Hot Take: Joe Satriani should stop trying to chase EVH's tone/technique

This latest outing is just Chickfoot trying to make some money. Nobody cares about Chickenfoot, they are below mid. And as awesome as Joe is, he is absolutely the wrong guy to play a VH tribute.
 
WhiteShadow said:
Curious what you guys think, but I personally think Joe should just learn the songs to the best of his ability and play them in his own way, with his own interpretation. I'm open to being surprised, but for starters, I don't think it'll ever happen. I don't think Satch will ever play that stuff like Eddie, and I think he'll make a fool of himself trying. Where he could just play the Van Halen stuff with his own interpretation and in his own style, and I think people would love it and rock out to it. And the last thing is just that I don't think it's necessary for him to try to sound just like Eddie, since its not like he's stepping into Van Halen and replacing Eddie. He's doing a tribute. I think if Eddie were up in Heaven watching from above, he'd rather see him do that, than try to sound exactly like him.

Thoughts?
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That's why Vai worked so well with Roth. He did his interpretation and the key EVH moments he was really close but the rest was more in the vein of EVH i.e. his homage to him.

Satch is never going to get there so why try, just get close and have fun. I mean if you want to nail it get someone like Estrada or even Phil X.
 
shredhead7 said:
This latest outing is just Chickfoot trying to make some money. Nobody cares about Chickenfoot, they are below mid. And as awesome as Joe is, he is absolutely the wrong guy to play a VH tribute.
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Nobody is going to sound good in that gig. It's not about ability or even technique. Eddie has a swing, feel, timing thing happening (particularly in his rhythm playing) that seems almost impossible to replicate. How many videos have we seen where solid players try to nail the feel of the main riff in "drop dead legs"? There always seems to be something off, or missing. As I've said before, Satch is a very accomplished and technically proficient player...but he's the wrong guy for this gig. Truth is, there may be no "right" guy...at least not for this crowd here at the board.
 
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angelspade said:
Nobody is going to sound good in that gig. It's not about ability or even technique. Eddie has a swing, feel, timing thing happening (particularly in his rhythm playing) that seems almost impossible to replicate. How many videos have we seen they to nail the feel of the main riff in "drop dead legs"? There always seems to be something off, or missing. As I've said before, Satch is a very accomplished and technically proficient player...but he's the wrong guy for this gig. Truth is, there may be no "right" guy...at least not for this crowd here at the board.
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Absolutely agree with all that you've said. For me, if they're looking for a name, Greg Howe, Paul Gilbert, Satchel (Russ) would all be better equipped as Eddie was their number 1.
 
All in all, Joe IS a professional guitarist. I am not defending the guy but all this talk is just speculation till it actually happens. He knows the criticism hes up against and he has said he wants to do it justice. I think he will do whatever it takes to get it done.. or at least I hope.
Bonus, in 5 years from now we might even get to see a vid from Al Estrada on how "he taught Satriani Eds style for his VH tribute tour"'''LOL
 
It’s not about nailing Ed. This is the Sammy show and he knows he can work with, tour and hang with Joe without drama. Plus he’s also aware that he needs a name with a draw of his own. I don’t really see this any different from Chickenfoot really. There’s quite a few good VH tributes that would satisfy the Ed done accurately itch. The best Van Halen show I saw, including Van Halen was actually Atomic Punks in the 90’s in San Diego. 😂

I think if you’re a Sammy fan, you’ll enjoy yourself. They’ll probably play a bunch of his solo stuff and Montrose too. I’m not a Sammy fan.
 
