ALCATRAZZ

[Muddyhandz]

In case you've never heard of them, two of the world's greatest guitarist's started in this band.
I would like to know what you think......
Who was better with Alcatrazz? Not who is a better guitarist because they're both legends!

Unfortunately there's a lack of material on the net maybe due to copy write and it's tough a get fair comparison.
Also, the best album is "No parole for rock'n'roll" in which Malmsteen is a part of and the later albums with Steve Vai are over-synthesized and not as good.
Plus, in defense of Steve, he is mostly doing solos that Yngwie wrote and doesn't get to shine with his own material as much.

Here's the first big Japanese concert with Malmsteen........



*At 22:04 is the song "Kree Nakoorie" which is followed by a wicked solo!
Edit# You have to click the you-tube icon in the bottom right hand corner to see the video #

The next concert is back in Japan with Steve Vai.......



*At 49:40 is "Suffer me" which was originally done with Yngwie but Steve does his own thing. Graham Bonnet's vocals are way better in this concert IMO.

If you find any material with either one of these guitarist's playing with Alcatrazz, please add it here!

Who do you like better?

 

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[Muddyhandz]

Well, I give up! I can't find enough Vai material to give him a fair chance.

These are the only official music videos I could find....





You would think there's a video for "Jet to Jet" as it should have been a bigger hit but nada!

This is the only one with Steve that I could find.....

I thought there was a few better tracks on "Disturbing the peace" but not on you-tube.

Oh well, I have to cast my vote for Yngwie even though I'm a fan of Steve Vai.
I could change the question to "who's the better guitarist overall" to make things more interesting?
Or we can just let this fade away into the netherworld like most of my threads.

 

[Muddyhandz]

The best version of "Jet to Jet" I could find is when Yngwie returned to Japan a year later with his new band "Rising Force"

 

[Oregon Viking]

Steve is playing songs written by ing vay (so people won't call him yang wee) So he was limited as to what he could do. The songs were already written if he added/changed them it wouldn't song the same. Kinda....KINDA I say like Vinnie Vincent in Kiss. He was not allowed to play what he wanted . Gene said that's to fast...
I like Yngwie more in any situation. Sure Steve Vai recorded/toured with Frank Zappa, was in David Lee Roth's band, Was in Whitesnake, and had a great solo career. I really like Yngwie's Neoclassical metal style.

Now that I look...I don't have any Alcatrazz! I even went through those big frisbee looking things that flop around and wont fit in the CD player....

 

[Oregon Viking]

Steve Vai used this in "Crossroads" It is considered one of the "Holy Grail" guitars. I'am trying to build a replica, because the hard Rock Cafe in Biloxi won't give me the original!

 

[Muddyhandz]

That there my friend, is why I'm a Steve Vai fan. I don't really care for his involvement in Alcatrazz, Whitesnake, and David Lee Roth.

Not the best albums IMO and Frank Zappa could play a mean guitar in his own rite!

His solo stuff is great when one is in the mood for instrumentals but I've had my fill of that kind of music after owning a handful of Satriani albums years ago.

For me it's that guitar up above and the movie I saw dozens of times growing up in the 80's.......



But I also am a big fan of Ry Cooder who did most of the bluesy guitar riffs and Sonny Terry who did all of Blind Dog's harmonica.

Break it down and I'm more of a Crossroads fan than a Steve Vai fan!

I don't see why the Hard Rock Cafe couldn't give you that guitar for your rec room!

 

[Oregon Viking]

That there my friend, is why I'm a Steve Vai fan. I don't really care for his involvement in Alcatrazz, Whitesnake, and David Lee Roth.

Not the best albums IMO and Frank Zappa could play a mean guitar in his own rite!

His solo stuff is great when one is in the mood for instrumentals but I've had my fill of that kind of music after owning a handful of Satriani albums years ago.

For me it's that guitar up above and the movie I saw dozens of times growing up in the 80's.......



But I also am a big fan of Ry Cooder who did most of the bluesy guitar riffs and Sonny Terry who did all of Blind Dog's harmonica.

Break it down and I'm more of a Crossroads fan than a Steve Vai fan!

I don't see why the Hard Rock Cafe couldn't give you that guitar for your rec room!

I contacted Jackson's custom shop...2 year wait and lots of money.....no thanks. I'am trying to build a replica. USA Jackson parts ain't cheap!! I would play it ALOT! That's not the guitar he actually played for the movie, according to Vai himself the guitar that became green meanie was used. (a Charvel borrowed from Grover Jackson and never returned)...

 

[Captain Caveman]

Who was better with Alcatrazz?

I don't have an answer for this question. However, I always enjoyed Alcatrazz. And though I can't remember the name of any of their albums, I did have one (or two?) of them. Good stuff.

 

[rodoconnor]

O.V., that is pretty narrow minded of the Hard Rock Cafe

 

[Oregon Viking]

O.V., that is pretty narrow minded of the Hard Rock Cafe

I agree...guitars are made to be played, not stuck behind a piece of glass....