Steve Vai - 1984 Flex Able - 01 - Little green men

[CLOBBERINTIME1]

I remember tripping my balls off listening to this around 23 years ago. :)

[flyerfry]

the very last little theme in this song ( 5-31 onward) is, if i am not mistaken, a theme that he later used in the song "the crying machine" from the "fire garden" album.

[Freddwith2D]

Hmm... Little Green Men must have special skills because if you look closely, there's no 5'38"... They can create time distorsions just after the "Answers" quote !!! Why ? What do they hide to us ? OMG I'M SCARED !!! O_o

[nodrama991]

hello little gman

[RENATO3474361714]

best,,

[feenux09]

close encounters of the third kind! lol I just noticed 2:02

[pabs4016]

trolled

[MrMattocaster]

Why don't the Little Green Men get to say "we were sent here by God" as they did on the original vinyl?

[Margaux177]

Large heads!!!

[pasheka777]

It doesn't get weirder than this... :)

[multibuddhaneo]

@pasheka777 it does on 3 hits of acid

[WarInBed]

"little green men about four foot...maybe they want to kick some butt!"

[vanhalen515084]

zappa influenced for sure, sounds like he had a lot of time to make this happen, there is a hell of a lotta stuff going on here, amazing talent

[willibear7]

Post Zappa project lol

[bebeard17]

5:32 Answers

[Eddgital]

@bebeard17 Also Junkie minute 4:42

[TommittajaFIN]

@bebeard17

well, listen to the riddle, there's answers and Bledsoe bluvd ;D

[josephvincentguitar]

@bebeard17

Answers is actually little green men, sir. BAHA!

[thndrwhls1]

if anyone plays guitar check out my channel

[MrCold768]

that riff from 5:32 to the end is just like the riff in "Answers".. i cant believe i realized that just now and i'm a Vai fan for a looong time

[mafiashpagety]

@MrCold768 Yes,you're right.

[Vailover4ever]

Zappa's influenced for sure,but Steve vai at the core of the song,strange but very enjoyable.

[calixa]

DAMN! my dad gave this tape to me back in the day, mid to late 80's id say.....i havent heard this in sooooooo LONG.

Thanks! that chorus kicks ass!

[billyjustice1]

Me and my pals tripped much acid hits to this album back in the 90's

[CrashLanden]

ET IOU

[sextenica]

little green men, they look so funny

funny green men

I want one to have and to hold and to

silly green men

Where do they come from?

Should we run away, should we start to pray

or is it a movie that they're film'?

[King666Slayer]

Sounds like Zappa

[triffiks]

wish all vituosaos had soh like steves(-:

[GOLEAFS1967]

The Adventures of Greggery Peccary

[SHISHUE]

I wore this tape out in my 85 short bed. Good times. Awesome......

[THYEERIEGAZE]

this album is blowing my mind crazy stuff :)

[floydanimal]

I have this album on vinyl...with the 1st Vai newsletter

[rodcrippler]

it has a bit of the feeling of the Inca Roads guitar solo

[unknownkingdom]

@rodcrippler That's what I was going to say, kind of an Inca Roads do-over, same topic too.

[BeastOfTraal]

a bit of "Close encounter of the third kind" by John Williams in there

[pngilman]

@BeastOfTraal that's more or less the point, yes?

[darkangelsk8s]

@BeastOfTraal yeah! @ 2:00 my mom caught that!, i was freakin out!!!!!!!!!!!

[antsdick]

who was the best gat player to join Zappa. Has to be Steve via no questions asked

[fuzzizi]

put on your sennheiser,s . close your eyes.

[rosskolnikov]

Light without heat!

[monkeys1954]

steve was a student of frank zappa

[konked]

@monkeys1954 Zappa originally hired Vai to transcript the music down to paper then recruited him as guitarist. There's a story how Vai helped the bassist on the sheet Zappa had given (the bassist's name escapes me). In rehearsals Zappa called halt and asked what he was playing and asked then to see the sheet. It turned out to be guitar part Zappa had erroneously given to bassist :)

[eliasien]

@konked

The bassist was Jeff Berlin and the song was Pedro's dowry

[phishman706]

@fuzzysha well steve vai played in zappas band for a number of years....

