Many players are technically better than EVH but very few have his combination of technique, feel, tone, creativity, swing, and ability to write good songs. As Ted Templeton penned it in his recent autobiography, Eddie Van Halen is the Charlie Parker of guitar....

I love Vai as much as the next fan, but I can only listen to him for so long and it becomes a bit too much of a wankfest to my ears..I think he’s best with someone like Frank Zappa who can tame his immense skills into great compositions. This particular tune is great in that it’s a bit more subdued and tasty...But your mileage may vary...Which is what is so great about music. It’s all in the ears of the beholder...

[Edited on 8/11/2020 by Chain]

That said, I just watched the clip of “Bad Horsie” and I was reminded of how technically brilliant and fluid Vai can be...One of my favorite compositions of Vai’s...The dark and powerful slide work is just so f@cking bad @ss!

How about For The Love of God by Vai?

Yep I can take Vai only in small doses but that said, Steve Vai technically is in a class by himself. Nobody can touch Vai on electric guitar technically. Perhaps Joe Satriani is second.

Steve Vai is the one and only technically. Steve knows ALL the licks at any speed.

LOL - It is always a battle of who is better for you. Who decides?

Satch was Vai's teacher - enough said. Vai would agree.

Aside from Surfing's couple of hits, Satch and Vai combined have yet to come up with a memorable song. Technically amazing but without a killer hook - musical masturbation. Which I love and own tons of their stuff but it is the truth.

As for the technical thing, there are tons of people on or above Vai's level. A large amount of classical players could sit and finger pick past Steve in a moment. He admits that openly on the video you shared. he rarely does the finger thing. Metal stuff? Countless players on his level.

Newer players like Tobin Abasi and Plini are among tons of guys who are taking guitar to all sorts of levels. Steve Vai said that after he heard Plini play, he knew the future of guitar was safe.

I thought the original video was cool and Vai did a great job of finger picking and harmonics. But a minute after the video, I could not have hummed the melody for A Million Dollars. Vai never had the breakout solo album or one that stood above the others. They are all on the same level. Satch had two albums above level and then everything since has just been more of the same.

Even when partnered with other rockers and bands - no real success. That Chickenhead thing should have rocked but Satch just isn't a writer.

That was interesting, more in that it seemed Vai was playing more in the Flex-Able era than his more recent (decades) style of playing.

I tend to agree with what was posted up-thread. It was interesting but also very forgettable.

Is Steve Vai ever not "on camera"? Student learned well from Dave Roth. LOL. Fun task is to pause the video at random spots and see how Vai is perfectly posed for a shot in Guitar Player. Also seems like a lot of wasted energy with his Axl-Rose-plays-guitar thing he has going on.

Steve Vai plays smoke rings around Satriani, from a technical proficiency standpoint and also probably from a music theory perspective. I always thought Satch was trying to put himself into the conversation with the Steve Vais and Yngwie Malmsteens of the world, but it always seemed like small dog syndrome to me. One thing they have in common is crappy tone. Very buzz-saw like.

Again, as mentioned up-thread, technically amazing. But forgettable at the same time. An interesting 3 minutes or so.

Also curious about Satriani as guitar teacher to the stars. Did Steve Vai or Kirk Hammett really "study" with Satch with weekly lessons for several years? Or more like Steve picked up his first guitar and took 5 or 6 lessons from an unknown Satriani who taught Vai a few open chords and the basic premise behind the principal two forms of barre chords?

[Edited on 8/12/2020 by Zambi]

CanadianMule according to Vai's wiki page back during the Zappa days he practiced 10 to 15 hours a day. Took lessons for Joe Satriani but as mentioned...how many?

If there is a lot of players out there who can play as well or better than Vai technically, I haven't seen them. Yngwie is very technically advanced and fast. Perhaps he is Vai's equal. I've seen him and Vai play with symphony orchestras on video.

But it's no biggie to me. I usually can take Vai just occasionally and one or two songs at a time.

What about our favorite band on this site? Derek Trucks and Jack Pearson have never come up with a memorable song? Warren Haynes has Soulshine and co-wrote True Gravity and Kinda Bird. Those are great songs but not rock classics. Govt Mule and TTB are not big front line bands like the ABB use to be or dozens of other famous bands such as Boston, ZZ Too, Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC-DC, Steely Dan or even Little Feat.

Duane Allman had one. Little Martha. That is a genuine memorable song. But no QUESTION Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts wrote ALL the memorable songs in the ABB. Derek, Warren, Jack or Vai and Satriani have never had a Jessica, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Blue Sky, Ramblin' Man, Southbound, Whipping Post, Dreams, Midnight Rider, Ain't Waisting Time No More, Melissa etc. Eddie Van Halen has co written some memorable songs so that counts I assume when comparing him to Vai and Satriani.

