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Steve Vai is one of the best instrumentalist guitarists in the world, known for incredibly complex music which would be best defined as 'soaring'.

That this guy got in the ballpark (and actually did a reasonable rendition of the song) is amazing.

Here's a 'performance' (apparently it's guitar synced) of the song so you can hear it.

Your video, When Someone Requests A Steve Vai Song, has made it into the Top 15 New Videos listing. Congratulations on your achievement. For your contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

I don't know Steve Vai, so I don't know how close that was to the original, but David smashed it.
*quality looping, but can you really do a solo jam session?
*promote some good *livemusic

ME and my roommate were discussing the lack of 'soul' in some musicians, and were using examples like Steve Vai vs. Frank Zappa and say, Yngwie Malmsteen vs. Buckethead, etc (for guitarists) and he brought up the whole Japanese fascination with jazz vs. a lot of her practitioner's technical skills relative to their lack of 'soul' and I was trying to think of an example of a Japanese musician WITH some soul, and could not remember this woman's name as I used her as an exception to the 'soulless', technical performer-

Thanks again Kulpims (pretty sure you first turned me on to this artist here), this woman has the whole soul + technical prowess package²

No David Gilmour? or Steve Vai?

Love this idea. I'll add something a little different...

You really ought to check out some Devin Townsend if you're into some really unique sounds.. The guy has an incredible range but dedicates his base music to "metal." Though the genre is closest to metal most of the time, he also has some really outside music as well with a recent example being the paired 2 disc project of deconstruction and ghost, 2 wildly different albums. One of my favorite projects by Townsend, however, is an album called Synchestra, which when played as intended is a seamless blend of an entire album. There are no gaps between most of the songs making it very easy to listen to the whole album. It's also got cameo artists like Steve Vai and Deborah Tyzio in some tracks.

On a side note I he's incredible live. Seen him twice, once headlining. Amazing. He talks to the crowd the entire time and got down in the crowd to play a few times. Wonderful energy, great personality and really intelligent.

I'll stick a few links from synchestra in here though it's better to go start to finish and enjoy the rollercoaster

All from Synchestra:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc2dsNQX4Tw - Triumph. Metal + banjo? why not...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XERqZRMG5Cg - vampolka. Directly precedes vampira, which can be found on the sift.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzewVfIX9_w - Gaia. awesome tune. A "sprinting" song for me when running..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ0T7_3YD6o - Pixillate, follows Gaia. awesome vocals once it gets going. goosebumps.

I saw Zappa plays Zappa last time they were in Ireland, my first time seeing them as I missed the tour with Steve Vai. I also saw the grandmothers of invention in the mid 90's I'm guessing? That was an amazing gig, they did a brilliant version of King Kong.

Problem with both gigs was the number of people pissed out of their minds, falling down drunk and yelling at the musicians. I've seen a more sober crowd at Ac/DC shows. Weird.

Steve Vai plays solos with his abs.

>> ^handmethekeysyou:

30 years in the music business and this guy still doesn't understand how to write a song. You know what I don't want to hear, 4 minutes of shredding. I will never hum this in the office. I will never be riding the subway and want to take out my ipod and listen to this nonsense. Just a snoozefest from beginning to end.


I assumed that the female wrote the song/piece as it says "ft Steve Vai". And I realize instrumental guitar isn't for everyone but, as a guitar player, I think Steve Vai has one of the most distinctive and recognizable voices on the guitar. As does Neal Schon (thank you Duckman33). Someone you might be more appreciative of is Eric Johnson. He's a lot more laid back than Steve Vai but, can wail when he needs to. And he's a snappy dresser...

>> ^Enzoblue:

Totally agree. David Gilmore was a big high for me too. The solo's on Comfortably Numb were exactly what I'm talking about. >> ^Duckman33:
Neal Schon is the master of making a lead into a story that fits the song.


Yes, another great example of a man that puts feeling and emotion into his lead solos. Tom Scholz and Barry Goudreau of Boston were also very good at this.

Totally agree. David Gilmore was a big high for me too. The solo's on Comfortably Numb were exactly what I'm talking about. >> ^Duckman33:
Neal Schon is the master of making a lead into a story that fits the song.

>> ^Enzoblue:

I used to think even the guitar solo's in songs were just time fillers. It takes a true maestro to make a story of it and catch my ear, shredding for it's own sake makes me bleah.


Neal Schon is the master of making a lead into a story that fits the song.

I know I'm not supposed to feed the troll, but:

It is not a song if it is not sung. An instrumental is called a piece, and songs are a subset of pieces. You can hum any piece, song or otherwise.

You are more likely to hum a theme from a piece if it has a straightforward structure (but with just enough deviation to be "catchy"), is frequently repeated in the piece, and if it strongly stands out from the rest of the piece's elements. That said, and in the vein of repetition, usually the largest determining factor for recall is simply being subjected to it frequently.

This is why I will get Lady Gaga songs stuck in my head despite not owning any of her albums (I hear people blasting it from their cars at least once a day) or why you may have found yourself singing "♫ that tonight's gonna be a good night ♫" to yourself, even though you find the Black Eyed Peas abhorrent (the line is repeated ad nauseam at the top of the song).>> ^DrewNumberTwo:

If it can't be hummed then it's not a song. Thanks for clearing that up.