[pactater]

My pal had this on vinyl the year it came out. I found out about Vai from a 33-1/3 insert record of Attitude Son in Guitar Player. We used to spin the record backwards to hear the message in the middle part. Anyone know what it is? Something about God and waking up, but I wanna know the exact words. Thx!

[Monomeisms]

@pactater

10 monts later: :-) The words are: "We were sent here by God". On Vinyl that part was not backwards.

[Zbot665]

for those of you inquiring, the backmasked vocals say "We are on a mission from god" when played backwards.

[Bassmastajazzyj]

this is probably the stupdiest song ive ever heard....

[tetragramatonadr]

@Bassmastajazzyj

why??

give me 3 reasons man...

[Bassmastajazzyj]

@tetragramatonadr

1. The music is horrible

2. The lyrics are stupid

3. The voice is goddamn annoying

[tetragramatonadr]

@Bassmastajazzyj

am

jajaja...

the music is weird but have a very nice armony, is simple and try to be different...

the lyrics yea sounds stupid but si a vision of steve

and the voice is of the "little green men" man...

only try to find sense because this have sense...

the album have music weird and "abstract" maybe... but is amazing belive me...

jaja if you want some really annoying listen "so happy"

[pactater]

@Bassmastajazzyj You don't have to dig it, but the music quite complex and takes a genius to make something like this. Don't dig it, that's cool, but what is the point of trashing it? Is feeling good so hard?

[motleycrue24]

@pactater well put man

[pallet3473]

@Bassmastajazzyj hey man "stupdiest" (or "stupidest" if that's what you were trying to say) isn't even a word fool. The reason it may be over your head is because you are not smart enough to "get it".

[kinggambitabc]

The Terminator - part 4 video at 6:00

[kinggambitabc]

at 1:54 its EXACTLY the music played in Terminator 1 during the 1st chase scene (from Tech Noir night club). Impressive ! The composer must have plagarized Steve.

[LABorden]

I have this vinyl. Ahh the memories.

[tetragramatonadr]

the last seconds sounds like the riff of answers...

yeeeaaa...

[fourtywpm]

I like the black alien near the end lol

[twinmusic]

@fourtywpm Awesome, you nailed it!

[stereo123]

i love this zappaish stuff. I wish Vai had done more stuff like this.

[stevieVantanna]

I've been missing out!

I've basically ignored Steve Via for 20 years - I just heard a couple tracks off of Passion and a couple others...wasn't interested - but this stuff is cool.

[xWickedXRabbitx]

Does this have something to do with his Illuminati Symbolism? 2012 maybe, age of light without heat? hrmmmmmm

[affiliatenation]

thanks for posting, Steve Vai was Zappa's guitar player, FYI

[ninjafretshadow]

this songs freaky when i 1st heard i was freaked

[TheJbd00d]

this song is insane but i love espicailly the news reporter

[elmoK1LL3Dyou]

@TheJbd00d I think the news reporter is Steve. I know that the guy who says "Little green men bout 4 foot" is him, even though it doesn't sound like him, but the reporter actually sounds like him.

[xWickedXRabbitx]

@elmoK1LL3Dyou It's not supposed to be a reporter, it's just him talking straight up.

[Zbot665]

@elmoK1LL3Dyou

he shifts the pitch of his voice all the voices are steve.

[demrayhalen]

I think Vai is a reptilian : )  I'd love to pick his brain.

[HitTheFanComedy]

The last couple seconds are also from 'Answers'!!!!

[LateNightSnack1]

song is so trippy

[shaneinkster]

! !

U

[SAFye]

A neat tribute to John Williams' score from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Rythmically superior, of course! Also references to Steven Speilberg's E.T.....E.T.I.O.U! Hilarious!

[otharennaur]

xD LOL so weeeeeeeeeeeird and, sooooo 80s xD

[joerodriquez3]

I heard this during high school late on a Sunday night on the Dr. Demento show and could not believe it was a guitar playing!

[thatickla]

Exactly, brainphreak, he wrote his music around who he was playing with.....His solo stuff is rad and weird, gotta love Vai!

[SteVeTurchin]

@ Ercarnar

I just tried that! This song is incredibleeeeeeee

[Ercarnar]

Did you know that listening backwards at the "strange" phrase at 3.48 it says "We were sent here by God!"?

