Steve Vai - 1984 - Flex Able - 02 - Viv Woman

[ericb45696]

damn. I remember figuring out this riff when I was 18. seems like yesterday but it was 22+ years ago. fuck.

[AlanSessler]

this groove is still one of THE phattest I have ever heard in my life. that bass will literally slap you in the face if you talk back.

[GoofyGuitar68]

STEVE, I"ve always like this!

[nodrama991]

go steve go

[smarkwill2112]

I have Flexable on vinyl with this original cover. I love it and this is a great song.

[TubeFreakJonas]

See?? Steve CAN use his powers for good instead of evil!

A very fun record, I have the original-issue vinyl.

[grant1r]

Steve Vai was at his peak right after Frank Zappa. Too bad he doesn't play the same way.

[geomusicmove]

It's true that in the 80s most heavy rock guitarists were influenced by Van Halen, but Vai has always been a cut above the rest. Rhythmically he did have EVH stuff going on but he's soloing is more influenced by Allan Hollsworth, of whom EVH himself as well as many others, is a huge fan

[GoofyGuitar68]

@geomusicmove Eddie helped his friend Allan Hollsworth w/ career. When nobody would! Ed said he was blown away w/ Allans guitar playin.

[geomusicmove]

@GoofyGuitar68 yeah it's true, Vai also lent a hand to Holldsworth by signing him for his independent record label Favored Nations. The things is very few people in the world can appreciate Holldswoth's musicianship, I'm proud to be one of the few...ha!

[dtongamusic]

@geomusicmove I can hear a bit of Holdsworth in him at times, but he was more influenced by guys like Joe Satriani and Frank Zappa. He even admits in early interviews that Satch was his biggest influence. But aside from those guys, Vai has a really fluid playing style that I think he really developed on his own more than anything else.

[geomusicmove]

@dtongamusic I agree but in Vai - Satriani's saga I believe the the student surpassed the teacher, much as I love Satch's guitar his compositions are not that compelling IMO, whereas Vai has experimented a lot more, there's quite likely where Zappa's influence lies. As for Holdsworth influence in Vai I find it mostly in the use of the vibrato and otherworldy scales.

I do agree that Vai has developed his own style though but from his time with David L Roth when he played a bit Van Halen-like.

[TommittajaFIN]

where does that "just go for it" come from? o_O

ps: the audience is listening is one of my favorites with babushka :D

[TubeFreakJonas]

@TommittajaFIN  re "where does that "just go for it" come from?" - I think the album notes said Pia Miaocco, Steve's babe at the time of this very strange 8-track recording.

[bicknaynard]

Bm?

[calixa]

this has got to be the best first minute of any song ever......amazing....and it just keeps going........lifting me higher and higher.....kick ass riffage! sounds so great

[MrBlueyGuitar]

Awesome lol I love it the solo seems to have a sense of humor haha

[lowandfastdotcom]

this was the first album I ever had of Steve's and I listened to it like crazy. I took it to work and let a 'guitarist' borrow it for a night, and he brought it back saying he thought it sucked terribly. I told him to get his money back for all the bad weed he must be smoking. Steve Vai is awesome.

[MrSTEARNSKI]

@lowandfastdotcom bad weed couldnt even make it suck l0ol

[juliheavy26RM]

steve vai rules !!!

[Canaan512]

I always thought this sounded a great deal like Van Halen's "Little Guitars"

[mlmr11]

@Canaan512 Everyone was copping Van Halen back then. If you didn't sound like Eddie you were a pariah

[jeffandmatthardyrule]

Holy shit, listen to that tone... that is bloody wicked

[Visualundeath]

Absolutely mindblowing soloing from young Vai!

[Guitfiddlejase]

I love this...reminds me of the 9th grade.

Thanks for putting this up-Now to find "Call It Sleep"

[JosipPesut]

just go for it! :) :) Same voice as in Jibboom! :)

[LampShade0123]

Bye

[LesPaulSatriani]

steve bye XD

[ChucklesMginty]

Bye.

[jschwind435]

Bye.

[squibble94]

Wow, this song and Paul Gilbert's "I understand completely" sound really similar to me! I don't know why!

