Steve Vai, the man who can bore you to death with a million notes from a thousand guitar scales, to play county legend Hank Williams in his first movie role since "Crossroads"

Not a big fan of county music really. I prefer Blues & Rock.

Boring?

Link (pops)

I think not.

Oh snap!

Best guitarist since Hendrix.

CravenMorehead:

Thanks for posting that. The man is pure genius with a guitar.

/thinks I'll break out Alien Love Secrets for the ride to work tomorrow.

Zappa taught him well.

Vai played with Frank Zappa. He's one of the best guitarists alive. Deal with it, subby.

PS: Why do links to this crappy website keep getting greenlit?

Boring? Feh. Love him and Zappa.

A legend covering a legend. Good match. Looking forward to it.

I really would have rather seen Hank III.

CravenMorehead: Boring?

Link (pops)

I think not.


Oh yes it was... Even an admirer of that video said it 'sounds like weather channel music'. I think that explains it all.

Ugh, it's like a hollow shell, a machine, mimicking human emotion. I'm getting that creepy feeling you get when you look at an almost-real-looking robot.

/I guess he can play a "three chords and the truth" guy, just for the delicious irony.

luckybastard: Oh yes it was... Even an admirer of that video said it 'sounds like weather channel music'. I think that explains it all.

I watched all 5:43 of the video, and still didn't see my local forecast. Boo!

Isn't he a little old to play Hank Sr.?

Steve Vai is one of the most annoying poodle-haired wankers ever to be mistaken for a musician; I don't see how that qualifies him to play Hank Williams in any way whatsoever.

What's next, Puff Daddy as John Coltrane?

he was okay with zappa

It would seem that Steve Vai:

- Is regularly mistaken for a musician
- Really sucks
- Should only compose and perform for the weather network
- Can only play scales

You fellas must all be music professors, and guitar virtuosos to boot!

Vai is only awesome to those who drive camaros and tear the sleeves off their shirts.

id love to see some of you idiots on here play half as badass as steve vai is . . where is it i can hear your great music ? ? ? ? how many of you make a living doing something you love like playing guitar and have traveled around the world many times doing it and getting paid for it? and has played with many different bands and musicians along the way?

some of you idiots have unlimited access to music download sites and that makes you a expert on music i guess.

superspeck: Isn't he a little old to play Hank Sr.?

I came here to say that. Hank Sr. was 29 years old when he died, Steve Vai is currently 47.

One would think they'd try to find an actor with a strong resemblance to him. It's not like Hank was renowned as a guitar virtuoso.

DaSwankOne: I really would have rather seen Hank III.

THIS


And his most recent album is awesome, better than what his dad ever did (but maybe not his grandad)

I admire the hell out of Steve Vai's skills -- they are almost not believable. And I know you only get those by working your ass off, so you have to give him props for that.

But I have to admit, I have never heard any of his playing that really moved me. Can't claim to have heard it all of course.

I think a big part of it is that EMP pickup tone he always has. Very mechanical sounding to me.

Great guitar is not about virtuosity. It's why Elmore James running a knife up an out of tune neck still gives me the chills, and the Vai clip posted here leaves me cold. I can't explain it, I just know it is so.

GurneyHalleck: Vai played with Frank Zappa. He's one of the best guitarists alive. Deal with it, subby.

PS: Why do links to this crappy website keep getting greenlit?

This magnificent fellow here, with the skullet, played with Steve Vai. He now kicks his ass in every way possible. Deal with it, buddy.

Wow, after watching that video CravenMorehead posted I'm inclined to agree with Subby.

I blame Yngwie Malsteen for the utterly stupid and annoying attitude that any virtuose guitarist is hated as soon as they're playing 'too many' notes.
There are fast playing virtuoso's in ANY music style on ANY instrument and they are admired for it, but as soon as a rock guitarist starts shredding , the idiots start moaning about 'it's not about the speed, dude, it's about the feeeeeling'.
Virtuosity doesn't make a great musician, nor does it disqualifies him.

Ygwie is a douche, though.

CravenMorehead: Boring?

Link (pops)

I think not.

Isn't that the background music on the Weather Channel?

Watching these guitar virtuoso's I'm often remind of the difference between a really brillant plumber or electrician and a brillant architect.

The beauty of it is that Vai and his legion of guitar wankers would be the first one to call a modern day Hank Williams a talentless hack because he just composes simple 3 chord songs.

Being able to play the electric guitar quickly and competently is not the mark of a talentless hack. Cliff Burton a terrible bass player or Neil Peart a bad drummer.

Some guitar players (see: Dragonforce's) are arguably thus. Their latest album has one song which is repeated throughout. But Vai!?

Booooring.

The Dynamite Monkey: But I have to admit, I have never heard any of his playing that really moved me.

That's the thing with Vai and Satriani etc. You can't deny that they are brilliant technical players but not everyone can get into their music.

I happen to be one of the people that gets into it. If it's not your thing, that's cool.

krystopher: id love to see some of you idiots on here play half as badass as steve vai is . . where is it i can hear your great music ? ? ? ? how many of you make a living doing something you love like playing guitar and have traveled around the world many times doing it and getting paid for it? and has played with many different bands and musicians along the way?

some of you idiots have unlimited access to music download sites and that makes you a expert on music i guess.



a) it does not matter how 'badass' anyone other than Steve Vai plays if what we're trying to decide is how much Steve Vai sucks.
b) it does not matter how anyone other than Steve Vai makes a living or travels if what we're trying to decide is how much Steve Vai sucks.
c) it does not matter how much music anyone other than Steve Vai has access to if what we're trying to decide is how much Steve Vai sucks.

