Conference napalm::guitar

    Steve Vai is now David Lee Roth's guitarist.  I think Roth's "Eat
    'Em and Smile" album is also Vai's finest work.  A lot of people
    can't stand Roth and refuse to buy the album, but I think that's
    just depriving yourself of some excellent guitar work.
    
    Vai has two solo albums "Flexible" and "Flexible Leftovers" (actually
    an EP).  Flexible has just been rereleased (after being out of print
    for a year or so).  In my opinion, "Flexible" will dissapoint most
    Vai fans, but there is at least one killer instrumental on it ("The
    Attitude Song").  Anyway, I'd avoid these albums.   Most of it is
    just sorta comedic stuff he did on his home 4-track or something
    like that.
    
    I think besides the Roth album, the only other album I'm familiar
    with that I'd recommend is "Them Or Us" by Frank Zappa.  It's a
    good album in and of itself, and Vai is featured in several places,
    whereas in previous Zappa recordings, he didn't get much in the
    way of solos.
    
    I think "Eat Em and Smile" is the one to get.  Absolutely superlative
    album in terms of guitar work.
    
    	db

	Records by Cooder that I would recommend:

	BOB TILL YOU DROP 	(David Lindley on this one also)
	SHOW TIME
	RY COODER 		(his first (I believe))
	PARADISE AND LUNCH
	JAZZ
	
	There's others, but these are my favorites....

	-gary

    I think you are right that a lot of people are missing out on some
    great guitar work by "boycotting"  David lee Roth's album.  Steve
    Vai (and, let's not overlook Billy Sheehan) are truly spectacular.
    Some of the stuff tends to get a little "playful", but the guitar
    is fantastic.  Steve Vai got GP's Player of the Year this year for
    it.  Another Steve Vai album I like a lot is "Disturbing The Peace"
    by Alcatrazz, his former band.  It's a little heavier than "Crossroads"
    and David Lee Roth, but it's high-quality stuff.
         As for "Flexable", my "significant other"  likes it a lot (and
    insists on listening to it) but I think it's just plain boring.
    That means a lot coming from a real Vai enthusiast like myself.

    I have seen Vai in concert several times with Zappa. If you are
    looking for Vai albums, Check out any of the early '80's Zappa stuff.
    Vai is really the best of the "Eddie" types (for my money, Little
    Stevie can send Mr. Van Halen home crying).
    
    I am a bonafide Ry Cooder nut. Obviuosly, if you enjoyed the movie,
    I can assure you that the soundtrack is superb. Since Vai was only
    at the end of the movie, and you got into the soundtrack, I have
    a feeling that you are more interested in Cooder stuff. Especially
    his blues. He does have some non-blues type stuff out. Although
    any Cooder is good Cooder (being a fan, I recommend them all), for
    blues, RY COODER, BOOMER'S STORY, PARADISE AND LUNCH are good. For
    a real treat, check out the soundtrack to "The Long Riders". Recorded
    with authentic 1800's instruments.
    
    ben

    
    
    I'm several years behind on movies 8-(  but I finally rented Crossroads 
    last weekend. Ry Cooder's playing is great.  Nice slide work and some
    great licks.
    
    The guitar duel at the end with Steve Vai playing both parts (I assume)
    was tremendous.  I usually reach for my guitar when I see some playing on
    the tube that interests me.  Not this time.  Any resemblance between
    the way that he and I play the guitar is completely coincidental. 
    
    If I ever figure out a way to play the VCR at 1/2 speed, I'll have that
    duel with no problem. 8-)
    
    Kevin
    

	FWIW: There is a new magazine put out by Guitar World called
	Guitar School. The latest issue (Feb., Mar., ?) has a transcription
	of the duel, I believe in it's entirety. Haven't checked it's accuracy
	though...

Larry

    
    I want that transcription.

    I'm not familiar with the movie "Crossroads" but I did see the
    transcription in the 'Guitar School' magazine.
    
    What is this movie?  A concert movie or did Cooder and Vai just
    do the soundtrack for a typical flick?
    
    Mike

    The movie is a story, not a concert film.  It's about a young classical
    guitar student who is infatuated with the blues and hooks up with an
    elderly bluesman who (in the movie, pure fantasy) played with Robert
    Johnson. 
    
    Greg

    Hey, 
    	Not this Cooder conversation again ?!
    
    	I read recently in the (British) magazine 'Guitarist' that Ry
    	Cooder was aclaimed as the man behind 'Crossroad' although he
    	only composed the title theme. The main work was done by Arlen
    	Roth who composed the majority of the blues music in the film
    	the dual sequence was played by Vai and Roth but alot was also
    	played by the actor Ralph 'thingy' who was taught to play guitar
    	by Roth over a 3 month period with a 6 hour lesson per day.
    	
    	Hard to believe ?
        
    	Anyhow, Roth seemed to have an arguement over copy right and
    	fee with the producers of the film so Ry Cooder was given the
    	credit until the law courts sorted it all out during '88. So,
    	Arlen Roth is the man !
    
    Thanx ,
    Graham ...

    There is an album of the soundtrack. I picked it up a couple of
    months ago after looking far and wide. Just titled Crossroad and
    available, most likley, in the movie sound track section.
    
    

    Funny how Vai seems to gravitate towards working people whose last
    name is "Roth".
    
    	db

    Anyone know how to do a legal name change?
    
    Gregory Lee Roth (er...House)

    re: .6
    
    The magazine is called "Guitar School"?  I am having trouble locating
    it, any suggestions (sorry, I don't live in New England).
    
    Greg

    I too just rented the movie this weekend.  Other than the guitar
    work, it struggled to hold my attention until the duel at the end.
    Even my wife came in for that part :-).
    
    Only thing I have to ask is, does this mean that Classical guitarists
    are better and more versatile? :-)
    
    Mike

        
    .15 �  does this mean that Classical guitarists are better 
    .15 �  and more versatile? :-)
           
    Probably.  I am a "rock guitarist".  And have seen some technically
    pretty good players who fail to impress me that much - but I am 
    mesmerised but good classical playing.  Unfortunaly, the attempts
    at combining the two styles (al la Malmsteen and Howe) fail to impress
    me even more.           
                 
    Such is life.

>        	only composed the title theme. The main work was done by Arlen
>    	Roth who composed the majority of the blues music in the film
>    	the dual sequence was played by Vai and Roth but alot was also
>    	played by the actor Ralph 'thingy' who was taught to play guitar
>    	by Roth over a 3 month period with a 6 hour lesson per day.

    Ralph Macchio has a credit quote on the back of Arlen Roth's Acoustic
    Guitar manual, "...he taught me enough guitar to make it look like
    I knew what I was doing in 'Crossroads'".
    
    Mike    	

    Artistic License:  The way movie directors get the guitars re-tuned
    in the duel sequence so that we can go from slide to classical on
    the same tow instruments.

    Hi all,
    	Just saw the film again, and want to learn that piece....can anyone
    send me a copy of the transcription, preferably in tablature(sp?) as my
    music reading sucks.
    
    	Thanks in advance..
    
    		Roger Lane @BIO
    		Birmingham U.K

    How about putting the transcription here....or I would also like it
    mailed to me.
    
    Paul Cesak @ hso
    ushs01::cesak
    
    Thanks
    Pc