Steve Vai

[Meedleyx10]

i have to extremely disgree with however said vai is just a guitarist and not a musician. I you odnt like vai thats fine and i respect that.....but to say he "isn't a musician" is utter craziness. He is one of the most innovative musicians of all time and is always groundbreaking in his stuff. People who aren't musicians dont graduate from berklee and go on to write things like Steve vai does.

The only thing i dont like about Vai is that i dont think he is that good of an improviser

 

[OfSinsAndShred]

Steve Vai's greatest weakness is that he is not a musician - he's a guitarist and nothing more. He doesn't write music as he chiefly writes tunes in order to exhibit his amazing chops.

I don't know what criteria you could have to qualify someone as a musician that Vai doesn't meet.

 

[G-Master]

Guitar theatrics is not a requisite to qualify as a formidable musician. And 'theatrics" is what pollutes his, otherwise, unique and unusual arrangements.
Flaunting his virtuosity is always intriguing - but overdone to the greatest extent possible - sacrificing a potentially enjoyable piece of music, and ruining it with nothing more than advanced (and exotic) 'school exercises'.

I've already stated my immense respect for Vai (that I am a big fan), and his superior skills as an instrumentalist, therefore, there is no point in elaborating any further.
Though notice I said 'instrumentalist'. Writing unusual song structures is one thing. Yet to do nothing more than shred or attempt to make the most peculiar noises from your axe, and to churn out wailing, sometimes unintelligible speaking notes, does not qualify as great musicianship. Oh he possesses the qualities, they're just coated with a thick layer of senseless theatrics.

Every other explanation has been stated clearly in my previous posts.

Again ... I am a big fan of Vai and admire his skill. I find a lot of his songs energetic and nothing short of powerful. But he has plenty of flaws.

 

[ABQShredHead]

... I am a big fan of Vai and admire his skill. I find a lot of his songs energetic and nothing short of powerful. But he has plenty of flaws.

Not meaning to sound too theological, but

Man without flaws = GOD​

​

and I don't think even Steve Vai would be conceited enough to label himself God. Even Malmsteen wouldn't go that far.:Spin:​

​

But, I don't know that I agree with your argument in principle either. I look at Sex & Religion as a masterful work of writing and playing both. His musicianship exceeds his instrumentalship, in my mind.​

 

[iishrak]

Not meaning to sound too theological, but

Man without flaws = GOD​

​

and I don't think even Steve Vai would be conceited enough to label himself God. Even Malmsteen wouldn't go that far.:Spin:​

​

But, I don't know that I agree with your argument in principle either. I look at Sex & Religion as a masterful work of writing and playing both. His musicianship exceeds his instrumentalship, in my mind.​

He may not label himself God, but there are legions of insane Vai fans who do that for him.

Vai is way too ambitious in my opinion. Alive in an Ultra world (his last real album... over 3 years ago!) is a case in point. While, I think that this album kicks total ass, there's no way that it lived up to the image in Vai's head of what this album should be.

The thing is, I don't think it's possible for Vai to be productive and to fulfill all his ambition at the same time.

Here are my suggestions for Vai:

1. STOP THE G3 MADNESS! (I love G3, but I am starting to wonder if Vai has become complacent on this proiftable venture Satch has him hooked on).

2. Start releasing albums! Look at that insane band he had touring with him for 2003 G3... Donati on drums, Sheenan on bass, MacAlpine playing KBs and GTR. What a GREAT lineup!! How could they have NOT just thrown together a badass instrumental shred album?! Even if it was just an hour worth of those guys improvising, it would be worth checking it out, and Vai doesnt even have to put any effort into it.

3. Take the whammy bar off the guitar. He spends about 40 minutes of that almost 3 hour Live in Astoria DVD making feedback noise by violently swinging his guitar around while holding it by the bar. If he would focus on playing all that crazy bad ass sound he made while actually playing guitar, it'd be AWESOME.

4. Distance himself from Satch, associate himself with Frank Zappa. FZ is Vai's real claim to fame. He should transcribe 60 minutes worth of brilliant FZ classical music onto guitar and release that. Unfortunately, that is a lot more difficult and a lot less profitable than going on another G3.

 

[jaimek]

I'm half and half on Vai - half of his stuff I looooove, and half of it doesn't do anything for me. I'm very partial to Fire Garden, though.

 

[ABQShredHead]

Vai is way too ambitious in my opinion.

I think it is his ambition that makes him great. He's trying to take the guitar where it hasn't been before. Call it ambitious or call it greatness - it's a good thing. I can't say I like all his stuff - maybe not even 50% of his stuff - but what I do like I usually love and I sit through what I don't like or bypass it altogether.

