Steve Via's reflection

[squib]

NOTES: "Eat 'Em And Smile"

Some people believe this to be one of the great rock records of the decade. It was a ground-breaking event for a skinny kid from Long Island. It actually made me a guitar hero overnight thanks to the steady eye of all the Edward Van Halen fans that were waiting to see what the guitar under the voice of David Lee Roth was going to sound like.

We rehearsed long and hard on it. Great memories of this record are of hanging out with Billy, Dave and Gregg, especially in New York. Dave and I went jogging through Central Park almost every day and sometimes late at night (with security). It's a grand memory, a mighty record with a glorious band. I'm fiercely proud of that record and grateful that I had the chance to be part of such a gig at such an early age.

The tour is what notorious rock and roll gossip is made out of. It was not uncommon to have naked women dancing on the dinner table and then having oral sex with each other over a bottle of white wine, or with a bottle of white wine.

[BrownSound1]

That would be Steve Vai not Via. :D

[Catfish]

That last paragraph is enough to make anyone forget how to spell.

[Roth & Roll]

If vai has such fond memories, why the hell doesnt he hitch up with Dave and Billy Sheehan and totally bury Van Hagar once and for all.

[thefive]

It just annoys me that Steve and Billy left. They just used Dave for his name. Dont get me wrong I love the EEAS band. Thats the bottom line is they used Dave and he was just coming off breaking up with VH.

Billy went with Mr. Big. ( I will never understand that.)

Steve left for Whitesnake. (That is even more hard to understand)
I heard Steve was paid 1 million just to tour with them. But money isnt everything. I am sure he got paid well with Dave.

thefive

[squib]

well sorry about the spelling error -
what I found interesting was that Vai who as far as I know,has no reason to hold anything back had no complaints about his time with Dave. Just more evididance to me on who is the hard one to get along with.

[thefive]

You never know the real situation unless your real close in the camp.
In Dave's book he said Steve was going to an area real far off in his sound and music. God Bless.

Thats not a quote. I am just too lazy to go get my book and look it up.

One other thing Steve said in a Van Halen magazine is that he regrets leaving Dave and said if they were still together they be selling out the sahara desert.


thefive

[WACF]

Eat 'Em and Smile was the ultimate summer soundtrack when it came out.

Good times....Damn good times....

Too bad they did not stick together longer.

[Dave's Dradle]

Just listened to Eat'em and Smile yesterday. Great fucking record. Wish they could have kept that going.

[degüello]

EEAS is Dave's best solo work, by far.

[degüello]

Sheehan has said that if the EEAS band had stayed together, the whole grunge phenomenon might not have been as big as it was.

It's quite a claim. I don't agree, but it's kind of interesting nonetheless.

[degüello]

Maybe all that Scientology's going to his head...

[thefive]

When did Sheehan say this and where? in an interview?

thefive

and by the way

[tjvhou812]

Originally posted by thefive
It just annoys me that Steve and Billy left. They just used Dave for his name. Dont get me wrong I love the EEAS band. Thats the bottom line is they used Dave and he was just coming off breaking up with VH.

Billy went with Mr. Big. ( I will never understand that.)

Steve left for Whitesnake. (That is even more hard to understand)
I heard Steve was paid 1 million just to tour with them. But money isnt everything. I am sure he got paid well with Dave.

thefive

dave made steve vai a house hold name

[degüello]

Originally posted by thefive
When did Sheehan say this and where? in an interview?

I read it in an interview, not sure when it was dated.

[academic punk]

Originally posted by squib
well sorry about the spelling error -
what I found interesting was that Vai who as far as I know,has no reason to hold anything back had no complaints about his time with Dave. Just more evididance to me on who is the hard one to get along with.


Actually, Steve Vai is far too much of a gentleman (and far too much of a professional session musician) to say outloud (and endanger his income) all of the frustrations he had in his time with Dave.

Do those frustrations include eat em and Smile? NO. But subsequently, instead of following the thread created with the hard rocking EEAS (which, I agree, is far and away Dave's best solo work)(and even outranks some of the VH material), Dave decided to create the material for Skyscraper and its subsequent tour.

