ALCATRAZZ'S "DISTURBING THE PEACE" AS CHAPTER II of VAI'S GREAT TRIPTYCH

[toomanycats]

I've long held the belief that Steve Vai's great trilogy consists of:

Flex-Able (1984)
Disturbing the Peace (with Alcatrazz, 1985)
Eat Em' and Smile (with David Lee Roth, 1986)

*As an appendix I would add the Guitar Player Magazine flexi-disk "Blue Powder," and his work on the film Crossroads, both of which fall within the same timeframe.

There is a consistency of style across these albums, growing in intensity with each successive release. Vai had something to prove to the world in these couple of years, and he didn't hold back anything in doing it. He really was Jack Butler (Devils' protege in Crossroads), brooding, mysterious, ferocious, terrifying in ability. Vai was a bad mofo. I would equate the condensed intensity of Vai's output during this period to that of Eddie's between 78 and 80 (VH1, VH II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning).

Think about this fact: On the Acatrazz album he takes the place of Yngwie, and on the first DLR albums he essentially replaces EVH. Not too many guitar players on the planet at that time, if any, could have done that. And I'm not just referring strictly to the ability to play the material, because sure, Al Dimiola, or Holdsworth, or some other master of technique may have been able to pull off that part. But Vai was the entire package, everything about him, his look, personality, style; he was a showman and performer, charismatic as hell, a rock star writ large.

I know many will disagree with this opinion, but everything Vai did after Eat Em' and Smile fell sorta flat with me. The DLR band's follow up, while it was interesting, was in no way an Eat Em' and Smile part II, which was sorta what I wanted. Whitesnake was just a bad fit. Even Passion and Warfare felt too produced, a bit of self-parody. Like I said, many will disagree, but that's my take on it.

But as the title of this thread indicates, I'm interested to see if there are any others here who would agree that Alcatrazz's album Disturbing the Peace is one of Vai's finest moments. I bought it on vinyl in 1985 and still spin it a few times a year. I listened to it in its entirety the other day and it never gets old. The songwriting and production are stellar, Graham Bonnet's voice is heavenly, the band are incredible musicians, and Vai in particular comes on like an undeniable force of nature.

Not a single bad track on this record, but here's a few representative cuts.

[TVvoodoo]

I've always thought that this record was awesome. I had the cassette years back. Maybe still do, but have not listened for a long time.
My number one fave piece of his is Blue Powder, and some work he did with Public Image. I own passion and warfare on CD, haven't spun that for two decades. And, I'm one of the rare types that likes Skyscraper just a bit more that EAS. But Alcratrazz is the shit. I have also NEVER listened to that album he did with Coverdale, at all. Probably should.

Adding the link, in case nobody has ever heard it. The whole album is really something. But the way it closes out is special, and Vai in top form.

[toomanycats]

I've always thought that this record was awesome. I had the cassette years back. Maybe still do, but have not listened for a long time.
My number one fave piece of his is Blue Powder, and some work he did with Public Image. I own passion and warfare on CD, haven't spun that for two decades. And, I'm one of the rare types that likes Skyscraper just a bit more that EAS. But Alcratrazz is the shit. I have also NEVER listened to that album he did with Coverdale, at all. Probably should.

Agree that "Blue Powder" is a breathtaking piece of work. Vai moves from blues, to rock, to metal, to jazz on this tune, ending with his guitar literally whimpering and whining. It's funny that as amazing as this tune was, it was actually an advertisement for the Carvin X100b amp, because I never knew anybody that had one.

Skyscraper has grown on me tremendously over the years. "Hina," "Skyscraper," and "Good Times" are amazing cuts on that record.

One other incredible piece of Vai's output that I forgot to mention is "Western Vacation." Stupid good solos on that tune.

[Tsukiyomi]

I *knew* this'd be you, TMC

I already knew a little of Stevie thanks to a Kerrang! VHS video compilation I bought in the 80's that had "God Blessed Video" on it (quick aside, those intros & outros that so many rock videos had back then really were crap, weren't they?). I'd already been blown away by Crossroads, and to this day get really annoyed at people who claim "The Karate Kid" beat Steve Vai in a guitar duel. I also had that Blue Powder flexidisc and one of my old claims to fame was that I could play it in on my guitar. I've always maintained that I was a far better player not long after taking the instrument up in the mid-80's than I've been at any point since.

Flex-Able was fun and for me was a guitarist's album. Of course it was also a Zappa fan's album, but sometimes the two are interchangeable. Stevie blew me away on it and with Alcatrazz, but even now I get the biggest grin on my face when I watch the Yankee Rose video. I often imagine Diamond Dave's internal monologue when Vai's throwing his guitar around in that middle section being something along the lines of "Let's see Eddie do THAT". Despite the fact that my roots are in Blues-Rock (Whitesnake's "Ready An' Willing" right up to the US take of "Slide It In" were where I peaked), Stevie was absolutely Jack Butler as you rightly say. He could do anything. He could make the guitar talk. He could throw it around like it was part of him then stroke his fingers across it like he was weaving a spell.

