike

    
    I would think that it's lower.  Wait a minute...
    
    Oh, Ibanez propaganda I have just says low B...
    
    J.

    Is there a songbook out for "Passion & Warfare"?
    
    Mike

    I haven't seen a songbook for "Passion and Warfare" although I think
    there IS one in the works.
    
    However, there is a "Steve Vai Songbook" or something like that which
    has a lot of instructional text and selected songs/solos from past
    work (mostly with David Lee Roth).

    Anyone remember when Vai reported in one of the Guitar mags (forget which 
    one) that he didn't touch the guitar for 6 weeks and fasted for 3 days 
    to "prepare" himself for recording "For the Love of God"?
    
    Someone from USENET told me of a Stockhausen piece with some long german 
    name whose entire score comprises these intructions (in German):
    
	1) Master Your Instrument
	2) Cleanse your mind of everything you have learned
	3) Fast for three days, speaking to no one, thinking of nothing
	4) Meditate on the meaning of existence
	5) Play the first thing that comes into your head
    
    Perhaps Vai is a Stockhausen fan? He does do a lot of Lydian scales! :-)
    
    Mike

    Gee, and I normally consider myself an open-minded guy (ask any MUSIC
    reader), but on reading that I find myself harboring very clear and
    strong philistine attitudes:  Sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me.
    
    ;-)

    re: -.1   But if Steve Morse did it...
    
    (just kidding)

    Actually, you don't know how out of character that would be for Steve
    Morse!
    
    I remember someone once asked him if he "agreed" that diet was an
    important part of your playing.  What I recall is after letting a
    chuckle or two escape, he said something like "Yeah, every guitar
    player oughta take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that
    they've got enough to eat" (or something like that).
    
    But, I admit, that if Steve Morse told me that I could become as great
    as he is doing this stuff, I'd be home fasting, chanting, meditating,
    heck... I might even give up Twinkie's!

    
    If you think it would help, it will!  Basic psychology, dudes.
    
    FWIW, I thought Steve Vai to be more like Buddhist or some eastern
    religion follower as well as Satch....
    
    J.                                    

    There's a Vai vs. Satch rathole goin' down on USENET.  I thought this
    was an interesting reply.
    
Article 2383 of rec.music.makers:
From: khe@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Keith Erskine)
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers
Subject: Re: Re: Vai? Satch? Vaughan? Flame?
Date: 12 Dec 90 17:25:04 GMT

I don't know how Victor ever reached the conclusion that Steve Vai
plays more melodically than Joe Satriani, and especially that there
are "no perceptible melodies" on JS's albums.  I find these statements
almost comical.  I have really liked Joe Satriani since the first
time I heard him, exactly for the reason that he plays melodically.
I think Satriani's music can best be summarized as a rock band
with the vocalist replaced by Joe's guitar.  His choice of notes, 
fingering technique, and use of whammy bar, tone, and volume pedal 
create wonderfully lyrical guitar lines.  I feel that Vai, on the other 
hand, is still obsessed with showing off guitar technique and doing bizarre 
things, to the detriment of the musicality of his albums.  Sure, there is a 
place for both of these styles, but Satriani appeals to a much wider audience
than Vai because his music is good, not just because his guitar technique
is good.  I think developing good technique is vital for being able
to fluently express whatever musical ideas come into my head.  It is
not for the sake of always playing killer chops in every solo.  

Victor states that he likes complex music, which might help explains his 
preference of Vai over Satriani.  Vai's music is definitely more complex.
I think Satriani has purposefully kept his music in the vein of
straight forward, simple rock and roll in an effort to reach a wide
audience.  Some may not like this approach, but personally I've begun
to appreciate simplicity in music as a virtue.
I've played guitar for over 18 years, and just in the past
few years I've reached the conclusion that reaching entire 
audiences with simple yet musically effective guitar melodies 
and solos is more meaningful to me than merely trying to impress other 
guitar players in the audience with flashy technique and the dreaded 
"too many notes" syndrome.  Sure, the ability to intersperse a lightning 
fast riff to heighten the intensity of a solo is crucial, but relying 
purely on hot licks to play a solo instead of melodic content, 
thematic development, and dynamic variations doesn't turn me on any more.

BTW, I really like both Vai's and Satriani's guitar playing.  I just
find Satriani's music more enjoyable.  I do realize Vai is a very
good musician, I just think he emphasizes technique too much.

