Steve Vai

Nicole Ramos2 said:I was just wondering if anyone actually knows where Michael Angelo used to play? Like, did he have a full band going or was he strictly a solo guy? I've only ever caught one clip of him online, that "Speed Kills" video...🙏 😵 🙂

.....man, the guy plays the neck upside down... like, from the top side...

Honestly, he's such a prime example of a shredded guitarist who totally lacks soul. He just pushes everything to the absolute limit until your ears can't even tell the notes apart anymore. To me, he’s basically just a circus act—even if everyone calls him a legend. 🙂

William Castillo19 said:That’s basically just a shredder who lost all sense of soul. He plays so fast it's just a blur of noise where you can't even tell what note he's hitting. Honestly? It’s just a circus act, even if the guy is a legend. 🙂

😁 Exactly. I actually checked out one of his masterclasses a few years back, and man... the guy is hands down the biggest guitar masturbator to ever exist.
I mean, you gotta respect the sheer grind, right? Like, the dude must have practiced 25 hours a day to get there. 😛 Could've definitely used that time a little more wisely.

Nicole Ramos2 said:Does anyone actually know where Michael Angelo played? Did he have a band or was he strictly a solo act? I've only ever seen one video of him, that "Speed Kills" clip...🙏 😵 🙂

.....the guy plays the neck upside down... from the top side...

Legend has it that Vai heard about Angela back when he started messing around with that single-neck guitar, so then Vai had a custom three-neck build made—one 12-string on top and two standard necks. Honestly, it might be true, but it sounds like a total urban legend to me. I've listened to a few tracks by Angela; "No Boundaries" isn't terrible, but everything just sounds like a technical flex. Zero actual artistry.

William Castillo19 said:That’s just a textbook example of a shredder who lacks soul—someone pushing the limits until the ear can't even distinguish the notes anymore. To me, he’s nothing more than a circus act, regardless of his legendary status. 🙂

The guy likely has a hundred thousand times more musical training than you do—but there's always going to be some smart-aleck on a forum calling him a clown. Personally, I liked the clip; the melody works for me. Now, you're probably wondering which melody?
Steve Vai once addressed comments exactly like yours—specifically the idea that guitarists obsessed with "technique and speed" have less artistic value than the "classics." He called that nonsense. Achieving that level of skill takes massive effort, and it deserves respect. At the end of the day, you either like it or you don't—and honestly, I don't think any of us are qualified enough to judge "artistic impression." It's subjective. You like it or you don't. Nothing more.

Think about how much Hendrix just messed around on the guitar... how many actual notes could you even pick out from him?

Nicole Ramos2 said:Just how much was Hendrix actually just noodling around on that guitar... I mean, how many actual notes can you even distinguish when he plays?

Hey, watch your mouth!🙂

Nicole Ramos2 said:so, look, you either love it or you don't, right?

to me, he's nothing more than a total showman

😉

Which just means that's my take! I mean, where did I even say he had x times more training than me!? Who brought that up!? I never said I don't respect him, but I just don't vibe with his music—like, maybe it's my fault your ears are so incredibly sophisticated that you can pick out every single melody while my poor, slow, clumsy ears just can't keep up... but hey, Vai said it! So what, am I supposed to just swallow his opinion just because Vai thinks so!? I don't like Michael Angelo, period! End of story! That's just my opinion and how my ears work!

how much Hendrix just messed around on the guitar... I mean, how many actual notes can you even distinguish when he plays?

I am totally with you there! He was the ultimate showman of all time... which basically means: playing behind your back, playing with your teeth, setting guitars on fire or smashing them... none of that makes you a great guitarist, it just makes you a circus act... but please, don't get me wrong! What I'm trying to say is that he isn't special because of all that silly stuff, but because he actually revolutionized everything and gave us a whole new way to approach the instrument. Ugh, I don't even want to get into it now... 🙂

I’m not sure if anyone else here has brought this up yet, but...

http://www.rockonnet.com/dogodek.php?id=3&dogodek=2583

William Castillo19 said:Have you actually sat down and listened to For the Love of God?🙂

It’s one of those rare tracks that’s actually worth an ear.
He might be the most technically flawless guitarist out there—honestly, probably even more precise than Satriani, who taught him the ropes—but the man just lacks any real sense of musicality or vision. Personally, I can't stand it. And don't even get me started on his songwriting... it's a total disaster. Aside from those specific gripes, he isn't really my cup of tea. Satriani is a different story entirely, even if his discography is a bit hit-or-miss.
Unlike them, Malmsteen produces much better work when it comes to his solos and instrumentals. 😁

Ali McAlpin (at least based on what I've heard) is way more appealing to me than any of them. Johnson is also up there.

And as far as individual style goes, Vai just doesn't resonate with me.

What do you think? Have fun!👋

ishamael said:The guy probably has about 100,000 times more formal training than you do, but there’s always going to be some self-proclaimed genius on a forum ready to dismiss him as just a circus act. Personally, I dug the clip, and I really dig the melody. Now, you’re probably wondering—which melody?
Steve Vai once pushed back against exactly this kind of elitist attitude—the idea that guitarists who obsess over "technique and speed" somehow have less artistic merit than the "classics." He called that logic total nonsense. Mastering that level of skill takes an incredible amount of grind, and that effort deserves respect. At the end of the day, you either feel it or you don't. As for judging the "artistic impact," I don't think any of us are qualified to play critic. It’s subjective. You either like it or you don't. It’s really that simple.

Think about how much Hendrix just noodled around on his guitar... how many distinct notes can you even pull out of his playing?