As I type this, I realise I haven't really got anything to add to your (always) eloquent posts, but again as is often the case, you hit on something that resonated with me. And even though this isn't part of the 'Triptych', back in the day I was the first in my school to get hold of Skyscraper and was asked for my thoughts the next day. I remember my reply now - "Eat 'Em And Smile was the album to make your jaw drop, no matter what you thought of Dave. Skyscraper was for the fans who stuck with him." I remembering feeling that Vai was playing by the numbers at this point - a feeling that was confirmed when I saw the band on that tour. It was fun, but the spark and magic had all but gone for me by then.

Thanks for reminding me of the times when the words "Jack Butler's gonna like you" would make me smile to myself just as much as Stevie's guitar asking "David?"

[toomanycats]

Somebody here recently posted an article which tells the story of Steve Via, Frank Zappa, and Eddie Van Halen jamming at Frank's house around 1982. I think this information is enormously important for understanding the fury in Steve's playing in the several years that followed. So many questions about this event. Was it a friendly jam, or was it competitive? Did Frank set Ed up? I mean, was Frank thinking to himself, "Okay Ed you're damn good, I'll give you that, but you're going to sweat a little when I introduce you to my little Italian maestro." What was Ed's impression of Steve, and vice versa? If I ever got to talk to either Ed or Steve in person the jam at Frank's house in 1982 is the first thing I'd ask them about.

[fullonshred]

Some really fine lead work in the vids you posted, but hey! Vai!

For the Love of God is one of my all time favorite guitar compositions.

[Rollin Hand]

Vai, or Jack Butler, for me, is incredibly special. I was already playing guitar when I watched "Crissroads" at a friend's house on VHS on a 21-inch TV. I am, for the most part, a goody two shoes. After seeing the movie, I was transformed. I saw the devil's guitar players ,and I HAD to play like that.

I had my first summer job that year, and I was, come hell or high water, Iwas going to buy a guitar that fulfilled that mission. I knew I needed humbuckers and a Floyd or equivalent. My dad, having a shop that had sold guitars at one point, could get it for me tax-free.

At the end of the summer, I had my cash, and my dad had to make one of his periodic trips to Winnpeg for stuff for his TV repair shop. He agreed to take me to a few stores. I tried Washburns with weird trems. I tried a droopy Dean. I tried a Jem, which cost more than I had made all summer.

The one I landed on was my dearly departed Ibanez RG410, with an original Edge trem. In metallic red. It was kismet. It was my only electric guitar for 15 years.

I then set about chasing the speed demon. I did chromatic excercises, worked to stregthen my fingers, even tuned up a whole sterp in the pursuit of getting faster. I made it a long way..

But the journey started with Jack Butler.

Of course, I had a few issues with Steve Vai. He described how "when peopke talk there are varying pitches to their voice when it was obvious he was imitating Charlie Brown's teacher. He had a seious tendency towards arrogance and being pompous. And his tone, when left to his own devices, wasn't spectacular.

I think he peaked on EEAS. I also quite liked his work onSlip of the Tongue, but not the tone so much (also how's the hand, Adrian?). Flex-Ablle was just....it was Vai. I think he needed someone like DLR or Coverdale to mold him.

Now the dude is 60. He wears weird glasses. And he seems like a decent guy..

And, for all of my work, I never got Eugene's Trick Bag down.

[toomanycats]

And his tone, when left to his own devices, wasn't spectacular.

In general I agree about Vai's lack of spectacular tone as compared with many of the tone God's, like VH, Sykes, Slash, and so on. It tends to be sorta thin and flat, lacking in complex character. There are a few exceptions that come to mind.

That amazing bend and vibrato he hits on "Call it Sleep" when the overdrive kicks in always gives me chills.

There are some good tones on Alcatrazz's Disturbing The Peace, for instance on "Mercy" and "Breaking the Heart of the City."

Eat Em' and Smile also has some tonally fantastic moments, like on "Ladies Night in Buffalo."

I wonder, how much of Vai's tone is attributable to Carvin amps?

I think that as the 80s wore on into the 90s Vai fell victim to the trap that many guitar slingers did at the time, which was too much processing. I always missed him with the "Green Meanie" after he stopped playing it. That guitar was his equivalent to VH's Frankenstrat.

[Rollin Hand]

Well, a bunch of his guitars got stolen and the Meanie died in the tuning room at MSG. Something was needed.

He sounded fine in Crossroads but the core of his tone, from my understanding was a Boss DS1 and his Dimarzios.

There is also a story where the were having a hard time getting a tone out of his Carvins for EEAS, and they talked to Steve Stevens, who basically said "what are you doing? Get a Marshall." There is your EEAS tone.

I have never thought his main Ibbys sounded great. I don't know whether it was the basswood or the use of zinc on the Edge tremolo (some say the Meanie was basswood but Charvel was using alder at the time, so who knows?). Skyscraper sounded seriously thin, and that was the first one after he got his Jems.

[Tsukiyomi]

Somewhat coincidentally, this just turned up in my YT recommendations. It's not ground-breaking, but it's worth a watch and ties in with some of the conversations in this thread