1. STOP THE G3 MADNESS! (I love G3, but I am starting to wonder if Vai has become complacent on this proiftable venture Satch has him hooked on).

I can't agree here. I think G3 has a purpose and it needs to continue. I like others' ideas that maybe it needs to drop Vai/Satch somewhere along the way, but that wouldn't make it G3 anymore. I like to be able to go out and see a total guitar show every now and then. The sets need to be longer though and they need better choices for the end jams, song-wise.

2. Start releasing albums! Look at that insane band he had touring with him for 2003 G3... Donati on drums, Sheenan on bass, MacAlpine playing KBs and GTR. What a GREAT lineup!! How could they have NOT just thrown together a badass instrumental shred album?! Even if it was just an hour worth of those guys improvising, it would be worth checking it out, and Vai doesnt even have to put any effort into it.

I agree with you here. Imagine an album like that? With MacAlpine on keys and guitar - that would be over the top for sure.

3. Take the whammy bar off the guitar. He spends about 40 minutes of that almost 3 hour Live in Astoria DVD making feedback noise by violently swinging his guitar around while holding it by the bar. If he would focus on playing all that crazy bad ass sound he made while actually playing guitar, it'd be AWESOME.

Vai has taken the tremolo bar to another level. I think he uses it as an expressive tool, much like Hendrix used the wah-wah pedal. I do agree that it gets to be too much at times though.

4. Distance himself from Satch, associate himself with Frank Zappa. FZ is Vai's real claim to fame. He should transcribe 60 minutes worth of brilliant FZ classical music onto guitar and release that. Unfortunately, that is a lot more difficult and a lot less profitable than going on another G3.

I don't think he needs to associate himself with anybody other than himself. He should continue to make his own music rather than ride the coattails of Satch or Frankie Z. Zappa's contributions to Vai's music is too difficult to measure - much of Vai's quirkiness and over-the-topness comes from his mentorship from Frank.

 

[Technetium]

Vai not a musician? Heard "I'll Be Around?" Great lyrics (which Vai sings very well) and vocal melodies, and if the song even has a guitar solo, it doesn't stand out, because I don't remember it. It's actually one of the most emotionally powerful songs I've heard.

 

[ElPredicador]

If you haven't seen his performance on the newest G3 DVD (the one with Yngwie), WATCH IT. The triple-neck opening is one of the best pieces of guitar work I've ever seen. Period. It's just genius. And there's a part near the end where he's doing these muted 16ths on all the strings with mind-bending speed, and somehow bringing out a single note melody - really cool stuff.

I dont know if the song is the same, but last sunday Vai opened with that same guitar... but I have to say that having a whole guitar (neck?) to bring out a major chord is just show.

 

[The_Children_of_Decadence]

i like, but their latest worx, not really kewl, i guess...

 

[GabrielKnight]

I'm not crazy about Vai's studio albums, but he's fun to watch live. His set was the best of all all 3 on last year's G3! And speaking about Vai live... they just announced tourdates for the upcoming 2005 tour.

 

[tyrant21]

I like Steve Vai a lot. Many of his songs are best rock songs ever made and He is maybe best player in the world...ever. He is amazing in rythm things. Absolutely amazing.

I f you think this, check out kazohito yamashita. This guy is a classical guitar player who is japanese, his father relentlessly trained him and his sister from as soon as they were able to play. He trained them so hard the sister went insane and is in an insane asylum. He's credited with playing dvorak's new world symphony, liszts hungarian rhapsody 2 and many other insanely ridiculous pieces on guitar. The thing is, self dedication, which vai had in spades, can get you extremely far, but when somebody is constantly pushing you, you improve much quicker.

non of this is to descredit vai, he is in my opinion probably the most amazing electric guitar player, but I think there are things in classical and jazz the people often overlook.

 

[OfSinsAndShred]

non of this is to descredit vai, he is in my opinion probably the most amazing electric guitar player, but I think there are things in classical and jazz the people often overlook.

In-friggin'-deed. When I first started school for jazz guitar, I got my mind blown. Then again Vai has a decent jazz background and a bit of the style in his playing.

 

[Dieblo]

I've bought "passion and warfare" and didn't do it for me, maybe a lack of feeling, I don't know, but i'm gonna give it another try though. But like somebody said before: seeing Vai play live would be awesome. And I'm definitely going to his show in toronto.

 

[Freyja]

when i first heard Vai, i was'nt very interested, but the more i listened the more i liked, hes one of those guitar players that seem to be an aquired taste. i do love most of the stuff on fire garden though.