BTW#2, didn't Vai take lessons from Satriani ???!!!

Keith Erskine

    I wouldn't ever engage in a x vs. y debate, but I find the assertion
    that Satch does not play lyrically to be mind-bogglingly absurd.
    
    That's what *I* like about him and what I believe separates him from
    the rest of the pack.
    
    How could anyone not hear the melody in "Always with You..." (I'm
    unsure of the title, but it's from "Surfin"), or "Surfin", or 
    "Flying in a Blue Dream" or ....

    db, that's exactly what myself and others said.  The reader supporting
    Vai in this argument says he appreciates Vai more because of his "...
    more complex and complete song structures and overall musicality."
    
    
    Mike

    
    SET/MOOD=SARCASM
    
    Sure, Vai is just as melodic as Satch.  It's just that Vai's melodies
    aren't as hummable/whistlable as those of Satch's.
    8*)
    

    Anyone see him on David Letterman last night?  

    Yup - I taped it too.  It's stuff from `Passion And Warefare' but I
    have no idea what they were.  He also jammed with the band on the break
    songs - shoulda heard him punish `Voodoo Chile' ..hab mercy !
    
    Scary (who's listening to Vai right now)

    I forgot to set mine up.  Wanna loan yours out? ;-)

    I only taped that 1 song.  There's a song on PAW that starts off with a
    baby cooing - he did the intro to that also.  I've never seen anyone
    move so effortlessly on the fretboard - his right hand barely moved,
    while his left hand was blistering.  But even at that, the fingers on
    his left hand looked like they never came up off the neck - awesome !
    
    Scare'

The bass player in my band was at Bezerkly at the same time and spoke of seeing
Steve in the corner at a party making a git/wah talk to people..

sigh....

dbii

    While at Berklee, I knew the guy who used to be Vai's roommate.  He
    had some very interesting cassette tapes of Vai noodling about!!

    The emotionless wonder has a new record coming out in March.

   You mean Satriani?  Then what's this doing in the Vai note?

   -- Sam

    No Satch's album came out last fall.

    RE: The last few
    I said it before and I'll say it again.  "Get a Life"
    Just because someone plays more than 1 note per minute doesn't mean
    its "Emotionless" its just beyond your comprehension.  

    now, now, you're going to hurt my po wittle feewings.

   Funny, I was gonna say that, too.  :-)

   -- Sam 

    >>  The emotionless wonder has a new record coming out in March.
    
   > You mean Satriani?  Then what's this doing in the Vai note?
    
    No, Sam, I think he meant Steve Morse.
    

    
    No, no, no!  He's talking about Yngwie.....;-)
    
    
    
    guy

    NO NO NO!!!  He was talking about Clapton and Neil Young!!!

   He could have been talking about *me*, but then, I don't have an album
   coming out in March.

   Maybe a tape though.  Right Greg?  :-)

   -- Sam

>   Maybe a tape though.  Right Greg?  :-)
    
    Maybe...  Given the current rate of progress, though, March might be
    pushin it.  ;^)
    
    Greg

RE: Sam and Greg

Y'all better hurry UP, or I'm gonna make the flip side of GN-V 
Annihilator and SHIP IT !!

:-)

    He's heard my submission to the Volume V, he's talking about me....I
    set a record for the fewest notes per second.
    
    BTW, where can one "get a life".....and at a decent discount?
    
many 8^)
Steev

    The world's greatest emotionless guitar player releases "Light Without
    Heat" tomorrow.

    New Satriani???  Cool!

    Just read an interview (latest Musician).  Supposedly those expecting
    Passion and Warfare II will be disappointed.  This is a ROCK band, with
    vocals.  Steve found some hot new singer he's all excited about.  Best
    as I can tell, the music is something like "progressive grunge".  Also
    sounds like Steve spent more time on the keyboards and arrangements,
    suggesting that this one may be less "guitarisitic" than P&W.  Terry
    Bozzio plays drums in the new band (but for how long :-)

    
    	For a preview, see last month's (and maybe this month's GP).
    	There's an ad with a 900 number to call and listen to cuts
    	from the CD.  I think it's a trivial price like .25.
    
    	Tom
    

    It's out! The new Steve Vai (actually, the label says "VAI") album,
    called 'Sex & Religion is out!
    
    Of course, I can't afford it right now, so tell me, what's it like?
    
    
    						Cal C.

