Vai- Alcatraz

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JohnnyGtar said:
Unpopular opinion maybe, but I always thought of Alcatraz as a second-string band that had 2 amazing guitar players. I bought the live album with Yngwie on it when it was released, back when I was a road musician in my early 20's. When I played the cassette for our guitarist, he said of Yngwie "He kicks Van Halen's ass". I can't stand Bonnet's voice. Fucking caterwauling IMO. Same goes for Glen Hughes and Ray Gillen. Blecch.
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You know . I felt that way too when younger but grew to appreciate vanilla singers . I think miles Kennedy is today’s version of them . Just vanilla . It’s good . But idk . But I know how you feel
 
espquade said:
That is an excellent one as well and certainly would be in my top 3 from him. I also really like Fire Garden , but it took me a long time to really absorb and get into it.
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Fire garden is my second fav . I used to acid and listen to it . It was an adventure . Fuck I need some shrooms now
 
I didn’t discover Vai until he was touring for Fire Garden on the first G3 run, it was the first Vai album I bought and while ALS is probably my favorite batch of songs in one collection from him, Fire Garden will probably always be peak Vai for me. P&W sounds more like a statement he really wanted to make but FG is more like “This is what I do when I’m not playing into the whole guitar wizard thing” and I think it goes much further into showing his songwriting than focusing on the playing.
 
DrewJD82 said:
I didn’t discover Vai until he was touring for Fire Garden on the first G3 run, it was the first Vai album I bought and while ALS is probably my favorite batch of songs in one collection from him, Fire Garden will probably always be peak Vai for me. P&W sounds more like a statement he really wanted to make but FG is more like “This is what I do when I’m not playing into the whole guitar wizard thing” and I think it goes much further into showing his songwriting than focusing on the playing.
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Not to mention it also has "When I was a Little Boy" which might be the single greatest song ever written
 
Devin said:
Not to mention it also has "When I was a Little Boy" which might be the single greatest song ever written
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When I saw him on the Ultra Zone tour he had his mic plugged into a Whammy 2 and he did bits of that live. :LOL:
 
I loved that Alcatrazz/Vai album, I like it much better than his work with DLR or his solo work. I remember buying concert tickets to see them at Santa Monica Civic only to find out it was canceled when arriving, the other band on the bill was Uli Roth! Funny thing is around 15 years ago I auditioned for Graham Bonnet he only sang a little at the audition but got to play Alcatrazz Vai and Malmsteen songs, Schenker and some Rainbow songs with him..
 
Stradazone said:
I loved that Alcatrazz/Vai album, I like it much better than his work with DLR or his solo work. I remember buying concert tickets to see them at Santa Monica Civic only to find out it was canceled when arriving, the other band on the bill was Uli Roth! Funny thing is around 15 years ago I auditioned for Graham Bonnet he only sang a little at the audition but got to play Alcatrazz Vai and Malmsteen songs, Schenker and some Rainbow songs with him..
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Don't tell Dave! :p
 
If you listen to that track in the original post, the lead tones have no discernable 'grit' to the distortion - even with the bridge humbucker. They sound totally clean - but with tons of glassy compression. That seems to be his sound on virtually all of his recordings. Anyone know how he gets that signature 'no distortion distortion' lead sound???
 
PDC said:
If you listen to that track in the original post, the lead tones have no discernable 'grit' to the distortion - even with the bridge humbucker. They sound totally clean - but with tons of glassy compression. That seems to be his sound on virtually all of his recordings. Anyone know how he gets that signature 'no distortion distortion' lead sound???
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He plays really loud. Great singing and guitar playing, but the songwriting is a total Rainbow ripoff.
 
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I was a big Vai fan When I was younger. These were the days before streaming, so I never heard this album. Listening to it now I can really hear many of his signature licks. In fact, there are many runs on this album that can be heard in David Lee Roth and also Passion and Warfare.
 
SaberRed said:
I was a big Vai fan When I was younger. These were the days before streaming, so I never heard this album. Listening to it now I can really hear many of his signature licks. In fact, there are many runs on this album that can be heard in David Lee Roth and also Passion and Warfare.
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For sure . But I went and found sound licks and ideals I’ve also seen him not do again . I did not expect that at all . Im
Always looking for new things .
 
DrewJD82 said:
I think he wrote all those parts in 2 weeks, if memory serves.

Man, Bonnett was a fucking beast of a vocalist (still is, I think?). I dig that dudes vocals more now than I did when I found out about these guys in the 90’s. Dude just belts the shit out and his pitch is dead fucking on.

Despite being a Vai fanboy, I actually prefer Yngwie Alcatrazz more.
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Hasn’t been in quite a while.
Back in 2018 I mixed him at a club here (Kurt James was on guitar).

First off he blew his voice out second tune of sound check.
And they were running tracks, backing vocals and lead vocals.
So at times he doubled the shit, others he mimed and others he was so off it was painful.

Audience didn’t notice, and all the local music were stunned how amazing he was.
Dolds listening with their eyes.
 
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