Steve Vai: Difference between revisions
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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When growing up, the young Vai became interested in rock giants such as [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Alice Cooper]] and [[Led Zeppelin]] which led him to take up learning the guitar. Prior to attending [[Berklee College of Music]], Steve took guitar lessons from now fellow guitar virtuoso [[Joe Satriani]], and played in numerous local bands. He has acknowledged the influence of many guitarists including [[Jeff Beck]] and fusion guitarist [[Allan Holdsworth]]. |
When growing up, the young Vai became interested in rock giants such as [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Alice Cooper]] and [[Led Zeppelin]] which led him to take up learning the guitar. Prior to attending [[Berklee College of Music]], Steve took guitar lessons from now fellow guitar virtuoso [[Joe Satriani]], and played in numerous local bands. He has acknowledged the influence of many guitarists including [[Jeff Beck]] and fusion guitarist [[Allan Holdsworth]]. |
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And then a little while later God came, and gave Mr. Vai the Power to be the biggest faggot of all time! |
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==Work with Frank Zappa== |
==Work with Frank Zappa== |
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Revision as of 03:14, 14 April 2007
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Steven Siro Vai (born June 6 1960 in Carle Place, New York) is a Grammy Award-winning guitarist, composer and record producer.
Early life
When growing up, the young Vai became interested in rock giants such as Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper and Led Zeppelin which led him to take up learning the guitar. Prior to attending Berklee College of Music, Steve took guitar lessons from now fellow guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, and played in numerous local bands. He has acknowledged the influence of many guitarists including Jeff Beck and fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth.
Work with Frank Zappa
It was also at this time that he became fascinated by the music of Frank Zappa. Steve mailed transcriptions of Zappa's guitar solos to him, and after meeting Vai for the first time he was so impressed with the abilities of the young musician, Zappa hired him to do work transcribing his seemingly endless array of experimental symphonic rock.
While employed by Zappa, he would at times tour with Zappa's band and engage in a friendly competition with the audience, wherein audience members could bring in musical scores and see if Vai could sight-read them on the spot.
Zappa referred to Steve as his "little Italian virtuoso" and was listed in liner notes as "stunt guitar." He would later be a featured artist on the recording, "Zappa's Universe." In 2006 he returned to Zappa music, as special guest on Dweezil Zappa's Zappa Plays Zappa tour.
Rise to prominence
After leaving Zappa in 1982 he moved to California where he recorded his first album Flex-Able and performed in a couple of bands. In 1985 he replaced Yngwie Malmsteen as lead guitarist in Graham Bonnet's Alcatrazz with whom he recorded the album Disturbing the Peace.
Later in 1985 he joined former Van Halen front man David Lee Roth's group to record the albums Eat 'em and Smile and Skyscraper. This significantly increased Vai's visibility to general rock audiences, since Roth was in a highly public battle with the Van Halen members and Vai was favorably compared by many commentators to Eddie Van Halen.
In 1986 Vai also surprised everyone by playing with ex-Sex Pistols John Lydon's Public Image Ltd on their album "Album" (now called "Compact Disc"). Then in 1989 Vai stepped into guitarist Adrian Vandenberg's shoes to record with British rock-group Whitesnake after Vandenberg injured his wrist shortly before recording was due to begin for the album Slip of the Tongue.
Vai also played on the Alice Cooper album "Hey Stoopid" along with Joe Satriani on the song "Feed my Frankenstein".
1990s and 2000s
Steve Vai continues to tour regularly, both with his own group and with his one time teacher and fellow guitar instrumentalist friend Joe Satriani on the G3 series of tours. Former David Lee Roth bassist Billy Sheehan also joined him for a world tour.
In 1990 Steve Vai released his critically acclaimed solo album "Passion and Warfare". In 1994 Steve Vai began writing and recording with Ozzy Osbourne. Only one track from these sessions "My Little Man" was released on the "Ozzmosis" album. Despite Steve penning the track he does not appear on the album. His guitar parts were replaced by Zakk Wylde.
Vai's band members throughout the 1990s included drummer Mike Mangini, guitarist Mike Keneally and bassist Philip Bynoe.
In 1994 Vai received a Grammy Award for his performance on the Frank Zappa song "Sofa" from the album Zappa's Universe.