[philatov22]

Just GO for it!!

[leebouldog]

Dunno why but that is super sexy. Gotta sample that!

[LesPaulSatriani]

just go for it! supper sexy. gotta love the solo.

[Drewmeister72]

Quick note... and it sucks !!

All an artist needs do is change a song or lyric 10% to bypass copyright laws....

But HAAHAA we have it on em cause most of us have memories maybe deemed as photogenic and can suss the posers... its in our hands people woohoo !!

[r1skate]

If you listen to alot of today's stuff and know earlier music, will hear songs that sound familiar. It's because they are. They innovation of yesterday is disappearing. Pretty safe bet you won't hear "Viv Woman," from a contemporary artist. I think you meant to write photographic, but I know what you mean.

[rodcrippler]

@Drewmeister72 well I'm not sure how does it apply in USA, but in Southamerica with 90% copied of another song is more than enough to sue even the biggest commercial artists here like Maná and Willie Colón

[haarpcloud911]

Have you never noticed almost ever musician takes a bit of stuff from other musicians, even is it's a simple riff.

The most notorious music thieves were none other the "Led Zeppelin!"

LOOK INTO IT!!

[depechemodevilla]

cool riffs

[sledgeinc2]

Does that mean Chuck Berry's agent could sue Steve Vai? Lots of his songs sounds like Berry's early stuff.

Get over yourselves. This whole plagairsm thing is getting out of hand.

[AndJusticeForZack]

no they cant sue Vai because it cant just sound the same, it has to be the same pattern, same key, all that stuff, it would have to be like 99% the same to sue him.

[jambadger]

yep - coldplay's life in technicolor is a total rip off of this song.

The melody is played on dulcimer or something, but its the same allright

[rodcrippler]

@jambadger

fuck them, seems like Martin is a closet fan of guitar shredders, he also ripped off Satch's "If I could fly" song!

[tomatenpeller]

Coldplay totally ripped off this song

[Serieth]

your kidding? nothing like it

[tomatenpeller]

totally does

[Marypeter18]

how so?

[Marypeter18]

oh no, I know what you're refering to. the melody is kind of similar, but not that much, seriously, there's a difference.

[tomatenpeller]

Yeah, there is. But it's funny as heck to go to random songs and accuse Coldplay of stealing riffs and stuff.

I'm not that much of a Coldplay fan, you see.

[Marypeter18]

Hahaha I see how it can be funny for you, but beware, you might be killed in your sleep by a mad and crazy Coldplay fan if you keep doing this :P

[tomatenpeller]

They'd make me listen to Coldplay's discography all night long.

[Marypeter18]

Well that's not so bad, but yeah, we're not gonna have a discussion about that :P

[wawadookie]

This would make an excellent video game soundtrack.

[NathanEtheridge]

steve vai

[ToxicFungi]

Just cool riffs. Makes me wanna learn them. Or jam with that pattern.

[paulwall1981]

My only flaw with this song is that the solo is to short, other than that it's top notch stuff.

[miniman06070]

agreed. i'm learning this song and i'm gona lengthen the solo out and do my stuff to.

[m11gtr]

Don't forget the 'leftovers'.

[porkettaro77]

It was dedicated to Vivian Vai!

[KedyCore13]

Who is Vivian Vai?!?!

[porkettaro77]

Guess she's a relative of him... his... he....

(sorry I'm a stupid Italian)

[KedyCore13]

Vedi che anche io sono italiana x°°DDD

[porkettaro77]

HAHHAHAHHAHHH!!!!

PAISA'!!

Ad ogni modo, Vivian deve essere O la sorella di Pia Vai (la moglie di Steve) o sua sorella (di lui) direttamente...

Non sapevo come scriverlo in inglese...

;-)

Ma ti piace Vai?!?! Sei una grande allora!!

[KedyCore13]

Sei anche campano o no?!?!

Certo io lo adoro è ossigeno per me Vai.

E' l'unico Dio in cui credo xD

[porkettaro77]

No, sono di Cremona ;-)

MERITI grande ONORE per le tue parole!

:-D