    Cal, it's 50 minutes of emotionless drivel and guitar gymnastics.

    Yo Mikey, you heard it yet or is that just the usual supposition?
    
    Greg

    Well, I bought this on Saturday, and the first thing that surprised me
    was how similar it sounded to Mike Heiser's last guitarnotes submission...
    
    
    :^)
    
    Nick

    HAHAHA!!!!  I'm rollin!!!!

    Now that's not nice! ;-)  I have an excuse for being unemotional:  they
    don't pay me enough.  
    
    Actually, I've heard a couple tunes off the radio.  I also used to own 
    P&W and heard his DLR stuff.  No matter how hard I try, I just can't get 
    buy what he's selling.

    Sorry, Mike, I couldn't resist! :^)
    
    >>I have an excuse for being unemotional:  they
    >>don't pay me enough.
    
    Hey, that's a reason to GET emotional (I got the BLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUES :^)
    
    Nick

>    Cal, it's 50 minutes of emotionless drivel and guitar gymnastics.
    
    Mikey, why is it that you always remind me of a cereal commercial:
    
    	"You twy it"
    
    	"Iiii'm not gonna twy it"
    
        "hey, let's get Mikey to twy it.  He hates everything"

    I bought the album.
    
    Actually it IS 50 minutes of emotionless drivel but not much in the way
    of guitar gymnastics.
    
    I liked P&W, but this leaves me pretty cold except for "Survive" which
    is a cool song and has a pretty funny ending.

    Thanks for the compliment, db. ;-)
    
    I agree P&W does have some shining moments.  Just not enough for me to
    justify the price of a CD, IMHO.

    > rest my case, stick with Satch
    
    You must not have read my review of Satch's latest (which I find so
    forgettable, I can't even remember the title).
    
    Surfin and Flyin' were GREAT albums, but I think perhaps that the
    well may have gone dry.

I doubt that well has gone dry, it's just that all instrumental guitar albums
are getting pretty pase' IMHO, be it Vai, Satch or Morse...I'd rate southern
steel right up there (down there) with The Extremist...yawn...

dbii

    I *BARELY* made it through my first and last listen of Southern Steel.
    Like Vai, there are very few Morse tunes that appeal to me.

    All guitar player albums are BORING imho!

    Mike,
    
    If I had given up on my first listen, I would never have liked any
    Morse album, any Dream Theater album, an Eric Johnson album, any Yes
    album, any ELP album, etc. etc.
    
    These albums are now music that I absolutely treasure.
    
    Satch is one of the few that is appealing on the first listen, but
    my experience has been that the very best music is stuff that takes
    time to appreciate.
    
    Satch is great, but unlike Morse, I don't find new things to appreciate
    on every listen. 
    
    However...
    
    re: DaveB and Mike
    
    ... if "Cut to the Chase" doesn't get your blood flowing even on the
    1st listen, you're either clinically dead or incapable of every liking
    Morse.   I'll keep my opinion on which it is to myself.  ;-)
    
    That's one of the few Morse songs that hooked me on the 1st listen.
    
    	db

    That rarely happens to me when listening to new music.  If it doesn't
    reach through the speakers and grab me by the ears on the first listen,
    chances are it never will.

    > That rarely happens to me when listening to new music.  If it doesn't
    > reach through the speakers and grab me by the ears on the first
    > listen,  chances are it never will.
    
    How would you know?

    Well, since this has digressed far from the Vai topic, I'll throw in my
    2p-worth...
    
    Cut to the Chase is one of my LEAST favourite Morse songs EVER! It just
    sounded like a row to me (sorry Dave :^). IMHO the album picks up after
    that cut (though I have to go with the crew who say it's not classic
    Morse).
    
    And just to be fair and even-handed, I have to agree with db about the
    last Satch offering. I've played it 2.5 times - I had to take it off
    the deck half way through the third run-through, because it was
    annoying me, and I haven't listened to it since...             
    
    And finally, to bring this back to Vai (and very neatly I thought),
    I've got Sex & Religion and don't like that EITHER! As db pointed out,
    though, it isn't a guitar-heavy album. There are vocals on every cut,
    and it isn't until you reach the fourth track that you even realise
    that it's a Steve Vai album (that's the first time you get any real
    "signature" lead). And that's probably the biggest strike against it.
    It tries not to duplicate P&W, and succeeds, but unfortunately, in the
    process, the whole thing sounds like a generic rock/metal band, and
    leaves me cold. There's none of the humour, or melody of P&W...
    