That meant bringing in a full-time keyboard player who wrote pop tunes - not Vai's taste (and not in keeping with the tradition of EEAS), marginalizing Billy Sheehan to the point of obsolesence (remember the guitar and bass duel in Shyboy? Incredible, right? Remember the guitar and bass duel in The Bottom Line? Me neither.)(Billy also said in interviews during EEAS that he was looking forward to writing more material for the next album. Skyscraper had no Billy tunes), and , during the tour, Dave removing Steve's solo entitled "Sunspots" (a fave moment for the fans, why it was removed remains a mystery.

Steve has also alluded to his frustration with how Dave rushed his guitar parts for Skyscraper. The guitar parts and solo we all know from "Just Like Paradise" was actually Steve's demo for the song. Dave believed they were good enough as they were, aand refused to let Steve record and realize the parts as he had originally intended.

Was Dave in the wrong? No. It's ultimately his product and Steve and Billy were his hired hands to realize not their but HIS visions and goals for the album. Dave has gone onto say - as someone alluded to here - that Steve was moving further and further into a completely different musical zone (Dave's background was playing bars for years. Steve went to Berklee College of Music and was on big stages with avant-gardist Frank Zappa before he was out of his twenties. Totally different mindsets and approaches to music).

But Steve and Billy leaving in the wake of dave's choice to change direction should surprise and disappoint no one.

[The Knockz]

actually Brett Tuggle wrote the music for "Just Like Paradise" and he and DLR gave it a Rothisising, but the tune was written by Tuggle without Vai's input.

[DavidLeeNatra]

Originally posted by academic punk
Actually, Steve Vai is [...]But Steve and Billy leaving in the wake of dave's choice to change direction should surprise and disappoint no one.

a-punk knows his shit...I guess dave made a mistake by producing skyscraper all on his own...maybe he was a bit too bossy at that point in his career...

[Balue]

Thinking back to interviews around the release of Skyscraper, Dave was so proud of that record. It's the most serious I've ever heard him about his music. He really had his own vision for that record and took control to make sure it turned out right. Must have been a blow when the reviews came in. Everyone seemed to want the jokey, larger than life Dave that was served up on Eat Em And Smile, not a serious musician with pretensions to art. Shame he never tried anything so ambitious again. Skyscraper may not be his best solo album, but it's the most interesting and the one that had the most potential to break away from the "ex lead singer of Van Halen" tag.

Anyway, Vai joining Whitesnake was very weird. Anyone taking Coverdale seriously is very weird. Jimmy Page? Whaaaaatttttttt!!!!!!!!!!?????? Sheehan forming Mr Big, now that made sense :) .

[ashstralia]

call me crazy,
but imho skyscraper
and the first two mr. big
records rock!!!!

but someone buried steve
on slip of the tongue.

[DavidLeeNatra]

Originally posted by ashstralia
call me crazy,
but imho skyscraper
and the first two mr. big
records rock!!!!

but someone buried steve
on slip of the tongue.

don't get me wrong...I like skyscraper...I don't mind any trying in other musical directions (love YFLM) but to me it sounds overproduced it doesn't have the easy feel on it, you hear the ambition...

I know that sometimes it's very difficult to "stop" when you record something...same thing with painting there is always a point when you have to let the colors dry...

[hard rock]

i think skyscraper is a great album as well. maybe it did not rock out like eeas but its a good album. i prefer it to alae and yflm. tunes like hina, bottomline,knucklebones and damn good should have been included on the best of album along with the ones that were selected ie just like paradise, hot dog and a shake, stand up and skyscraper. also tunes like skyscraper where ahead of its time. not quite nine inch nails territory but it was close to that neighbourhood for 1988

[tomballin]

Mistakes were made on both sides. However, Dave showed his brilliance coming back out in '86 and not sounding like Van Halen. That is extremely hard/impossible for any but the best musician to do after breaking up with a superband like Van Halen.

