Interesting Beato interview

[mirth]

I was just listening to Beato's interview with Vai and it was actually a good one. He mostly talks about polyrythmns and music business which was nice and barely if any guitar.

I've always kind of thought Steve was a few tiers above the other shredder guys and I don't know that I necessarily knew why, but their albums are just not composed at nearly as high of a level. It seems to me all the Vai type copycat players really havent done their homework. They study his guitar playing but missed his influences and theoretical understanding particularly of rhythm. They think...I am playing in Lydian so I'm Vai.

I mean his knowledge of polyrythmns is pretty damn advanced. Yet basically all the other instrumentalist guitar shredders can barely play in time. Plus the time he devoted to all those transcriptions (and a time when it was done by good hand writing). He actually seems to understand the stuff too, unlike the Belews and Keneally who sort of just played it by feel.

It is kind of incredible he is so popular (relatively) he basically plays none of the rules of the music industry game (except hamming it up) and is revered.

Interesting interview.

[Infinite Ego]

he had the good fortune to have hit the scene when he did. if he was emerging today his audience would be very small and he'd be doing lots of gear demos on YT

[mirth]

He doesn't seem the gear demo type to me...other than his own stuff, but he wouldn't have his own stuff because he wouldn't be famous enough, haha.

The gear demo guys just kill me....they hurt me inside haha. I'm not talking about Pete Thorn, Tim Stewart and Guthrie, those guys actually play real gigs, so it makes sense they do this for extra cash. But the guys that literally have NO albums and never play Live....why in the world would anyone ever take any of their advice? They're worse than engineering college professors who've never had a "real" engineering job.

But seriously, how can someone who has no recording or live experience possibly have a valuable opinion on a piece of gear? Literally all they know is that the gear works in their bedroom...I suppose if I really think about it, that's probably the most cash flowing demographic in gear (since most don't play gigs and are too intimidated to record anything).

I think it's more likely Vai would just be some obscure composer and probably teach music at a conservatory or something.

[Infinite Ego]

Nobody is really a gear demo type, it's just that they've got nothing else to do to get attention.

There must be a lot of good players out there that will no longer get a shot at being a touring or recording pro so they just shoot YT vids at home and center it all around the gear, otherwise who the hell would watch it? Nobody. Nobody cares about hot guitar for its own sake.

[mirth]

However, it is still interesting that he is popular. I mean other than Zappa and some prog bands, there really isn't anyone else that's been popular not playing straight music. And Vai is probably just as popular as the biggest prog bands out there (like Dream Theater).

He seemingly gets to write whatever crazy shit he wants and people eat it up. It can be serious, funny, silly, dumb, overly sophisticated, metal, smooth jazz, acoustic, polyrhythmic or simple pretty songs....that's not a bad gig at all.

[Infinite Ego]

so true, he does have what is probably the best career aside from Satch -- who is probably twice as rich with music that is twice as dumb LOL

Satriani plays for the guitarist and his sig. other whereas SV is playing just for the guitarists.

[mirth]

I don't know...the gear demo stuff is just pretty much the lowest denomoniator music for me....I'd rather never listen to guitar again then have to watch endless gear demos. It's basically not music at all for that matter, but it somehow takes the place of any music listening people would otherwise do.

I get the making money part or whatever, but seriously...despite some of these guys proficiency on their instruments (some at a very high level like Tom Quayle) what the hell do they know about playing shows with gear or recording? They are basically musical non-musicians. It's odd to me.

[Infinite Ego]

well, they're sales tools for companies large and small. Even more popular than demos are just the unboxing vids. I mean, hell, watch a vid of somebody opening a fucking box?

There's some lady from China on YT and you just watch her eat like a pig. That's it.

Tim, nobody wants music any more they want boxes and they want them opened

[Infinite Ego]

Hell, I could put up a vid on YT that offers the secrets to playing at superhuman speeds and I will get a few takers. I take the same vid and just call it the name of a guitar and I'd get 100 times as many views in the same time period. The name of the game is "commodity fetishism."

[asb]

Correction: you may get a few views but you also might get death threats. Look at some of the things that happen when sacred cows get attacked. If you dare play faster than some guys hero you may have just put a target on your back.

[Infinite Ego]

Well, I know all about it

[mirth]

You may be fast, but you're no Joe Bonamassa.

[Infinite Ego]

so true

[mirth]

There is an interesting thing that happens with "money". I'm sure you guys have a name for it, but basically that if you have expensive, hard to get stuff, like a Dumble or 57 tele...you must be "good", and also the opposite. If you play a sears guitar and a gorilla amp...you must not be very good (or at least not "professional".) Regardless of skill or development or the music you're actually playing.

[Infinite Ego]

poseurs ?