    Hmmm, I've just put in a note trashing 3 albums. I think I must be
    gettin' old... :^)
    
    Nick

re: southern steel/cut to the chase

it's ok. I loved "High tension wires" on the first listen. One of the few
Steve Morse things I've ever liked. The guy is a fabulous player, unique, 
and very talented, but I can't tolerate the Dregs, or the majority of
his work. Different strokes I guess...

Satriani bores me now, even the earlier stuff, Vai bores me, all of it. P&W
was interesting for abotu 3 listens and now I don't touch it.

Dream theater is growing on me, but I "next unheard" a few of the cuts with
the synchopated band runs...(runs? yeah drippin' :-)) My drummer on the other
hand is hooked on DT big time now that he's heard it, he's even talking about
practicing without the band...very very positive!

Hey I know I have wierd tastes what can I say?

dbii

    
    	Steve Vai is on the Tonight Show tonite, Aug 6th.
    

    Has he lost the harmoniser yet ?

    Two reports: I heard some of a (the first?) cut in a music store and
    saw the Tonight Show gig.  Everyone I've talked to hates the singer,
    says there aren't enuff guitarz, and thinks Passion and Warfare was
    way better.  As usual, I'm 180 degrees out of synch; I like what I
    heard although not sure if I'd really spend money on it.  But I like
    Vai in this more restricted context.  The tunes were fairly straight
    compared to P&W, but they still had some nice unusual changes and bridges,
    etc.  The lead breaks were classic Vai, but to the point.  Imo, more
    satisfying than his last.
    
    /rick
    
    ps I don't think I heard any harmonizer

    BTW, one of the things I saw this weekend was a segment on a band that
    Vai produces which is a bunch of kids including the kid that appeared
    as the "young Stevie Vai" in various Ibanez ads and the "The Audience
    is Listening" video.
    
    His name is Thomas McRocklin and they showed some video of him playing
    when he was about 11 or 12 and let me tell you, this kid had MAJOR
    chops even back then.
    
    	db

    did you ever see the video of Thomas playing when he was 8?Scarey stuff
    
    
    
    						ian

    That could have been the one I was watching.  I'm not really sure how
    old he was.  I mean he didn't look old enough to be a "teenager".
    
    What I remember most is that the guitar seemed HUGE on him.  

    How old is the little shit now ?

    I'll be 33 in October.

    he's not that little now either.  He's grown to dump-size.

    He still looks very "kid-like" to me.
    
    I'd guess between 12 and 14.

    People have been saying that he's 12 for the last 4 years!

    Vai Roolz, nuff said!

    I thought I read somewhere fairly recently that McRocklin is 15 or 16. 
    Seems about right.
    
    gh

    I have to dissent with the majority here.  I liked S&R.  It reminded me
    of Satch's album with vocals, except that the guy Steve brought in to
    sing sings way better than Satch.  I think Vai is trying to move away
    from the guitar-god stuff and I applaud it.  In many ways the album
    reminds me of Machine Head by DP in that there is a lot of great lead
    guitar but that there is also a band there.
    
    JMO
    Joe

    Satch *IS* the singer on his album with vocals.

    I think that's what .-2 was saying, dude.

    Caught Vai at the Paramount Theater in Denver last night.  Here's my
    one word review of the concert:
    
    Wow!
    
    
    
    Ok, perhaps I should elaborate a little more...  ;^)
        
    Vai did a mixture of material from "Passion and Warfare" and "Sex and
    Religion" with his new band, about half and half from each album, I'd
    estimate.  As expected, his playing was nothing short of amazing.  The
    man's command of the instrument is staggering to watch.  He wasn't as
    active on stage as he was the last time I saw him (with David Lee Roth
    on the Skyscraper tour), but the stage was much smaller and most of the
    music didn't really lend itself to that sort of posing.  The only song
    that he did that wasn't from either of those two albums was "The
    Attitude Song", which the band played with three guitars during the
    single encore.
    
    I hadn't heard any of the material from his new album before and didn't
    really know what to expect.  From some of the comments I'd seen, I was
    kind of prepared for the worst, but it turned out that I was pleasantly
    surprised and enjoyed that material too.  The band consisted of a
    drummer, a keyboard player, a bass player, a singer and Vai.
               