Also, I have seen Billy and Steve play many times. The problem I guess I have with both of them is that they are too good/too over the top.

Billy can play the hell out of his bass, and Steve out of his guitar, but to me, a lot of the times it doesn't feel like they are playing/channeling from their soul, only from their fingers.

To me that is the difference between the greatest guitarists, and just great guitarists. EVH has the same damn problem. It's like Ok guys, I'm impressed with your speed, sound effects, and toys, now play me some slow stuff that will blow the audience away like Vaughan and Hendrix could. I don't want to hear the notes, I want to feel the notes at a cellular level!

I have to admit, of the 5 times I have seen Steve Vai play, I only liked him twice. He is brilliant but too unstructured, and again too all over the fretboard with his lightning speed.

When Satriani got Vai to settle down at one gig I saw, (Joe is the one that taught Steve how to play a guitar) Vai was just fucking brilliant. I couldn't believe it. He slowed down and started working the notes, and man it was something beautiful.

I have read that both Zappa and Roth had the same problems with Steve being too unstructured and using too many signal processor effects, like what plagued EVH on the 04 Tour.

But hey, none of the EEAS band members are exactly getting rich off their current work, yet all are brillant musicians and good guys. Yes, I like the idea of a Roth EEAS ReUnion Tour, just to shove it up the Sisters and Hagar's ass!

[ashstralia]

yep, agree with all of the above.
hina still gives me the chills,
how fuckin good it is.

[tomballin]

Rockline with Dave and EEAS Band
--------------------------------------------

Caller: Steve (Vai) I just wanta tell ya, I’m a big fan and want to be just like ya.

Steve: Well thank you very much

Dave: So you say you want to be just like Steve?

Caller: Yeah exactly

Dave: Well you might want to check his arrest record first

(band busts out in baaawaaaa laughter)

Steve: Only since the start of this Tour…..Only since the start of this Tour, laughing


Originally posted by squib
NOTES: "Eat 'Em And Smile"

Some people believe this to be one of the great rock records of the decade. It was a ground-breaking event for a skinny kid from Long Island. It actually made me a guitar hero overnight thanks to the steady eye of all the Edward Van Halen fans that were waiting to see what the guitar under the voice of David Lee Roth was going to sound like.

We rehearsed long and hard on it. Great memories of this record are of hanging out with Billy, Dave and Gregg, especially in New York. Dave and I went jogging through Central Park almost every day and sometimes late at night (with security). It's a grand memory, a mighty record with a glorious band. I'm fiercely proud of that record and grateful that I had the chance to be part of such a gig at such an early age.

The tour is what notorious rock and roll gossip is made out of. It was not uncommon to have naked women dancing on the dinner table and then having oral sex with each other over a bottle of white wine, or with a bottle of white wine.

[Mr. G]

It is no accident that most of Steve's audience are male musicians. Steve could make a lot more money playing commercial stuff which he has said many times before. By the way Joe gave Steve lessons in the early days but currently I think Steve is a far better player. I don't know for a fact but I am guessing that Joe has had more commercial success. Also I am not in any way bashing commercial success as I think if Steve and Billy would have managed to stay with Roth they would have just kept going with great results. Funny but when Steve went to play with Whitesnake his fans gave him a hard time as they felt he was "Above" that gig. According to Steve he just wanted to play huge arenas, run around like a teenager and pay for his kids education ten times over. Hey he should do that with Dave. Dave?

[tomballin]

Originally posted by Mr. G
It is no accident that most of Steve's audience are male musicians. Steve could make a lot more money playing commercial stuff which he has said many times before. By the way Joe gave Steve lessons in the early days but currently I think Steve is a far better player. I don't know for a fact but I am guessing that Joe has had more commercial success. Also I am not in any way bashing commercial success as I think if Steve and Billy would have managed to stay with Roth they would have just kept going with great results. Funny but when Steve went to play with Whitesnake his fans gave him a hard time as they felt he was "Above" that gig. According to Steve he just wanted to play huge arenas, run around like a teenager and pay for his kids education ten times over. Hey he should do that with Dave. Dave?