In July 2002, Steve Vai performed with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan, in the world premiere of composer Ichiro Nodaira's Fire Strings, a concerto for electric guitar and 100-piece orchestra. In 2004, a number of his compositions for orchestra, as well as orchestra arrangements of previously recorded pieces, were performed in The Netherlands by the Metropole Orchestra in a concert series entitled The Aching Hunger.
In 2003, drummer Jeremy Colson joined Vai's group replacing previous drummer Virgil Donati. Vai's latest album, Real Illusions: Reflections, was released in 2005, and Steve Vai and the Breed, as the band is now called, has embarked on a world tour in support of that album.
Steve Vai released a DVD of his performance at The Astoria in London in December 2001, featuring the lineup of bassist Billy Sheehan, formerly of David Lee Roth and Mr. Big, guitar and piano virtuoso Tony MacAlpine, guitarist Dave Weiner and drummer Virgil Donati.
In 2004, Steve Vai was featured on Xbox's Halo 2 Volume 1 soundtrack, performing a heavy rock-guitar rendition of the "Halo 2 Theme", known as "Halo 2 Theme (Mjolnir Mix)". He also performed on the track "Never Surrender". In the second iteration of the soundtrack, he performed on the track "Reclaimer".
In February 2005, Vai premiered a dual-guitar (electric and classical) piece that he wrote called The Blossom Suite with classical guitarist Sharon Isbin at the Châtelet Theatre in Paris.
In 2006, Vai played as a "special guest" guitarist alongside additional guest Zappa band members, drummer Terry Bozzio and singer Napoleon Murphy Brock in the Zappa Plays Zappa tour led by Frank's son Dweezil Zappa in Europe and the U.S. in the Spring as well as a short U.S. tour in October.
On September 21 2006, Vai made a special appearance at the "Video Games Live" concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California. He played two songs with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. One song being the Halo Theme, the second was for the world premier trailer for Halo 3.
Steve Vai is currently editing and mixing a double record set entitled "Steve Vai's Sound Current". He recorded this with the Metrople Orchestra in Holland for the Dutch Government and NPS Radio. He recently released this information in a Ultimate-Guitar.com interview which can be found here
Steve Vai will also be giving a masterclass at the London Guitar Show 2007 on the 28th April 2007 at the ExCeL Center.
Movies
Steve Vai's music has been featured in a number of feature films, including Dudes and Ghosts of Mars. He appeared onscreen in the 1986 Ralph Macchio movie Crossroads, playing the demonically-inspired Jack Butler. At the film's climax, Vai engages in a guitar duel with Macchio, whose guitar parts were dubbed by Vai and also Ry Cooder, who played the initial slide work in the duel and Macchio's earlier performances in the film. The fast-paced neo-classical track entitled "Eugene's Trick Bag" with which Macchio wins the competition was also composed by Vai. The body of the piece was heavily based on Paganini's Caprice #5, and has become a favorite apprentice-piece among many guitar students.[citation needed] He later borrowed the opening riff from the track "Head Cuttin' Duel" for a song called "Bad Horsie" from his 1995 album Alien Love Secrets.
In 1991's Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey the introductory riff to KISS' God Gave Rock 'N Roll To You II, as performed by the Wyld Stallyns in the Battle of the Bands was performed by Vai. He also composed and performed the soundtrack to PCU (1994), and made contributions to the score for John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars, performing on the tracks "Ghosts of Mars" and "Ghost Poppin".
His track I'm the Hell Outta Here can be heard during 1992s Encino Man in the scene where Brendan Fraser is taking a driving lesson.
In an episode of Jackass season 1 Johnny Knoxville walks into a Guitar Store while having a fake erection and asks if they have the guitar Steve Vai played.
Musical style
Where Vai's contributions to others' material has been constrained by the largely rock or heavy-rock style of those bands, his own material is somewhat more eclectic.
Vai's playing style has been characterized as quirky and angular, owing to his superb technical facility with the instrument and deep knowledge of music theory. Vai has been credited with the recent revival of the 7-string guitar, and has used double and triple neck guitars on many occasions.
An interesting point to note is Vai's commitment to practice. In several guitar magazines and texts, he is reported to practice upwards of eight hours per day, a habit he began as early as his high school days.
