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Steve Vai !

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thanks for that el ka bong! I remember years ago I took some acid and a friend put on 'for the love of god', I was really amazed by it! Really expressive music!

I dont like so much his 'superstar' and flashy show-off kind of style/stage presence, but oh boy his music can be really special! Appart from for the love of god, some of my favourite tracks are "sisters", "melissa's garden" and "boston rain melody"
 
That showing-off, wich he sometimes does, is such a waste of talent. This guy is one of the greatest musicians alive and, i think, by far the best guitarplayer ever. Not just technically but also as a musical pioneer and visionary; He moved on from where jimi hendrix had taken guitarmusic and pushed the boundaries so much further. 'passion and warfare' is the best guitar-album ever made, in my opinion.

When listening to his music, i often think this dude has taken some psychedelic, but i'm not sure wich one.
 
Ah .. the ego we all bear ! Steve's ego is for us to all behold, and vicariously enjoy ! .. I can handle / have learned to bear the flashy bits ... But he's not really doing more than is needed to 'get-it-all-out', speaking his 'voice' takes facial contortions, I'd say !. The DVD about the "Wild Things .." tour shows what he's like - band mates describe life on the bus etc etc ..

Steve Vai HAS to have an ego that 'shows off' ... it's hugely there, and his thing to mutate and manipulate like the music he creates. The theatrical ego - I don't know him personally, but his You Tube interviews don't make him out to be unenlightened. He's mellower than you might expect. The high-speed fan on stage makes it look like he's flying real fast ... and it's functional as well as theatrical ... Always a Freak Show Excess ! ( I saw this tour 4 days before it was recorded..)


Women of course might dig the falshiness more than men .. but Steve also does the androgenous thing, it seems to me (see/hear "Little Aligator").

Steve breaks it, and recreates it a billion times - theatrically enjoying all there can be in destroying - then he composes something intensely alive - face grimaces are essential to tell it all ... And then you need head gear !


 
I don't think he HAS to have an ego. He's proven himself to be an excellent composer.

He could just devote himself solely to making briliant music, wich he has repeatedly shown to be capable of.

I not so much dig his skills, as well as his immense creativity.
 
Very good musician. One of my favourite guitar player among John Petrucci, Robert Fripp and Joe Satriani.
He definitelly had some decent psychedelics experiences.
ILPT like him too, `tender surrender` is his favourite bit !
 
Why is showing off his musical talent a bad thing? He has dedicated his life to his craft and is very proud of what he can do, and he should be. I love musicians who like to show off their entire spectrum of skill.
 
Personally, I think it's all about making a living. Behave extravagant, people notice, more money in the kitty.
Hey! The guys has to eat, Y'know?

And as for psychedelic experiences, Frank Zappa took him on a road trip, 'nuff 'said.
 
I happen to love Steve Vai, as he really introduced me to instrumental guitar, and helped me to find other virtuosi that I enjoy more, but Vai will always hold a special place in my heart. In terms of all the flashy, show-offy stuff, I think it's a product of the era in which he started, but I don't think it's for "show-off's sake" if you know what I mean. I think that's really the way that he expresses himself, and while we may sometimes find it corny, superfluous, over-the-top, or flat-out unnecessary, that's his form of self-expression, so who are we to judge. He's also quite the mystic himself, and the "A" in "VAI" as his signature logo features the third-eye. If he's not your cup of tea, then it's probably most important to simply move on, and not to get caught up in hate or disdain for him. By reserving such negative emotions for Vai, or anybody for that matter, you merely frustrate yourself, as Vai couldn't care less and is more than aware of some of the "cheesy" things he's prone to do. I bought that DVD when it came out last year, and was quite satisfied with it. I was actually at one of the concerts on that run he did, so the performance I saw was nearly identical to that on the DVD. He played for over 3 hours when I saw him! After the concert I got his "Sound Theories" CD autographed by him, along with a picture with me and the Vai-man that I would post, but I don't want to compromise ananimity 😉
 
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