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Vai or Satriani?


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I haven't heard any Vai solo albums, but he did some amazing stuff with Zappa. Anyone who played with Frank is okay in MY book. I would have liked to see Steve and Scott Thunes together on stage, but the opportunity never presented itself.

 

I have a couple of Satriani CD's. I typically listen to them once or twice and then relegate them to a dusty box somewhere. There's just not a lot of feeling there, and everything is way too heavily compressed. It's kind of lifeless. I'd rather listen to John Lee Hooker or some old blues cat playing on a street corner. It's too bad, because I think that Joe is capable of putting out some really great stuff; he just hasn't found the right "team" yet.

The Black Knight always triumphs!

 

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I like 'em both, but Vai ranks highly with me. Alien Love Secrets is a pretty cool album. I have the video version of that on VHS. Same track listing as the CD; he and the band just did the whole thing as a performance music video.

 

Also, Vai's a lot more fun to watch onstage. He slinks around like some mad professor, and still gets his licks in. Of course, the tunes themselves are great, which speaks to Vai's compositional prowess. Ms. Pia Maiocco is pretty lucky to have married such a talent! :thu:

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That's kinda like saying, "Do you prefer Kraft or Hidden Valley ranch dressing?" I mean, they have stylistic differences, but why can't I like both of them about equally? ;)

 

Incidentally, I find both of them have the annoying habit of going off on long tangents that distract from the rest of the song. They're both at their best when they let the song dictate an appropriate break or solo.

 

For Vai, "Sisters" or "The Audience Is Listening", or "The Attitude Song". (For those who like long instrumentals, this one always seems to follow a logical course.)

 

For Satch, "Circles", most of "Not Of This Earth" and "Satch Boogie", "The Phone Call", and "I Don't Want What You Want" come to mind.

 

Complete songs. They can write 'em with catchy grooves, melodies and lyric, even. :thu: When they want to. :rolleyes:;)

It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman

 

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Well since I`ve been in Japan I`ve seen them both live-Satch had a much better audience, and after seeing him I have no doubt about the passion he puts into his playing-it may or may not come across in his recordings. I still think he takes himself a bit too seriously, Steve`s humor is a good leavening agent for the musical blitzkrieg.

Sometimes it`s just annoyingly goofy but mostly it`s creative. Vai would have to get my vote, not by a landslide but...

Same old surprises, brand new cliches-

 

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From what I've heard, Vai by far. I have a couple of satch cd's, and they don't really hold my interest. I love Vai's complex compositional style too. He's not just kicking a riff and soloing over it, there's a lot behind that goes into his writing.

 

Best show I ever saw was Steve Vai at a mid-sized club in Providence. I was 5 feet from him. It was also the first gig I saw with Mike Keneally, definitely an jaw dropper to see those 2 trade on stage together.

My music is like a movie for your ears - Frank Zappa
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Originally posted by Dan South:

I haven't heard any Vai solo albums, but he did some amazing stuff with Zappa. Anyone who played with Frank is okay in MY book.

Vai did some great work with Zappa, also without Vai I don't think David Lee Roth would've lasted as long as he did. But Satch if my favorite soloist of the two.
"I believe that if it were left to artists to choose their own labels, most would choose none." - Ben Shahn
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Vai, he's so musical and melodic. I love his solo on "Big Trouble", possibly my favorite guitar solo ever. "For the Love of God" is also some incredible playing. I could never get into Satch, not sure what I'm missing.

 

Wait, I pick c) Eddie.

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Originally posted by revolead:

I'd say Vai cause he more my style. Both of them are insanely good, and deserve much credit, but I prefer Vais speed-picking to Satriani's emotional "singing."

I prefer the singing. Joe is one of my biggest influences. Surfing W/ The Alien was my soundtrack for an entire summer. So, you can guess that it had a big impact. Everytime I hear it, it has all these memories that go with it.
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Originally posted by revolead:

I'd say Vai cause he more my style. Both of them are insanely good, and deserve much credit, but I prefer Vais speed-picking to Satriani's emotional "singing."

I'm begining to retract my statement. I think my new position has become I love both, but for fast owrk Vai, for slow beautiful songs, (Always With Me, Always With You / What Breaks a Heart) Satriani is perfect. Emotional, beautiful playing with soul that can't be matched by any other shred god.
Shut up and play.
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Both are extremely talented technically, but I prefer Satriani. Even though Joe plays modal stuff quite often, he never seems too far off from the blues. Vai, on the other hand, leaves me cold.
Everybody knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It's a scientific fact. - Homer Simpson
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Tough call. These are 2 amazing guitarists, and were both great in concert.

I do see a similarity in their styles, and of course that is because of their teacher/student connection, but I will have to go with Vai on this one. I have seen both in concert and Vai seems to have more emotion in his playing. Not that Satch doesn't, but Vais playing is more spitiual.

Watching him play For the Love of God was inspiring to say the least.

The point of the journey is not to arrive.....
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Tough call. These are 2 amazing guitarists, and were both great in concert. But all you need to hear is "For the Love of God" and you will have to choose Vai...That song could make the the hardest human get the chills.
The point of the journey is not to arrive.....
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Ack! Not another Neil!?!

 

It's getting crowded in here. I'm not used to running into people that share my name... especially when they spell it correctly! ;)

 

BTW - Check out Vai's Sisters for a perfect example of what he's capable when he chooses to step out of the Satch-taught guitar-god mode. He's an able clean player with the ability to snatch style from Hendrix or Wes Montgomery and make it his own, sweet, style.

It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman

 

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I don't really like any guitar virtuoso. Except Vai. In some of his best works it feels like every note he plays, every string bend is there for a reason, it translates to a human emotion. Satch's style is too melodic for me, and I like Vai guitar sound much more than any Satch sound. As someone else mentioned "For the Love of God" is one of contemporary music's masterpieces. Satriani always ment to me great technique used for superficial music.

Dragos

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Originally posted by Fender Bender:

Satriani has more feel & hence better phrasing

You've got to be kidding. :eek:

 

Not that one of them is head and shoulders above the other, but that statement holds no truth in my experience. And I like both of them.

It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman

 

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Originally posted by fantasticsound:

Ack! Not another Neil!?!

 

It's getting crowded in here. I'm not used to running into people that share my name... especially when they spell it correctly! ;)

You said it, Neil!

 

- Neil

May all your thoughts be random!

- Neil

www.McFaddenArts.com

www.MikesGarageRocks.com

 

 

 

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