My favorite guitar solos are not technically advanced at all and Vai may find them boring. But mine have great tone, energy, are melodic and I never tire of them. It's what Duane and Dickey do on Fillmore East and Eat A Peach.

I submit the Fillmore East version of In Memory Reed and Dickey and Duane's solos as the best and most moving solos in the entire history (1969-2014) of the Allman Brothers. One Way Out on Eat A Peach is another. Dickey's tone and energy and Duane's slide. Duane's slide on Statesboro Blues, Done Somebody Wrong etc is among the most exciting electric slide playing in rock history.

Again. With the exception of Little Martha and perhaps Soulshine, all the memorable songs in the ABB came from Gregg and Dickey.

[Edited on 8/12/2020 by blackey]

I think that's apples and oranges to compare 80s shredders to former ABB guitarists. While Vai and Yngwie may be the cream of the crop of 80s shredders, you can look at the old Megaforce Records army of guitarists for similar shred-factor and close to equally uninteresting music. Yet impressive chops.

Look no further than jazz and jazz-fusion guitarists for similar chops, but far more interesting music. Al DiMeola, John McLaughlin, Steve Morse, Alan Holdsworth. Etc. But that too can get boring, especially in the fusion world, when it turns into who can play the fastest or most complicated licks.

The ABB guitarists have melody in their guitar solos, or a melodic sense of improvisation, even if they didn't necessarily write memorable or smash hit tunes. Also, another difference is the ABB guitarists (and EVH also) are learned guitarists as opposed to schooled guitarists. Which gives each of them a sense of uniqueness to their playing.

I think Jimmy Herring is the exception there in the ABB world - which is why he is able to go out and play with John McLaughlin revisiting Mahavishnu Orchestra. Jimmy is an anomaly of schooled players though in that he is able to sort of cover it up and play uniquely Jimmy. Many here would disagree that he is able to cover it up. Lol. But even when Jimmy shreds it seems interesting and not so antiseptic or sterile as most shredders seem to play.

Zambi Jimmy Herring said Dickey is one of his heros and Dickey's tone on One Way Out on Eat A Peach is among the best tones he had ever heard. It's one of Jimmy's favorite solos. And Jimmy explained that Dickey being a hero is why he declined the offer by Butch Trucks to be Dickey's permanent replacement.

Also curious about Satriani as guitar teacher to the stars. Did Steve Vai or Kirk Hammett really "study" with Satch with weekly lessons for several years? Or more like Steve picked up his first guitar and took 5 or 6 lessons from an unknown Satriani who taught Vai a few open chords and the basic premise behind the principal two forms of barre chords?

[Edited on 8/12/2020 by Zambi]

You give Satch much less credit than he deserves. His knowledge of music theory is insane. Technical abilities too. Many more tricks in his arsenal than Vai and Vai would be the first to say it.

There is a video on Youtube where Satch teaches chord inversions up and down the neck. All part of his daily practice routine. And all types of chords and all possible inversions. Not sure if some get it but for guitarists - most can play the chords in a few places on a neck and maybe an inversion of that chord or two - Satch plays dozens.

In interviews with Vai from Day 1, he told people - if you think I am good wait until you hear Satriani.

He was in fact Steve's teacher and not as a little kid. LOL

Opinions differ on style and things but to say that Vai blows smoke rings (lol) around Satch and has more theory knowledge - not true. Vai would be the first to agree.

I have had the chance to meet, hang and work shows involving all these guys. Satch and Vai are both good guys with Satch being a little more down to earth and less "rock star".

From theory, Yngwie is far behind those guys. He does what he does well. But it is the same scales and arpeggios over and over. It is why the albums have never changed. Also he is a major asshole and one of the only "rock stars" that I almost beat for their arrogance.

I am not a Yngwie fan. Saw him once in Seattle some years ago and after you see him, hear him shred and blister up and down the neck and whammy bar a couple of times, the rest of the show becomes boring and noise to me.

Check this out everybody and tell me if you can take this for 2 hours. Plus word is in some places Yngwie is an egotistical prick who thinks he is a guitar god in a sea of mediocrity.

I couldn't take 2 minutes
Just not my thing, mon.

A technically amazing video. I'll bet Eric Clapton could not come close to doing that.

And I'd much rather listen to Eric Clapton.

All depends what you like and what you are in the mood for. All great players which is why we know who they are.