Hey, leave him out of this!😉

William Castillo19 said:That’s just my two cents. Enjoy!👋

Well, obviously it's my opinion. Have you ever actually sat down and listened to G3 with Johnson? To be honest, I hadn't even heard of 😳 before that, and frankly, I found his solo work far more compelling than anything they put out together.

Alexander Parker69 said:Well, that’s just my two cents! Have you ever actually sat down with G3 featuring Steve Vai? Honestly, I didn't even know who 😳 was before that, but personally, I liked his stuff way better than their collaborations.

So, if I'm following the thread right, we're talking about Vai specifically—not the whole G3 crew, or Johnson, or Satriani... but man, I have to be honest, Johnson is the one I’ve played the most. His style just clicks with me, you know? 🙂

To me, those two just seemed like they were going at it like wild men (especially Satriani, who looked like he took it as some kind of personal competition!) during "Down, Down, Down" and "Red House." It was such a huge contrast to how smooth, chill, and melodic Johnson sounds... and don't even get me started on the Manhattan era or the SRV stuff!

William Castillo19 said:If I’m remembering correctly, the topic is about Vai—not G3, not Johnson, and not Satriani—though honestly, Johnson was always my go-to; his stuff just resonated with me more than anyone else.🙂

To me, those two always felt like they were squaring off like two savages in a ring—especially Satriani, who seemed to take it as some sort of personal competition during those "down, down, down" periods and that Red House era—which stands in such stark contrast to the smooth, laid-back, melodic vibe you get from Johnson... and don't even get me started on Manhattan or SRV.

I just want to use him as an example to prove my point. Vai is undeniably brilliant, but... (And I suppose Satch is probably too good for his own good, which is likely why he started messing around with subpar tones just because he was getting bored 😁 but man, that sound is just haunting ))

Alexander Parker69 said:Maybe Satch was just too good for his own good and started shredding through crappy gear because he was bored. 😁 Either way, the tone is absolutely haunting.

Go listen to some classic Motown or something—maybe then you'll actually hear what real music sounds like.

I have to jump in here... Most guitarists aren't actually listening to these virtuosos for the melodies; they're obsessed with the raw technique. It’s a level of speed that feels completely out of reach for mere mortals starting their journey at twenty. That’s just my take—though, honestly, I haven't listened to enough of them to claim any real authority on the subject. At the end of the day, most people crave a good tune over mindless shredding and trying to squeeze twenty notes into a single second. You can't deny that.

To me, they’re a bit like those heavyweight boxers who go up against someone like Mike Tyson... they're basically there just so we can witness the absolute limits of what steroids can do and see what a human being looks like when they're carrying 375 pounds of pure muscle.

Mark Wells91 said:listen closer, you absolute clown, maybe then you'll actually hear something one of these days

Look, I’m talking about that G3 tour featuring Johnson—it used to have decent sound quality, but lately, it's been completely trashed, and frankly, I have no idea why they let it get that bad.🙄

neonorca11 said:I feel compelled to weigh in here... let’s be honest, most guitarists aren't obsessing over these fanatics because they're writing catchy melodies; they're chasing that raw, surgical technique that feels completely out of reach for mere mortals—especially those of us picking up an instrument in our twenties. That’s just my take, though, and I shouldn't really be speaking with authority since I haven't spent enough time immersed in their discography to judge properly... but generally speaking, people crave melody over mindless shredding, and nobody actually cares about hitting twenty notes in a single second. You have to agree with me on that one!

To me, they remind me of those heavyweights in boxing—you know, the massive guys who beat a guy like Mike Tyson. They aren't there for the skill; they're just there so we can witness the absolute limits of what steroids can do and see what a human being looks like when they're carrying 375 pounds of pure muscle.

I'd argue the exact opposite. Those meatheads are all flash and zero substance when it comes to actual technique.😛

Then you have those skinny technical wizards who are honestly painful to watch when they wrap a giant brute in a knot to secure a win. The real legends are the ones who master both worlds,
take Johnson and Alpine, for example.😛 😁

Mark Wells91 said:man, listen closer to what Dad’s saying about those old school vibes, maybe one day you'll actually hear him too

I just absolutely live for these ignore lists... they're everything...

neonorca11 said:Look, we really have to agree on this one!!!!

To me, they’re basically like that one heavyweight boxer... you know, the absolute beast that Mike Tyson crushed... he was only there so we could see what steroids can actually do and what a guy looks like when he's carrying 375 lbs of pure muscle....

Actually, I don't think we need to agree at all.😉 Sorry, forum freedom!

Have you ever listened to Too many notes by Steve Morse? Just like the title implies—way too many notes—but man, it is freaking perfect!

There are plenty of guitarists out there who just sound totally shredded and messy... but Vai isn't like that to me, and neither are Satriani or Morse...

Take the bumbarov flight for example; it feels incredibly fast, but it's also melodic and just flawless. These guys are true guitar virtuosos, kind of like how people used to be back in the day with the violin or some other random instrument where speed wasn't even the main point.

The only one I'm not a fan of is Michelangelo because he tries way too hard! He even named one track after his own shredding ability and you can literally hear the metronome clicking in the background and whatnot...

Vai is just limitless, perfect, and powerful to me!

btw Alexander Parker69—I actually think Satch's sound on the guitar is pretty awesome🙂

Steve Vai is a guitar god, plain and simple. It’s like he was born with a fretboard in his hands and nothing else. What can I even say? He plays with this insane speed and spontaneity, nailing things that seem physically impossible. Sure, Vai can channel Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, or even Yngwie Malmsteen... but let's be real, those guys don't stand a chance against him.