The only thing relevant to Steve Vai is Steve Vai. Not me, not you. Just Vai. And he does, indeed, suck for the aforementioned reasons.

/i luv you guyz

It was BB King or someone of his ilk who said "it took me twenty years to learn what not to play."

Vai must still be learning.

Technically, he's brilliant. But after a couple minutes of him playing, it is boring. One is no longer impressed.

I hate to jump on the hate-train, but yeah, I don't like Vai. And I love Zappa and Satch, too. To me, there's just something incredibly heartless about his music.

What, was SRV not available?

/oh..., that's right
//too soon?

That is a hell of a thing for you to say about Steve Vai.

I bet Bobby Budnick would disagree with you.

Eric Johnson is ALL things to ALL people.

/like Vai
//LOVE Nuno
///am emasculated by SRV
///am suicidal 'cause of Johnson

Alexi Laiho frowns upon your pentatonic shenanigans.

The Duke of Carrot Flowers: GurneyHalleck: Vai played with Frank Zappa. He's one of the best guitarists alive. Deal with it, subby.

PS: Why do links to this crappy website keep getting greenlit?

This magnificent fellow here, with the skullet, played with Steve Vai. He now kicks his ass in every way possible. Deal with it, buddy.

Good god Devin is an ugly man, but an amazing musician.

cast55: Alexi Laiho

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

I youtubed dat shiat....wow that was bad.

I only watched 2-3 vids though so maybe he was drunk (or you are)

cast55: Alexi Laiho frowns upon your pentatonic shenanigans.

Just so the fellow farkers can see what you mean...

Drop-D-out-of-tune-average-playing goodness (new window)

And for a REAL musican that makes angels stop flying and listen/watch (new window)

Eric Johnson

GurneyHalleck: Vai played with Frank Zappa. He's one of the best guitarists alive. Deal with it, subby.

My problem with all of that fast school of guitar is that it seems a lot more lifeless than what someone like Albert King could do with a lot less notes. I heard Mojo Nixon say once, "Van Halen play their guitars like a bunch of damn typewriters" and I think that sums it up perfectly.

But, to each his own. If that's doing it for you, so be it.

CravenMorehead:

Some of Vai's stuff leaves me cold, but that video was damn impressive. The guy's guitar skills are just supernatural.

All you biatches don't know what real guitar playing is until you hear "Dragonforce - Through the Fire (LIVE)"

/Allright...I can't keep a straight face...
//More like Dragonfail

CravenMorehead: Boring?

Link (pops)

I think not.

My single favorite Vai composition. These critics should spend a bit of time analyzing the tremendous melodic and textural variety in that song -- to say nothing of the technical ability required to play it.

Vai generally doesn't play all that fast really. And songs like I Would Love To are just awesome.

since we're all yakking about what's good and bad music ... this is an example of an album with good, technical guitar work



you may resume rocking

Hank Williams was a TERRIBLE musician. He could only play, like, three chords.

Steve Vai, as the fastest, most technically proficient and therefore best guitarist on the planet, is too good for this.

Hemmingway and Phillip Roth are/were TERRIBLE writers because they use simple, efficient sentences instead of trying to impress people by shoehorning in as many obscure, polysyllable words as possible.

InmanRoshi: Hemmingway and Phillip Roth are/were TERRIBLE writers because they use simple, efficient sentences instead of trying to impress people by shoehorning in as many obscure, polysyllable words as possible.

I was being sarcastic, too. I realized afterwards it might have been a little too subtle. So I guess we can be sarcastic together.

/I hate show-off music, I love Hank Williams
//Although I hate to quibble... have you READ Philip Roth? From what I've read, he's pretty much the opposite of how you described...

MixxMaster: Best guitarist since Hendrix.

you cant be serious.

Hank Rearden: Zappa taught him well.

he obviously didnt teach him how to write worth a damn.

The Dynamite Monkey: I admire the hell out of Steve Vai's skills -- they are almost not believable.

whats not believable about it? hes a good player but he doesnt do anything amazing technically.

I made the Fark Klip: There are fast playing virtuoso's in ANY music style on ANY instrument and they are admired for it, but as soon as a rock guitarist starts shredding , the idiots start moaning about 'it's not about the speed, dude, it's about the feeeeeling'.

so true. you never hear someone complain about sax or piano players playing fast. its mostly because guitar players generally(not always)are alot stupider than people that play other instruments.

InmanRoshi: The beauty of it is that Vai and his legion of guitar wankers would be the first one to call a modern day Hank Williams a talentless hack because he just composes simple 3 chord songs.

stupidest comment in a thread full of them. how the hell do you know hes not a huge hank fan?

Illidan: Some guitar players (see: Dragonforce's) are arguably thus. Their latest album has one song which is repeated throughout.

they dont count because everyone knows they cant play at all. youtube some live stuff, or better yet this:
Link (new window)

CravenMorehead: That's the thing with Vai and Satriani etc.

satriani wasnt even a brilliant technical player in the 80s. he certainly isnt now.

AdolfOliverPanties: It was BB King or someone of his ilk who said "it took me twenty years to learn what not to play."

did bb king EVER learn to play?

that about does it. im not a vai fan(mainly because hes written about 4-5 actual good pieces of music out of his million records), but hes a good player with cool tone and a unique style so its kind of stupid to bash him when theres so much stuff that blatantly sucks to make fun of.