Equipment
Vai is an accomplished studio producer (he owns two: "The Mothership" and "The Harmony Hut") and his own recordings combine his signature guitar prowess with novel compositions and considerable use of studio and recording effects, such as the Eventide H3000 ultra harmonizer and Digidesign's Pro Tools Hard Disc recording system and plug-in effects architecture.
Vai also helped design his signature Ibanez JEM series of guitars. They feature a hand grip (fondly referred to as a "monkey grip") cut into the top of the body of the guitar, a humbucker-single coil-humbucker DiMarzio pickup configuration, and Ibanez's Edge locking tremolo system , as well as an elaborate and extensive "Vine of Life" inlay down the neck. Steve also has a 7 string model designed by him named Ibanez Universe. The Universe later influenced the 7-string guitars used by Korn and other heavy metal bands to create nu-metal sounds in the late 1990s. He also has a signature Ibanez acoustic, the Euphoria.
Steve Vai has also worked with Carvin Guitars and Pro Audio to develop the Carvin Legacy line of guitar amplifiers. Vai wanted to create an amp that was unique and equal in sound, versatility, and affordability to any guitar amp he had previously used.
Over his long musical career, Steve Vai has used and designed an array of guitars. He even had his DNA put into the swirl paintjob on one of his signature JEM guitars, the JEM2KDNA, in the form of his blood. Only 300 of these were ever made. Nowadays he mainly uses his white JEM7V, which is inscribed with the letters "Evo", mainly in order to allow him to distinguish between the guitars he uses onstage which are practically identical, his "Flo" guitar however is equipped with a Fernandes sustainer pick-up in the neck.
He also has a guitar named "Mojo" in which the dot inlays are blue LED lights. Additionally, he has a custom-made triple-neck guitar that has the same basic features as his JEM7V guitars. The top neck is a 12-string guitar, the middle is a 6-string, and the bottom is a 6-string fretless guitar with a Fernandes Sustainer pickup. This guitar was featured on the G3 2003 tour on the piece "I Know You're Here".
Vai's effects pedals include a modified Boss DS-1, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Morley Bad Horsie, Morley Little Alligator Volume pedal, Digitech Whammy, and an MXR Phase 90. His flightcases are labelled "Mr. Vai". He used a number of rack effects units controlled via MIDI, but used a floor-based TC electronics G system instead for the Zappa Plays Zappa tour.
Philanthropy
In 2005, Vai signed on as an official supporter of Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and free lessons to children in public schools throughout the U.S.A. He sits on its board of directors as an honorary member.
Other engagements
Vai owns Favored Nations, a recording and publishing company that specializes in internationally procuring and maintaining recording artists.
Vai is married to Pia Maiocco former bass player of Vixen, who can be seen in Hardbodies. Steve and Pia have two children, Julian Angel and Fire. In his spare time Vai enjoys keeping bees, which regularly produce a crop of honey that Vai sells for his Make a Noise Foundation.[1]
Discography
Solo albums
Appearances on Zappa albums
| Year | Album | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Tinsel Town Rebellion | Rhythm guitar, vocals |
| 1981 | Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar | Rhythm guitar |
| 1981 | You Are What You Is | Strat abuse |
| 1982 | Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch | Impossible guitar parts |
| 1983 | The Man from Utopia | Impossible guitar parts |
| 1984 | Them or Us | Guitar |
| 1984 | Thing-Fish | Guitar, vocals |
| 1985 | Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention | Guitar |
| 1987 | Jazz from Hell | Guitar |
| 1988 | Guitar | Stunt guitar |
| 1988 | You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore Sampler | Stunt guitar |
| 1988 | You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 | Stunt guitar |
| 1989 | You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 | Stunt guitar |
| 1991 | You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 | Stunt guitar, vocals |