Yeah Vai concerts are not the best chick pick-up gigs, LOL

You're right, Joe got Vai started in the biz, and Steve took it the rest of the way.

Like I have said before here, music and pussy is a matter of personal interpretation and how it makes you feel. I have seen many a G-3 concert and watched Satch blow Vai right off the stage, not that this was ever Joe’s intention, except one time, and it was obvious Joe was letting everyone there know who ruled the stage.

Joe seems to be able to “channel from his soul” in playing the guitar at a level Steve’s rarely can get down to. But I’m more a music purist than most people.

I go to concerts strictly for the music, then party afterwards. Most people go for the partying and drinking during the show....TB

---------

Dave: Well, we're Touring (EEAS Band) for the fans, for the awesome time playing together with such great musicians, .........and mostly for back-stage!

Vai: Reallyyyyyyyyy, laughing (referring to the backstage)

[David Van Via]

Originally posted by Brownsound1
That would be Steve Vai not Via. :D

Yeah I'm the only Via here and my name isn't Steve! :D




Originally posted by tomballin
I have seen many a G-3 concert and watched Satch blow Vai right off the stage[/color]

I've only seen two performances with Joe and Vai, and thay where Some guitar legends program from 1992 and G-3 Live in Denver and my opinion Vai was on much better form then Satriani. Steve's music just seemed to be better compossed and had more of a flow to it as well.

[tydhurst]

Originally posted by David Van Via
Yeah I'm the only Via here and my name isn't Steve! :D


DAMN RIGHT!


I've only seen two performances with Joe and Vai, and thay where Some guitar legends program from 1992 and G-3 Live in Denver and my opinion Vai was on much better form then Satriani. Steve's music just seemed to be better compossed and had more of a flow to it as well.

I agree, and Yngwie Malmsteen is an embarassment to the sport, those trousers!!! A thin man couldn't get away with them let alone that "I ate a Baby" looking Motherfucker! Anyway, WAHT do you you mean Steve Vai shows no soul, were you even listening, that man IS the guitar! Hendrix was overrated just because he's dead. If he'd lived there is NO way he'd be able to keep up with players like Vai, who have this style that speaks to you on several different levels, Who cares what Frank Zappa thought of his style, that's his problem! Vai is the best guitar player ever, because he IS able to put soul into his guitar but add technique and effects at the same time, but ulike, say, Tom Morello, the music does not just lie on effects alone. I've seen clips of Vai with just a little practice amp, and boy does he make it WAIL!

[kentuckyklira]

Originally posted by WACF
Eat 'Em and Smile was the ultimate summer soundtrack when it came out.

Good times....Damn good times....

Too bad they did not stick together longer. So true!

If only my bandmates would practice harder I´d have us covering Shy Boy!

[tomballin]

Hendrix over-rated. - Righttttttt!

Can tell you're a musician and well studied on music history and theory......NOT!!

Dumbest fucking thing I've ever seen reduced to writing.


-------------

Originally posted by tydhurst
I agree, and Yngwie Malmsteen is an embarassment to the sport, those trousers!!! A thin man couldn't get away with them let alone that "I ate a Baby" looking Motherfucker! Anyway, WAHT do you you mean Steve Vai shows no soul, were you even listening, that man IS the guitar! Hendrix was overrated just because he's dead. If he'd lived there is NO way he'd be able to keep up with players like Vai, who have this style that speaks to you on several different levels, Who cares what Frank Zappa thought of his style, that's his problem! Vai is the best guitar player ever, because he IS able to put soul into his guitar but add technique and effects at the same time, but ulike, say, Tom Morello, the music does not just lie on effects alone. I've seen clips of Vai with just a little practice amp, and boy does he make it WAIL!

[Mr. G]

I personally don't care how soemone looks (Yngwie) as long as they can play. Yngwie is basically the same guy he always has been, shreds just as fast or faster. The good thing about Steve, Joe and probably Yngwie is that they are probably not going to go the way of other greats that die too early, so we can watch how they progress. One thing I would change about Yngwie is that from my point of view he sometimes just plays fast for the sake of playing fast. If he would just sort of dole out the speed at choice moments and play with more feel other times I think he would be better. But I guess part of Yngwie's appeal is his over the top shred!

