Who is your favorite guitarist??

[GodOfRhythm]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

Exactly!

Steve can't be confined to 'songs', imho. They're just 'windows' over a certain aspect of his playing and the emotions he was going through at that point.

I saw him live with the Dutch National (Rotterdam yaddayadda?) Symphony, it was mindblowing! His tone was a bit lacking because he was restricted and couldn't crank due to the symphony around him and all, but DAMN that was insane playing, so diverse and dynamic! Which is exactly why songs are not really possible for Vai's personal style.

But then again, with his more 'commercial' stuff, in DLR's band, Whitesnake and stuff he actually cuts down a little on the whacky shit and you can see his songwriting ability come through better.

[jgcable]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

[ QUOTE ]
I always call songs the music wich has vocals

that being said Steve Vai kicks most of the virutoso players ass big time when it comes to songwriting.

He wrote half of the songs for DLR's Eat 'em & Smile and Skyscraper, super big hits, sold millions. Now that is a good songwriting.

As far as his solo project is concerned, he doesn't write hit songs for all the people, his instrumentals are coming out of his emotions, and you CAN'T express your whacky sense of humour and perversse dreams with well written melodical song progressions. That would be fake. His instrumentals are weird because he feels that way. Most of the players are scared of expressing their real emotions. Only a very few have gone so deep, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Stockhausen and some more but Steve went further than any of those guys. Steve's instrumentals aren't great hit songs but they are full of expresions of "primal" instincts, emotions etc. wich are more superior to good songwriting as far "great art" is concerned.

When Steve does his solo then he does weird shit, when he is in a band then he writes great songs. That's how the things should be IMHO.

[/ QUOTE ]

You make alot of good points but I am not talking about hit songs. I am talking about good songs.
The only reason Steve Vai can get away with having such a weak SOLO writing ability is the fact that he is argueably the most accomplished guitarist on the planet. Vai is operating on a level that is so far ahead of most other guitarists its not even comprehendable. I think he is amazing but I think that much of his solo material is weak.
He does write great songs when he has to. I just wonder why he feels he doesn't have to on his solo records.

[Endrik]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

eheehee, as I said, he expresses his weird emotions in his solo albums, he doesn't need to write "normal" songs because all the others are doing it. He is different. And well he has so much money that he doesn't give a damn about decent songs.

That being said, Steve is a super humble dude, he said that he writes his stuff only for his enjoyement, and he was REALLY superised that a lot of people dig that weird stuff. He thought that his music is nonsene for all the other people. It's something that he does for himself but he is very thankful that people listen to it but that doesn't mean he has to start writing songs for the them.

But he must be doing something write because his solo albums are going gold within a week in Japan. That's pretty damn impressive.

[jgcable]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

[ QUOTE ]
eheehee, as I said, he expresses his weird emotions in his solo albums, he doesn't need to write "normal" songs because all the others are doing it. He is different. And well he has so much money that he doesn't give a damn about decent songs.

That being said, Steve is a super humble dude, he said that he writes his stuff only for his enjoyement, and he was REALLY superised that a lot of people dig that weird stuff. He thought that his music is nonsene for all the other people. It's something that he does for himself but he is very thankful that people listen to it but that doesn't mean he has to start writing songs for the them.

But he must be doing something write because his solo albums are going gold within a week in Japan. That's pretty damn impressive.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can't argue with that. I also heard he is a really nice guy in person which is very cool considering how famous he is.

[hippietim]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

I don't think I'd say that Eric Johnson or Steve Vai are weak song writers at all. I just happen to think that Eric's stuff sounds terrible [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I realize that doesn't make a whole lot of sense but it's the way I feel about a lot of stuff. I think it all depends on how you are viewing it. Some songs you enjoy because they make you stomp your feet or bang your head but they aren't necessarily masterpieces of modern composition. Some songs you enjoy because of the rich textures or intricate arrangements. Some songs you enjoy just because they are catchy (we all have our guilty pleasures after all). Those are all equally valid in my mind but what fits into one of those slots for you doesn't necessarily fit the same slot for me - if at all.

I think that Vai would be better described as a composer than merely as a typical song writer because there is sooo much more going on in his music than what normally constitutes a "song". I personally think his music/songs/compositions are fantastic. What really hammered this home for me was when Vai had Mike Keneally perform a bunch of his compositions on a solo piano CD. Hearing those songs at their essence like that really highlighted Vai's writing in ways I hadn't necessarily considered before. Hearing "Ballerina" as a solo piano piece is truly a remarkable thing.

[hippietim]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

[ QUOTE ]
[quotedoes anyone want his last cd? because if i haven't thrown it away yet you can have it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey Tim, I wouldn't mind giving it a listen. Thanks.

Alvin

[/ QUOTE ]

shoot me your address - if i find it, it's yours. and no giving it back. you're stuck with it.

[cookiemonster]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

glen tipton, adrian smith, steve rothery, gary moore(early stuff),steve hillage.

[jim777]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

Has anyone mentioned Steve Morse or Al Dimeola yet?

[SILENTSCREAM]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

Jason Becker, John McLaughlin, Mattias IA Eklundh

[ChrisRocksUSA]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

I don't know anymore

it was always kirk hammett since I was a little kid, but everything after AJFA is just sloppy with too much wah and tasteless

[prizrak]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

Adrian Smith, Dave Mustaine, Vladimir Holstin

[DonP]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know anymore

it was always kirk hammett since I was a little kid, but everything after AJFA is just sloppy with too much wah and tasteless

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. He smoked on everything up until then. That was the last Metallica album as far as I'm concerned.

Anyone like old Armored Saint? David Prichard (sp?)? I love their songs, but "some" of their solos leave something to be desired (talking the early stuff). The ones I don't like seem to go "nowhere" [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[followthereaper]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

Has anyone else seen Eric Sardinas at a Steve Vai conert? I'm not much into blues, but after the concert I went to, I've been listening to him since. He's like blues rock/delta blues and a hell of a slide player.

[777]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

If it's just ONE, than Steve Vai. Warm Regards! (nuff said)

[NextInLine]

Re: Who is your favorite guitarist??

[ QUOTE ]
I always call songs the music wich has vocals

that being said Steve Vai kicks most of the virutoso players ass big time when it comes to songwriting.

He wrote half of the songs for DLR's Eat 'em & Smile and Skyscraper, super big hits, sold millions. Now that is a good songwriting.

As far as his solo project is concerned, he doesn't write hit songs for all the people, his instrumentals are coming out of his emotions, and you CAN'T express your whacky sense of humour and perversse dreams with well written melodical song progressions. That would be fake. His instrumentals are weird because he feels that way. Most of the players are scared of expressing their real emotions. Only a very few have gone so deep, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Stockhausen and some more but Steve went further than any of those guys. Steve's instrumentals aren't great hit songs but they are full of expresions of "primal" instincts, emotions etc. wich are more superior to good songwriting as far "great art" is concerned.

When Steve does his solo then he does weird shit, when he is in a band then he writes great songs. That's how the things should be IMHO.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is by far the best post I've read about Vai [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]