I was about seven or eight years old when I first heard West Side Story, and it had a huge impact on me. If you look at the elements of that record, it contains many of the things I enjoy doing today. Steve Vai Read Quote
I have a deep love for life and my fellow human beings. I try to understand everything that everybody does, even if it seems wrong to me. Steve Vai Read Quote
I designed a guitar for Ibanez and then they started manufacturing it – it’s called the Jem – it’s 26 years old and I still play it. As a kid I liked Les Pauls and Strats, but they had limitations for the kind of playing I wanted to do. Steve Vai Read Quote
The blues scale was the first thing I learned. It’s just a pentatonic scale with a flat seventh and a few notes that sound cool when you bend them. And because people have amalgamated the blues into this rock-blues scale, if you’re using it, you better sound like a real authentic blues player. Steve Vai Read Quote
I didn’t have any aspirations of becoming famous or successful; in fact I was scared to death of all that. I remember somebody once said that if a rock musician goes on tour, he goes insane. I was very impressionable and I carried this useless weight of fear around with me about going on tour, all because of this thing somebody said. Steve Vai Read Quote
As far as Deep Purple goes, I mean, they’re iconic. Their contribution is unquantifiable, and as far as the politics involved in things like awards, you know, I don’t think anything, because I know what they mean to me, and I know what they mean to the people who like them. Awards are very politically based. Steve Vai Read Quote
Still to this day, I am deeply satisfied when watching a guitar player who is connected with their art and instrument. GuitarTV helps you tap into that connection, and to each other. Steve Vai Read Quote
I think every artist subconsciously wants to evolve themselves. Sometimes they get stuck in ruts because of pop culture, peer pressure, stuff like that. But what excites me most is exploring my own musical insights and expanding upon them. Steve Vai Read Quote
Favored Nations is a long-term commitment. Our hope is that those who are passionate about real musicianship will want to hear and own most of our albums. We will set out to attain the same direct relationship with our customers that we have with our artists. Steve Vai Read Quote
