Why is Steve Vai so pretentious?

[Nickdfresh]

Zappa was a master of the wierd. Vai is a wannabe. He is technically good but in a real artistic sense ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz. I would rather go to the dentist and have a root canal than see Steve Vai.

Of all the shit you habitually pull out of your asshole and post on the board--wannbe?--Really??

Um, yeah, I'm not stocking up on my Vai catalog either. But he's a great musician and a successful player. He has limitations, but he for fuck sure cannot be called a "wannabe," you mental case.

Go back into your bunker...

[Nickdfresh]

Steve Vai is the kiss of death for everything he touches.

Zappa? Eh.
Alcatrazz? LOL
Roth? Down the toilet as a solo act.
Whitesnake? Broke up.
His own solo career? zzzzzzzzz

Most overrated guitarist ever.

You forgot "Pil".



And let's face it, most of those acts were not going to last or were going tits-up anyways...

[vaijuju]

I love "God" Steve Vai I saw him 3 times .1988 with DLR, 2001 and 2007.He's one of my 3 guitarists ever with Jimi hendrix and Edward van Halen.:tongue0011:

[bueno bob]

You forgot "Pil".



And let's face it, most of those acts were not going to last or were going tits-up anyways...

Agreed...

[Diamondjimi]

Vai is a brilliant technician and a great performer. Like him or not he's carved out a great living for himself.
So he doesn't write "hits", big deal...

[Mushroom]

It's his schtick.

Flex-able has 1 good song. The Alcatraz record was bo-ring. EEAS was great, Passion and Warfare had some brilliant moments. Ralph Machio kicked his ass in CROSSROADS. And then Vai proceeded to ruin Whitesnake. But you have to be impressed with the Frank Zappa history (but even Zappa makes me yawn).

The Cream kicked ass. Derek and the Dominos was classic. Clapton's CROSSROADS II live in the 70's shows you Clapton still had "it" live. Shit, Clapton was making history before Vai could play guitar.

there's only one Vai disc, scuse me, DLR disc, I'll spin before a Clapton disc - and it's EEAS.

[Diamondjimi]

Clapton= Borrrrring! (imo)

[VanHalenFan5150]

Vai is a brilliant technician and a great performer. Like him or not he's carved out a great living for himself.
So he doesn't write "hits", big deal...

However, he writes very technically challenging songs and some memorable riffs. For example, Gar, how many times have you heard Yankee Rose on the radio and thought it was Van Halen? Eddie never used a wah pedal on his classic albums. More recently, he used them in his solos and such. Yankee Rose is a very good classic song by Vai and Roth, probably the best song the two every did. But the point is, people like Steve Vai. I like him, many people here do. So what is the point in saying you don't like him when you know you will be flamed for it?

Alright, well, you're right about him on one or two points, but really, he isn't a bad player.

[Hummarstra]

Via has always bored me. His playing has never touched me emotionally. Ever.

[Nickdfresh]

The other question is: why is GAR such a fail that he put this thread in the wrong forum?

[Terry]

As others have said, Vai is a technically amazing guitarist. No doubt about that.

He seemed to have a habit of zooming in as a hired gun in the footsteps of other players who I enjoyed a bit better than him, be it Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen or John Sykes.

So much of what he does, to me, comes across as showing off all that techincal ability, rather than actually saying something with it. A lot of guitar histrionic wanking, coupled with a tone that is over-processed, mid-ranged and plastic-sounding.

Far as continually posing for pics to be published in Guitar World and the like, in various "guitar hero" poses, well, he's just playing to his demo. Just like Zakk Wylde and Joe Satriani. A lot of those mags sadly often devolve into the midset (despite knowing better) that all it takes is a bunch of high-speed blazing licks, tricks and chops to be a "guitar hero" - with songwriting abilities periodically taking a back seat to technique. To me, that's what differentiated Eddie Van Halen from all the EVH clones that sprung up in the 1980s. Eddie knew how to temper his abilities towards servicing the songs. That's what made Eddie's name known far and wide among people in the rock audiences who DON'T play an instrument. Too often, his clones just took away from him the flashy aspects of what he did.

Shit, I've been tinkering with playing guitar since 1982, and I'd be the first person to say the dude has an ability that is on a plateau it'll take years for me to reach. Even so, his stuff is like a roller coaster ride; exciting while it's going on, but forgettable once it's over with.

[ThrillsNSpills]

He did a tune called Details at 10 from Flexable Leftovers that was really good. 3 part harmonies, no shredding, cool lyrics.
Shame it isn't well known.

[Nitro Express]

If you want to learn how to be a real guitar player than plays with feeling. This is a good start.

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[Nitro Express]

You can fuck as fast as you can but if you use the same stroke, she's going to get bored.

[Nitro Express]

I think Steve Vai needs to move to Harlem and take some dance lessons. He needs some soul food badly.