[tydhurst]

Yeah, but the trousers took away a lot of his Stage cred. It truns out, i AM a musician, and have a bit of musical knowledge, and since you haven't realy backed up your argument, i've disregarded your comment!

Hendrix is still very much overrated. Again that's just my opinion, and i'll tell you what i tell everybody...

Don't listen to my opinion, i'm nuts! I just think htere are better guitarists than Hendrix and hate it when people cram him down my fucking throat! He is not the Be-all and End-all of guitar players!

[Mr. G]

So let me get this straight, according to you Yngwie is less of a credible musicain because of how he looks? In studying music theory have you run across data that governs music ability with what pants someone is wearing? So I'm waiting for a logical explination without you being overly emotional.

[aesop]

Originally posted by Balue
Thinking back to interviews around the release of Skyscraper, Dave was so proud of that record. It's the most serious I've ever heard him about his music. He really had his own vision for that record and took control to make sure it turned out right. Must have been a blow when the reviews came in. Everyone seemed to want the jokey, larger than life Dave that was served up on Eat Em And Smile, not a serious musician with pretensions to art. Shame he never tried anything so ambitious again. Skyscraper may not be his best solo album, but it's the most interesting and the one that had the most potential to break away from the "ex lead singer of Van Halen" tag.

Anyway, Vai joining Whitesnake was very weird. Anyone taking Coverdale seriously is very weird. Jimmy Page? Whaaaaatttttttt!!!!!!!!!!?????? Sheehan forming Mr Big, now that made sense :) .

Hey I met David Coverdale...He's quite the Heavy Metal professional. While Whitesnake never broke any new ground, they, like the Scorps, sure got the jist of what Hard Rock was...and ran with it. No fault in that.

...And I still think that 'Coverdale-Page is a fucking great album...

...Anyone ever hear "It's Over Now"?...Great tune...

[Denny]

Originally posted by tydhurst
I agree, and Yngwie Malmsteen is an embarassment to the sport, those trousers!!! A thin man couldn't get away with them let alone that "I ate a Baby" looking Motherfucker! Anyway, WAHT do you you mean Steve Vai shows no soul, were you even listening, that man IS the guitar! Hendrix was overrated just because he's dead. If he'd lived there is NO way he'd be able to keep up with players like Vai, who have this style that speaks to you on several different levels, Who cares what Frank Zappa thought of his style, that's his problem! Vai is the best guitar player ever, because he IS able to put soul into his guitar but add technique and effects at the same time, but ulike, say, Tom Morello, the music does not just lie on effects alone. I've seen clips of Vai with just a little practice amp, and boy does he make it WAIL!

Yngwie Malmsteen can out play Satriani and Vai. Frank Zappa was and is 1,000,000 times the Musician Steve Vai is.

[tydhurst]

Originally posted by Mr. G
So let me get this straight, according to you Yngwie is less of a credible musicain because of how he looks? In studying music theory have you run across data that governs music ability with what pants someone is wearing? So I'm waiting for a logical explination without you being overly emotional.


I never said anything about Malmsteen's musicianship, read my post again before you go on about it!


Originally posted by Denny
Yngwie Malmsteen can out play Satriani and Vai. Frank Zappa was and is 1,000,000 times the Musician Steve Vai is.

So just Because you say Frank Zappa was better than Seve Vai that means that Frank Zappa must be right about everything?

[tydhurst]

I can't make fun of Malmsteen's guitar playing, it's too good! But i will make fun of his taste in trousers!

[David Van Via]

Originally posted by tydhurst
I can't make fun of Malmsteen's guitar playing, it's too good! But i will make fun of his taste in trousers!