| 1991 | Beat the Boots I: As An Am | Stunt guitar |
| 1992 | You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5 | Stunt guitar |
| 1992 | You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 | Stunt guitar |
| 1995 | Strictly Commercial | Guitar |
| 1997 | Have I Offended Someone? | Guitar |
| 1998 | Cheap Thrills | Guitar |
| 1999 | Son of Cheep Thrills | Guitar, vocals |
With other artists
| Year | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Heresy | "At The Door" |
| 1985 | Alcatrazz | "Disturbing the Peace" |
| 1985 | Public Image Ltd. | "Album" |
| 1986 | Bob Harris | "The Great Nostalgia" |
| 1986 | Shankar & Caroline | "The Epidemics" |
| 1986 | David Lee Roth | "Eat 'em and Smile" |
| 1986 | David Lee Roth | "Sonrisa Salvaje" |
| 1986 | Randy Coven | "Funk Me Tender" |
| 1986 | Western Vacation | "Western Vacation" |
| 1988 | David Lee Roth | "Skyscraper" |
| 1989 | Whitesnake | "Slip of the Tongue" |
| 1990 | Rebecca | "The Best of Dreams" |
| 1991 | Alice Cooper | "Hey Stoopid" |
| 1994 | Whitesnake | "Greatest Hits" |
| 1995 | Ozzy Osbourne | "Ozzmosis" |
| 1996 | Wild Style | "Cryin'" |
| 1997 | Munetaka Higuchi with Dream Castle | "Free World" |
| 1997 | Joe Satriani / Eric Johnson / Steve Vai | "G3: Live in Concert" |
| 1997 | David Lee Roth | "The Best of David Lee Roth" |
| 1998 | Gregg Bissonette | "Gregg Bissonette" |
| 1998 | Al Di Meola | "The Infinite Desire" |
| 1999 | Joe Jackson | "Symphony No. 1" |
| 2000 | Whitesnake | "The Back to Black Collection" |
| 2000 | Gregg Bissonette | "Submarine" |
| 2000 | Thana Harris | "Thanatopsis" |
| 2001 | Robin DiMaggio | "Blue Planet" |
| 2001 | Billy Sheehan | "Compression" |
| 2002 | Tak Matsumoto | "華 [Hana]" |
| 2003 | Surinder Sandhu | "Saurang Orchestra" |
| 2003 | Eric Sardinas | "Black Pearls" |
| 2003 | Steve Lukather & Friends | "SantaMental" |
| 2003 | Glenn Hughes and Joe Lynn Turner | "HTP2" |
| 2003 | Shankar & Gingger | "One In A Million" |
| 2003 | Yardbirds | "Birdland" |
| 2004 | Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen | "G3 Live - *Rockin In The Free World" |
| 2004 | Motörhead | "Inferno" |
| 2004 | Bob Carpenter | "The Sun, The Moon, The Stars" |
| 2004 | Mike Keneally | Vai: Piano Reductions, Vol. 1 |
| 2005 | John 5 | "Songs for Sanity" |
| 2005 | Dave Weiner | "Live at Astoria DVD" |
| 2005 | Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, John Petrucci | "G3 Live in Tokyo" |
| 2006 | The Devin Townsend Band | "Synchestra" |
| 2006 | Marty Friedman | "Loudspeaker" |
| 2006 | Meat Loaf | "Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose" |
Soundtracks
| Year | Soundtrack | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Dudes | Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| 1991 | Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey | Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| 1992 | Encino Man | Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| 1994 | PCU | Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| 1997 | Formula 1 | Original Video Game Soundtrack |
| 2001 | Halo: Combat Evolved Original Soundtrack | Original Video Game Soundtrack |
| 2001 | Ghosts of Mars | Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| 2004 | Halo 2 Soundtrack Volume 1 | Original Video Game Soundtrack |
| 2006 | Halo 2 Soundtrack Volume 2 | Original Video Game Soundtrack |
Compilations
| Year | Artists | Compilation |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Various | Guitar's Practicing Musicians |
| 1993 | Various | Zappa's Universe |
| 1995 | Various | In From The Storm |
| 1996 | Various | Songs of West Side Story |
| 1997 | Various | A Guitar Christmas |
| 1997 | Various | Angelica |
| 1999 | Various | Radio Disney Kid Jams |
| 2001 | Various | Roland Guitar Masters |
| 2002 | Various | Guitars For Freedom |
| 2002 | Various | Warmth In The Wilderness Vol. II - A Tribute to Jason Becker |
| 2004 | Various | Halo 2 Original Soundtrack |
| 2006 | Various | Monsters of Rock |
See also
External links
- Steve Vai's homepage
- Steve Vai's Official MySpace
- Myspace: G3
- Ibanez JEM series DEAD LINK
- All about EVO
- RnR-Reporter: Photos of Steve Vai live
- vai.com Fire Strings Page
- Jemfest - Ibanez JEM Charity event
- Ibanez JEM fansite