    His singer is about a psychopath, both in terms of looks and
    performance.  He had a short mohawk, but otherwise reminded me of a
    short version of the singer from Midnight Oil.  Struck a lot of
    interesting poses...  Seemed to have taken a lot of his stage moves
    from the Henry Rollins school of performance.  He was very intense, and
    a lot of the people there (including the two guys I went with) didn't
    care for him much.  He had a good voice and did everything from a nice
    melodic vocal line to total all out screaming (often in the same
    song!).  He also used his voice for a lot of sound effects, not just as
    a medium to convey lyrics.  I thought he was interesting and added a
    lot to the songs.  He played guitar on many of the instrumental
    numbers, and would play a lot of the harmony lines with Vai (seemed
    like a decent player).
    
    The keyboard player was mostly confined to hiding behind his stuff on
    the very side of the stage, but did finally come out to play guitar on
    the last number of the encore, "The Attitude Song", so there were three
    guitars for that piece.  The original version had a bunch of overdubs
    on it and it sounded great with all three of them playing on it.
    
    Since this is GUITARnotes, I should comment on his sound and other
    techie details.  One thing I found interesting was that Vai's guitar
    sound was remarkably unprocessed.  Gone are the days of the massive
    harmonizer lines and racks full of effects and stuff.  I heard a
    harmonizer a couple of times, and a delay a couple of times, but they
    were both very subtle and not overly dominant.  The rest was straight
    up (probably had a little reverb).  He was playing through a Marshall
    half stack and a Bogner half stack.  I couldn't tell which was used for
    what.  He also had a few things that he stepped on in front of him, but
    I couldn't see what they were (switches, stomps?).
    
    All in all, a very intense and impressive show, I enjoyed it a lot.
    
    Greg
                                                 

    ...And I saw God...
    
    I wished I'd have gone..  :-(

    ! Wow!
    
    Now Greg, let's not get too "emotional" about his playing.  ;-)

    There's only 1 thing left to say.
    
    He paid Greg to type that!

    The thing in front of him that he was stomping on........it was an
    Ibanez Tube Screamer.....I swear!
    
    8^)

>    The thing in front of him that he was stomping on........it was an
>    Ibanez Tube Screamer.....I swear!
    
    Dude, I *seriously* doubt it.  There was *no* sound that came outta his
    amps that night that sounded even remotely like a Tube Screamer...
    
    gh

    >    The thing in front of him that he was stomping on........it was an
    >    Ibanez Tube Screamer.....I swear!
    
        Dude, I *seriously* doubt it.  There was *no* sound that came outta
        his amps that night that sounded even remotely like a Tube Screamer...
    
        gh
    >> Gosh, I' shocked!
    8^)
    

    Chief, the day I start takin you seriously...

    One thing about Vai is that you can't tell what he's running thru just
    by what you see on stage.
    
    I distinctly remember reading an interview with him during his days
    with Roth where he said that the only pedal he kept on stage was
    a wah and that he has a roadie behind the scenes doing all the
    stomping on pedals and such.  He just doesn't like to have to deal
    with that stuff while he's playing.
    
    I remember it so well because when I went to see him, there's this
    one phrase he plays during "Yankee Rose" that sounds like a harmonizer
    is used to get a sorta of slightly-out-of-tune-doubled-guitar effect.
    
    I remember looking to see him stomp on something but he didn't and he
    still got that effect.  It'll all became clearer when the interview
    revealed that a roadie was probably clicking on the harmonizer for
    that one line.
    
    	db

>                    -< His roadies do the stomp-box dance >-
    
    Not anymore.  He was clearly doing all his own effects control from the
    stage when I saw him Sunday night.  Every time his sound changed at
    all, I saw him step on something behind the monitors rather
    deliberately.
    
    As I mentioned before, his sound was very straightforward and
    unprocessed, his use of effects (other then distortion) was very
    limited.  I didn't hear a lot of effects, just a little delay
    occasionally and a harmonizer on parts of like two songs.  Other then
    that, sounded like a straight up guitar and amp.  I did notice when his
    roadie was setting up and testing out everything that at least one of
    his distortion effects was extremely noisy, like an old Fuzz Face or
    something (but I couldn't see it 'cause there were a couple of big
    floor monitors in front of the stuff on the floor).