CarlF said:
A few points-
Joe should just do when he filled in for Blackmore in Deep Purple. Learn the tunes, play the key lines, do your own thing.
That new amp isn't helping much. The nasally midrange of those sig guitars still comes thru loud and clear.
Jacob DeCraps brings nothing to the party. The few family members who care won't sell tickets.
Jeezz, that Doug R. amp demo is inaudible. It keeps getting posted as a holy grail for some reason.
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the Rapp/Plex clip is more about how great his style and technique is! but he should be the one to do the official videos of the Plex. it was funny listening to Dave making requests for unchained and more rhythm chord stuff and Doug just ignoring him and shredding!
 
skoora said:
It’s not about nailing Ed. This is the Sammy show and he knows he can work with, tour and hang with Joe without drama. Plus he’s also aware that he needs a name with a draw of his own. I don’t really see this any different from Chickenfoot really. There’s quite a few good VH tributes that would satisfy the Ed done accurately itch. The best Van Halen show I saw, including Van Halen was actually Atomic Punks in the 90’s in San Diego. 😂

I think if you’re a Sammy fan, you’ll enjoy yourself. They’ll probably play a bunch of his solo stuff and Montrose too. I’m not a Sammy fan.
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as an OG VH fan, i saw the fateful 07 roth/vh reunion show. with ed in that terrible state of mind, roth sliding around squawking like polly wanting a cracker totally unable to sing his parts, and mike gone, it was a utter crap fiesta which i'd swap for the Atomic Punks any day of the year!
 
Tough topic. Being Joe and getting picked apart, even Ed said " I can't play or sound like anyone else* both are great and sound nothing alike. Hard to imagine either swapping and sounding like the other. I guess when the tribute dudes have spent their existence to sound like Ed and not create music and write songs as Joe has they should sound closer. Joe's pretty bad ass, I'd agree he should be Joe and make the best of it. These super star tribute guys could learn something of orginality
 
WhiteShadow said:
I think he'll make a fool of himself trying
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No he won’t. I saw a 12yr old Korean girl play Eruption on YT last week, dude is one of the best guitar players on the planet he’ll be fine

I agree I’d rather see Satch do his own thing with all the songs, that would be great. I saw Ed several times, I have less interest in seeing someone play the stuff just like he did—been there. Regardless I’m looking forward to seeing them in Nashville this summer. I don’t get the reverence for a bunch of rock songs, it’s not like MA didn’t help write em.
 
To me, this is what happens when the checkbook gets a necessary seat at the decision table.

I just cannot think of anyone better suited for this gig than Al Estrada - and Hell, Estrada actually played with David at the Rio residency - so its not like Al is a complete ‘unknown.’ He cops that EVH swing and vibe SO well, that he doesn’t even need to play the solos ‘note-for-note’ and you’d swear you are just listening to various ‘out-takes’ from the original recording sessions that for whatever reason just didn’t make the album.

Another name that comes to mind is MIke Himmel - Dam… I’ve never heard a more accurate version of Eruption than Himmel. He literally did not use a phase 90 on the final track because the versions were just getting so close to the original, that the absence of the phase 90 ‘authenticated’ his cover. The swing, the feel, the phrasing, the ‘bite’ … its all there.

And we all know how jaw dropping accurate on early VH Jim Gaustad is with his gear, tone, playing and feel.

But in the world of ticket sales, ‘Joe Satriani’ has a bigger draw than folks stylistically better suited for the gig.

FWIW - I’ve got a ticket to go see Satch and Vai on Wednesday (May 1) in KC. I will submit a full type-written report in the morning.
 
PDC said:
I just cannot think of anyone better suited for this gig than Al Estrada
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He sounds just like Ed? No offense to Mr Estrada but I’d rather see Satch doing Satch things than him doing Ed things. IMO boring and something you can catch anytime as there are dozens of tributes out there.

I’m hoping this is less of a tribute band and more of a bunch of guys that enjoy playing together rocking out to cool songs and doing their own thing with them when they can
 
WhiteShadow said:
Thoughts?
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I agree.

Personally, his tone also sucks. Always has done. It's like a shrieking, thin, fizzy sound. Not helped by the fact he uses the Sustainer which can add a crap tonne of harmonics using the switch. It always sounds to me like a really poorly set up Solid State combo or something. Hard to explain.
 
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