[FUZZYSHA]

it's like listening to Frank Zappa

[1976BOSTON]

@FUZZYSHA he used to be zappa's guitarist for awhile

[FUZZYSHA]

yes I know

[TheJbd00d]

@FUZZYSHA frank zappa is amazing

[ExtreamElliot]

@FUZZYSHA Steve Vai originally played with Zappa, and he made this song in his spare time right after he was done playing with him. =D

[GLABB69]

@FUZZYSHA Steve was hanging with Frank back in the day Fuzzy. 

[Sawbones84]

@FUZZYSHA

yea, this is definitely one of the most zappa-influenced tracks in vai's entire solo catalog, but it was written/recorded right in the middle of his tenure with frank.

[dumbydik]

@FUZZYSHA imagine that dumbass!!!

[metalwizard13]

@dumbydik whoa....douche much?

[SpartanLaserCanon]

@FUZZYSHA I'd like to se someone try to listen to this high.

[timbirchard]

@FUZZYSHA That would make sense, since Vai played in Zappa's band.

[DizziNY1]

@FUZZYSHA Didn't Vai do this on his own? I don't think Zappa was involved w this was he? I know Steve worked w Zappa, so did he record this when he was working w Zappa or after/before?

[ericoulthwaite]

@DizziNY1 after

[pabs4016]

trolled!

[JasperManning]

@DizziNY1 Zappa borrowed Steve some equipment and taught him recording tricks. You can read about it on Steve's website on the Steve speaks (a lot) section. Just do a ctrl + f & flexable

[jingle103]

Everyone has influences. Zappa is one of them. In turn Vai has influence of his own.

[racon]

may the melody between 1:50 - 2:02 been created by a 12 tone row ?

[darthvaderyoda]

@racon maybe

[HAMMERDOWNROKK]

try lotus feet.

[alessandromuller]

stop saying that his sound is influenced by Frank Zappa. I agree, but Steve Vai has managed to create a new dynamic to this alternative style of music / sound. if you can, try to hear what Steve Vai has to offer! no hard feelings! good life to all!

[brainphreak]

@alessandromuller - Definitely influenced by Zappa but at the same time, Zappa always said he wrote his music for the people playing in his band at the time. He would pick musicians not because they can play what eh wrote, he picked musicians with extreme talents, even if they arent to be used YET, zappa would now write around their talent to showcase their work, to get the most out of that musician. Zappa was a genius at writing, and in fact you could say he was influenced by vai and everyone

[alessandromuller]

Yes, I understood and enjoyed this your clarification. There is always something for us to learn, both musically and historically, is not it?

[brainphreak]

@alessandromuller - Yep, and zappa himself is a lifetime of history he was so productive and amazing!

[sabaku1218]

good!

[benmarvin57]

i played this song for my fifth grade class,it was a class project we all got to bring in a asong and play it on a lil boom box it was 1990 and most kids brought rap or gun n roses,when i brought this they tripped lol even my teacher was blown back and she liked genesis,but had no idea who he was

[paperskull1]

@benmarvin57 that's awesome!!!! you were ahead of the rest

[H057IL3]

@benmarvin57

Guns N roses are cool...(rap is not)

[topdeeni]

when did he get his pants?

[frannyp46]

Nice to see Steve with Franks genes.

[Kohntarkosz]

For what it's worth, Vai was a big Zappa fan. Frank hired Steve because he sent a demo tape and a transcription of The Black Page to Frank. Frank was so impressed, he asked Steve to come out to LA to audition. The rest is history.

So if this seems like a Zappa tribute or whatever, it's almost certainly intentional.

[zenim]

well ive nvr heard any of u guys records but isnt it up to steve wat he records,zappa influences or not?and who cares if it sounds like zappa if its a good tune its a good tune regardless

[IronreaverVII]

wrong-o. Zappa gave him the job because he put into music every single instrument from an album that's name escapes me, and sent the sheet music to him, asking if it was rigth.

[Kohntarkosz]

That's exactly what I said. You're describing a transcription, which is exactly what Vai sent in. I recall both Frank and Steve himself saying it was The Black Page that he sent in. That's according to Zappa cover story in Guitar Player from 1983, and also the Vai cover story in the same magazine from 85.