Yeah. Malmsteem is a world class guitar player, and nobody can say otherwise, however is music is just scales played really really fast. It doesn't have all that much soul. But come on you must admit large men shouldn't wear trousers like that (before anyone says, this is NO insult to his music or his playing in anyway). And as for Malmsteen out playing Vai and Satriani..... I'm sorry, I can't agree he just plays the same style of fast playing in every song, while Vai and Satriani mix the speed with soul (In my opinion makes a better combination).

[Mr. G]

Man I definitly agree with that. It's funny but Yngwie has said that he NEVER practices scales! As far as these three I guess we can all agree that none of them suck.

[MUSICMAN64]

Dave once said that Skyscraper was his Frankenstein. A time to experiment. Billy Sheehan said afterwards that he hated the record. Too many over dubs. He said the original demo with just the four players was way better. As for Vai leaving, who knows. He was a hired gun and certainly a player on the outer fringes of technique. Not your most traditional type player.
Eddie had the tricks but his rhythm playing and songwriting were exceptional. I never felt the warmth in Vai's tone that Ed had. I still dig Skyscraper, Especially Hina. And yes, Tuggle wrote Paradise, and Vai hated his solo. All in all, 2 great albums from an amazing band.
theres a good interview at Metal Sludge with Billy Sheehan regarding Dave and the making of the album.

[David Van Via]

Originally posted by Mr. G
As far as these three I guess we can all agree that none of them suck.

Well I'll tell you one thing. I agree with you anyway! :D

[tobinentinc]

Let's put it this way, Dave's career was never the same after Vai and Sheehan

[Mr. G]

Well it COULD be the same.

[Terry]

Sheehan and Vai have a ton of technical ability, but are a couple of wankfest artists when it comes right down to it. Only made sense for Billy to hook up with Mr.Big and Gilbert, who epitomized speed over substance to a degree that made Vai sound soulful by comparison. That whole GIT school of playing that always leaves me cold. I mean, what's a bass player doing with a Kahler vibrato on his axe, for fucks sake?!

Eddie V had technique in spades, but the man knew how to write a song and lay back as well. Think Dave's contribution to the EEAS band was influencing Sheehan and Vai to play things that would appeal to rock fans who weren't musicians.

EEAS was a smokin' album, no doubt. Agree that it ranks up there with Dave's best. Then again, so does DLR Band, and none of the guitarists on that CD are doing anything stellar, solo-wise. Comes down to the songs in the end. EEAS was a logical progression from 1984, whereas 5150 just wasn't.

Don't get me wrong: 1986 was the first introduction for many to Vai, and he passed the audition with flying colors. Somehow though, what EVH did in classic VH still resonates with me to this day, whereas a lot of Vai's stuff still has that "wheedly-wheedly-wee!" quality that I'm a little ho-hum over now. When he does the slower, bluesier stuff, it comes across to me like he's making an effort to be emotive.

[tomballin]

Originally posted by Terry
Sheehan and Vai have a ton of technical ability, but are a couple of wankfest artists when it comes right down to it. Only made sense for Billy to hook up with Mr.Big and Gilbert, who epitomized speed over substance to a degree that made Vai sound soulful by comparison. That whole GIT school of playing that always leaves me cold. I mean, what's a bass player doing with a Kahler vibrato on his axe, for fucks sake?!

Eddie V had technique in spades, but the man knew how to write a song and lay back as well. Think Dave's contribution to the EEAS band was influencing Sheehan and Vai to play things that would appeal to rock fans who weren't musicians.

EEAS was a smokin' album, no doubt. Agree that it ranks up there with Dave's best. Then again, so does DLR Band, and none of the guitarists on that CD are doing anything stellar, solo-wise. Comes down to the songs in the end. EEAS was a logical progression from 1984, whereas 5150 just wasn't.


Don't get me wrong: 1986 was the first introduction for many to Vai, and he passed the audition with flying colors. Somehow though, what EVH did in classic VH still resonates with me to this day, whereas a lot of Vai's stuff still has that "wheedly-wheedly-wee!" quality that I'm a little ho-hum over now. When he does the slower, bluesier stuff, it comes across to me like he's making an effort to be emotive.

Great post bro!