>    I distinctly remember reading an interview with him during his days
>    with Roth where he said that the only pedal he kept on stage was
>    a wah and that he has a roadie behind the scenes doing all the
>    stomping on pedals and such.  He just doesn't like to have to deal
>    with that stuff while he's playing.
    
    That was definitely true when I saw him with DLR on the Skyscraper
    tour, but not the case last week.  I suspect he can't afford that kind
    of roadie support on this tour, or maybe he doesn't want to have his
    setlist planned out so tightly.  This show seemed to have quite a bit
    of improv in it (but I guess it could have been planned/rehearsed, I
    don't really know, it had the "feel" of being unplanned).  In any case,
    I could clearly see his rig on the DLR tour, and it was monsterous. 
    There were at least two huge racks full of stuff (like 30 rack spaces
    each, they looked like apartment size refrigerators...).  The only rack
    present Sunday night was one about 14 spaces that had the singer's
    guitar rig (including a giant Soldano power amp, I didn't recognize
    anything else) and some of his vocal effects (he played with delay
    times and stuff while he sang...)
    
    Greg
                                     

    RE: .161
    
    Good, that's more like it.....
    
    Re: .163
    
    I'm tellin you guys, it was a tube screamer!
    
    8^)

    I'm going to see Vai (the man & the band) on Tuesday Oct. 12 at a club
    (yes, a club; the same club where we saw ASIA and stood, nay,
    worshipped at Steve Howe's feet) in Toronto called RPM.
    
    I'll be looking for a Tube Screamer.
    
    
    						Cal C.
    

    Make sure you report in on the stomp box situation, Cal.
    
    ;^)

    He'll be in Connecticut the 18th at Toad's Place. The stage is only
    about 30" off the ground so any effects should be clearly visible here.
    
    John

    	Okay, I'm late. The usual excuses: work, three weeks training on
    Novell stuff, more work. However, I did see Mr. Vai, and I must report:
    
    
    			NO TUBE SCREAMER!!!
    
    
    	Now let me qualify this: I did not observe the whole show from the
    front row (I wished to have a more 'uneventful' vantage point for Mr. Vai
    & co., due to an unpleasant moshing incident at an Iggy Pop show the Friday
    before). When the encore came along, we snuck up a little closer, near
    the 'stage right' P.A. (and it took my ears almost a week to recover), and
    when the show ended, I did my best to see over the monitors (the stage
    is about 50" off the ground at this place).
    
    	I saw various flavours of BOSS pedals (I only saw colours, which I
    don't remember that well; reds & oranges seem to spring to mind). I saw
    a MUTRON effect (auto wah maybe?) and more BOSS pedals in a rack-mount
    beside his amp (which was the aforementioned ??? brand name that escapes
    me; I'll check the previous notes), as well as an MXR effect that
    looked like a phaser (yellow box?). At the front of the stage (where
    there were at least two BOSS efects as well), there appeared to be a master
    controller of sorts for the rack-mounted effectsand also a Digitech 
    Whammy pedal. At this point, I forget everything else (hey, I could
    barely make out what I COULD see, and it was 1:00 a.m., okay?).
    
    	I also tried to jot down the tunes as they occurred; it's late, and
    I haven't had dinner (lunch?) so that'll be another note.
    
    	One last mention: yes, he can play fast, but he can also play slow,
    and anyone who thinks he has 'no emotion' in his playing should go see
    him live and find out for themselves. He may have been 'posing' with
    Whitesnake and David Lee Roth, but he's in charge of the show now.
    If you aren't moved, check your pulse.
    
    						Cal C.
    						HPO
    

>    	One last mention: yes, he can play fast, but he can also play slow,
>    and anyone who thinks he has 'no emotion' in his playing should go see
>    him live and find out for themselves. He may have been 'posing' with
>    Whitesnake and David Lee Roth, but he's in charge of the show now.
>    If you aren't moved, check your pulse.
    
    Well put, Cal.  I agree completely.  I have the new album and it does
    *not* do this band's live show justice.  They RIP it up live!
    
    Greg

    re .168
    
    the rackmount stuff behind his amp belonged to the stand-in guitarist
    backstage who was *REALLY* playing all the music while Steve just
    'finger-synched' it. 

    RE: NO TUBE SCREAMER.....
    
    toldya!

    Well, I wrote a bad review of "Sex & Religion" when I first got it,
    but now that I've listened to it more I'm really beginning to like
    it a lot.
    