[mkn2929]

In 1984 Steve was finishing a long 'career' with Zappa. He wrote many of these songs years and years before he was even in touch with zappa.

. Zappa gave him all the knowledge he needed studio and road wise to complete what was an already brilliant and totally unique and legendary destined musician.

Steve released this just to have some fun doing what he wanted to do, which was to release what HE enjoyed and for his friends who enjoyed his wizardry and sometimes insanity :)

[yaddledaddle]

tell it brother!

[sharingan3600]

hey, this is not plagiate, it's a tribute! : )

this song stuck in my head, can't stop singing it xD

[ppericodelosppalotes]

well, if this actually isn't F.Z. himself, then it's a bleeding style plagiate. You don't get any closer to the original thing without actually beeing it.

[brucey39]

My god ! I'm glad he got over trying to be Zapper and found his own trip. Is the rest of Vais album like this? Only Zapper should do Zapper .

[wilcox71]

I loved this song, haven't heard it in years!!

[cheekygirl1972]

never heard this before thanks for sharing.

[guitalex0]

diferent mas intereçante

[illeagle0]

The Frank Zappa influence seriously bleeding through here.

[ShawnyboySkater1]

holy shit

[metalwizard13]

whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lucjay9]

I definitely hear "The Riddle" "Answers" & "Fever Dream" here.

[edthehead83]

Listen to "Bledsoe Bluvd," from Flex-Able: Leftovers.

[vbdude006]

lol this is hilarious

[perromanchado]

still wonderful after all this time

[jomiar]

Steve Vai is God in human form.

[liquidmetal1]

What? Geddy Lee on vocals? No way sir. That is undeniably and incontrovertibly Steve Vai delivering his warped intergalactic musings to the unsuspecting audiophiles of the world. Trust me, this piece is a crystal clear summation of his auteuresque talents.

From 3.00, my mind's eye is escalated into a sense of wonderment and frenzy.

[GutWrench95]

This is a WEIRD song... Holy crap... It's good, though.

[dmonks40]

way ahead of his time definatly

[klemppari]

How the hell did he make this song at age 24 :D Verry good. Does anybody have any idea how did he make the little men sounds and escpecially the guitar at the part 3:00?

[haarpcloud911]

Sounds like pitch control and bar, maybe a little wah..... Steve was amazingly influenced by Frank Zappa as you must know, and Frank called Steve his stunt guitar player!

[om1324354657687980]

stoner music

[n8tivguitar]

lmao great song loooong ways from tender and for the love

[jirvid]

what the fuck........what the fuucckk. that sounds so different then anything else ive ever listened to

[GrinnerTheOnly]

its strange.........i think i saw this at the Goodwill music department!

[vanhalenkid]

with geddy lee on vocals lol. Good tune very trippy.

[tpcardoso]

it sounds like a song played backwards

[mexcurmudgeon]

Actually part of the song is recorded backwards. When the little green men talk about why they're here, it says backwards, "we were sent here by God,"

[tomtiddler]

Great Song, Great Album!! Had this album for a lot of years, thanks for posting!

[gahuteqqsas]

goofy song but its awsome

[iamprov]

I don't really go for prog rock type instrumental stuff but this record is great.

[PrinceWilliamAntichr]

illuminati

[paberaguitar]

spetacular Frank zappa's offspring!!!

[weirdman202]

Hes not frank zappa's offspring

[kittenkilla123]

no he isnt zappa took him from berkley and made him part of zappas band. The stunt guitarist that could play al of zappas mayhem.

[weirdman202]

I was replying to someone who said he was zappa's son

[Eddieshred]

Close Encounters Of The 3rd Kind Melody!

[Element404]

Answers riff at the end lol.

[BurnRoddy]

This song is awesome :) I'm Drolling right now hahaha

[Element404]

Another funny/crazy song by Mr. Vai.

[safapresley]

This rocks!!! :))))

[imyourtrash]

Ah gotta love Steve Vai's Zappa Days... Great Stuff!!!

[loganlark]

YES YES YES YES! When they say "80's music" I don't think of the Go-Gos (as VH1 would have us do), I think of THIS album!!!! AWESOME!

[milofire]

"Little green men about fo' foot...maybe they wanna kick sum butt" Lol. PeacexXx!!!11:11