Metropoulos Forum

Man, I just listened to the 'Eat'em And Smile' record. MAN, that guy played some of the most awesome solo's around ! I have alway's had fond memories of his playing on that album, but shit, after not playing that stuff much over the yrs, I was floored again.

I know of his weakness's, but damn, his strengths far outweigh those.

Plain and simple I like his music. I like the melodies and I like the humor and darn I like his playing.

Check that Alcatraz album he did just before Eat'em & Smile, it is very much in the same vain ... these were [IMHO] his two best rock-band oriented records ever.

Alcatrazz - God Bless Video (live):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1jWq_pF37s

Alcatrazz - God Bless Video (studio):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N19Pu1KM3b4&NR=1
Watch-out for Steve in heavy make-up!

Alcatrazz - She's a stripper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIxOnOjIxRc

Steve playing Yngwie's parts ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ztfjxlgor4

Interesting I have never seen any of that Alcatrazz before. I much prefer his solo stuff.

i kind of like his "newer" stuff even. he does alot of the vocals too. you can say what you want about his overall style/approach, but the guy has a lot of character.

Ive been on a bit of a Vai kick recently, i realy like the alcatrazz album he did, and i have the whole show form that video posted, where hes doing malmsteen. very good.


i Also have a bootleg of the halloween show Zappa did, and Vai plays on that, including sitar.

TomGibbs wrote:Ive been on a bit of a Vai kick recently, i realy like the alcatrazz album he did, and i have the whole show form that video posted, where hes doing malmsteen. very good.


i Also have a bootleg of the halloween show Zappa did, and Vai plays on that, including sitar.

That Alcatraz record is very good. As far as I know, those are the first recordings of Steve being "Steve Vai The Guitar Hero" ... his chops were out of this world, he was years ahead of everybody and ready to burst on the scene. He did just that a year later when Roth put the spot light on him ...
... but that is also different from his later solo work. Passion & Warfare is still a few years later but you can ear the hunger and the seeds of P&W are already there. Eat'em & Smile was a natural progression from Disturbing The Piece IMHO.

Those don't sound like Yngwie's parts, Mr. Beasty.. ,Steve O plays 'em like Steve Vai.
Eat 'Em and Smile, Skyscraper, Crazy from The Heat, I love them all, they are milestones in rock guitar, crazy, wild guitars and only one barre chord in the lot, according to Steve.
But Yngwie he is not, neither is Paul Gilbert, Tony Mc Alpine, or whoever may gird the shred loins.
Only one Yngwie. thank God.. and he is the master.
yngwie308

I agree with Dave on Vai not sounding like Yngwie, even when he's playing the same parts. Steve's guitar and amps sound much different,as compared to Malmsteens more 'Meat and Potatoes' type tone (strat,DOD 250 blaring into the front of an old Marshall), as well as those guy's being very different player's.

I actually prefer Yngwie's tone to Vai's, cause it is more pure,natural and honest. Vai has a very 'generic' type multi preamp gain stage sorta thing going on that kills lots of dynamic's,very much like the newer Mesa and Marshall type designs.

But, hey, Vai more than makes up for having a cheesy sorta tone, with his very imaginative playing style, that is full of originality.

Vai's early stuff (Flexible, the Crossroads stuff, and the DLR albums) were really the catalyst for me getting into the faster playing in the late 80s, then Satch after him. Both a huge influence. I've always been more of a Page/Lifeson guy even during the hair band heyday but I could assimilate the way Vai/Satch played more than the neoclassical guys. Maybe it was the legato aspect that made things more approachable for me...and the quirkiness and weirdness.

I have to admit to really liking Steve Vai, but not always liking his tone. To me it sounds sort of sterile and slightly over processed. But it definitly responds to every little squeal and slide and crunch! I had the pleasure of meeting him and even hanging out with him a little bit and I'm pleased to say that he was extremely nice and friendly, a really nice guy! He even gave me a pick---whoo hoo!

That's awesome that you got to hang out w/ him. I'd love to do that. I'm curious, how did you get that opportunity?

I work at a resort hotel in San Diego and he came down for his b-day with his wife! It was amazing to talk to him, he was genuinely so nice really. It was weird to see him walking around the property and waving hi at me! I had been a fan since the Alcatrazz days and then to meet him was quite cool!

Stevie Vai has a consummate knowledge of recording and producing and he has some great tunes that emotionally move me, such as For The Love of God, but guitar wizardry aside, most of his post DLR playing has an emotionally detached type of clinically sterile sound.
Satriani is much more the other way, bendy and feel orientated, yet he plays note for note all his tunes.
Yngwie on the other hand intentionally never plays the same thing the same way twice, he doesn't believe in reproducing exactly everything the same, choosing to improvise around the obvious stuff and that's what makes him, in my estimation, a far more well rounded and special guitarist.
yngwie308