    Oddly enough, I'm still dissapointed in terms of the guitar playing not
    being as interesting as some of his other stuff, but I think musically
    it's a great album.   I just really like the tunes now.
    
    Amazing how often it happens that I dislike something until I've
    listened it for awhile.  
    
    	db

    dislike *is* an emotion...

    re: .-1
    
    That's right, and note that there's no topics that Mike gets
    nearly as emotional about as notes on Morse and Vai.

    New 7 song instrumental CD entitled "Alien Love Secrets"
    due out SOON!
    
    Kev --
    

    
    	Just what I need is another unemotional shredder CD in my
    	collection.
    
    	[When's it coming out?  8^)]
    

    >  When's it coming out?
    
    Not exactly sure, looking at the ad in the latest GP, 
    soon.
    
    Oh yeah, to hear a sample call this number:
    
        (718)-398-2160  Code #2203
    
    Kev --
    

    
    	Thanks!!
    
    	From the sounds of the "snippets" it sounds like another good
    	one ... love the horse sound in "Bad Horsies"!!
    

    What happen to his band? Is he gonna be Ozzy's guitarist?

    RE: last
    
    Negative.  Apparently some recording work was started but
    got scrapped.
    
    Kev --
    

    
    	He's on the cover of the latest GP with a big article.  One
    	comment that I liked (and tried) was, paraphrased...
    
    	"detach yourself from what your fingers are doing and just
    	listen to your amp".
    
    	Tom
    

>    	"detach yourself from what your fingers are doing and just
>    	listen to your amp".
    
    I tried that but all I heard from the amp was static.
    
    	db

    Time for new toobs, db.  
    
    :-)

>>>    	"detach yourself from what your fingers are doing and just
>>>    	listen to your amp".
    
>>    I tried that but all I heard from the amp was static.
    
>    Time for new toobs, db.  
    
    Oh... so like... I was supposed to turn the amp ON???

    You're really in trouble if you hear static before you power the amp
    on...  Now, I hear static at my house every time I mention amps,
    but thats a different story...
    :-)

    
    >  Now, I hear static at my house every time I mention amps,
       but thats a different story...
       :-)
    
    MAN, do I know that!!! :^)  However, seeing that I picked up
    the 'ol Federal tax check, it looks like I'll be headin' to
    Daddy's for the 2:90!!!!  Alas! ;^) ;^)
    
    As for Steve Vai, I'm looking forward to some sort of tour thing
    with this guy.  I've never seen him live and would VERY much like
    to.  Yeah, that cover shot is out there, painting himself?!?  Woa!!
    
    I was reading in the artcle that he's starting up his own label
    for folks whose tastes like outside of the straight-and-narrow.
    
    Kev--
      

    I detached myself from my fingers and can't get them back on!!!

    Somehow when I look at Steve Vai I think "this guy is more about
    shaving off all your body hair and spray-painting you skin with
    metallic paint than he is about guitar playing".

    
    
    Steve Vai seems to be a perfectly good example of fabulous talent
    without decent songs.  I've enjoyed his playing for years, and really
    like some of the work he did with David Lee Roth.  But...with few
    exceptions, it's completely disposable music.  
    
    I've been playing a Warren Haynes tape here in the office, and it falls
    into a similar category.  I love listening to his playing, but I can't
    remember one song from the tape and I've listened to it 10 times!  
    
    I'm not saying that music has to be memorable to be good, but I can
    pretty much play side 1 of Warren's tape, play side 2, and then replay
    side 1 without getting the feeling that I've heard that music recently.
    
    That's exactly how I feel about Vai's music, too.  I ignore the song,
    listen to the guitar playing, and can't remember the first thing about
    the song.
     
    Kevin
    

    HA!  I love it!  "Disposable music" is now the new official synonym for
    "emotionless music."
    
    "Hi. My name is Forrest Gump.  People call me Forrest Gump.  Steve Vai
    and disposable music go together like peas and carrots."
    
    thank you,
    Mike

    Steve Vai is hit or miss with me.   I really think his work with David
    Lee Roth is simply fantastic both from a song viewpoint and a playing
    viewpoint.  There are tunes on each of his solo albums that I
    absolutely love.   
    
    So I think he's capable of greatness but he's just not consistent.
    
    	db

    >    So I think he's capable of greatness but he's just not consistent.
    
    clearly the teacher didn't teach the student everything.

    
    	Pretty soon Joe will be asking Steve for lessons.
    
    	Or maybe they'll both give Blues Saraceno a call.
    

    re-1
    
    yeah...right!
    
    I've been a Vai fan but to be honest,I skip through all his solo stuff
    and find certains songs to listen too.His work with Roth was incredible
    both of these guys were working off each other and made 2 brilliant
    albums.Since they went their separate ways there has been something
    lacking in each others music!
    
    
    						ian

    Yes, in fact, I like those two albums with Roth about 30x more than
    any post-DLR Van Halen album (Eddie just don't got the ballz he used
    to have).
    
    I give those two DLR albums ****.
    
    	db

    Eat 'em and smile is one of the most played records I have..every song
    is excellant!
    
    
    
    						ian

    I like all of Vais work with Roth.  The solo on "Paradise" is KILLER!
    

    
    what about "Ladies night in Buffalo?" that was excellant~
    
    
    						ian

    Yes, "Ladies Night in Buffalo" may have his most EMOTIONAL solo ever.
    
    MIkey, if you don't find that solo emotional, I strongly suggest having
    your pulse taken.  ;-)   No offense....  ;-)
    
    	db

    I'm not sure if I've heard it.  I was probably watching my lawn grow
    that year.

    I picked up the new instrumental disc over the weekend, listened
    to it, and liked it.  I love the Jack Butler riff in "Bad Horsies"
    as well as the mixed-in left over from the 80's flange at the end.
    A very heavy rhythm happening here.
    
    Of course, there's a fine share of stuff that's just plain burnt.
    
    In short:  decent indeed.  Worthwhile to pick up if you like this
    style.
    
    Kev --
    

	Re. the 2 DLR albums with Steve Vai: would anyone care to list
	the titles of these. Thanks.

	Poul

    Eat 'Em And Smile
    Skyscraper
    
    They both RIP!!
    
    Even my wife thinks Vai/Sheehan are the killer-band, but she
    hates DLR's voice...  I personally think he'd be an ideal front
    man...

    Yep, Steve Vai's best work IMHO were those two albums with Roth.
    
    The band also ripped live.   I bought the new Van Halen album, but the
    only use I've found for it so far is to put it on when I'm having
    trouble sleeping.   Those boys just don't got the fire no more.
    
    	db

    I'd agree about the VH "Balance" effort...  It's sorta lame...
    But I don't think it's NEARLY as lame as the last few efforts...
    
    It's the Best I've heard from them since DLR left the band...
    IMHO, of course. :-)
    
    I saw David Lee Roth with Vai and Sheehan four times live.  They
    SMOKED!!  Vai is *sick* on stage...
    
    

    It's his most emotive period.  
    
    Speaking of being tin can emotionless, look at the cover of the new
    Guitar Player.

    
    teh Eat 'em and smile touring band was by far the best that Roth ever
    assembled....nothing has come close since.I think Vai needs someone to
    tell him when he's going ott in his playing(which he tends to).As for
    Dave Lee Roth....I have to agree with Coop.he was the ultimate front
    man but now I'm not so sure.
    
    
    						ian

    
    	Picked up "Alien Love Secrets" a couple weeks ago.  Excellent!!
    
    	"Bad Horsie" starts with a "sampled" horse whinny, and when I
    	heard that I thought all the horse effects were going to be samp-
    	led.  But luckily they were not ... he throws in some beautiful
    	whinnies in this song.
    
    	The 2nd track kind of reminds me of "Greasy Kid's Stuff".
    
    	And "Yo Yo Gak" features Julian [his sone, 3-4 years old] on voc-
    	als.  Mostly just saying "Yo Yo Gak" throughout the song, with
    	several other "baby words" here and there.
    

    Horsey sounds alone should have this emotional release selling
    millions.

    
    	But they're GOOD horsey sounds.
    

    
    According to the Internet, Steve Vai has an account on AOL. You can
    (supposedly) send him mail at:
    
     AlienLove@Aol.com
    
     Haven't done so, so I don't know if it's for real.
      
      Larry

    somewhat off the subject, Seymour Duncan and Ted Nugent also
    have AOL accounts. I've never tried to send mail.

    
    	I just sent mail to "Steve".  We'll see if it works.  I kept it
    	simple, in case it fails.  The text:
    
    
    	Clapton sucks, and you don't.
    
    
    	8^)
    

    I know exactly what I'm going to write to him about!