RF is a wonderful & inspiring man. not just wrt guitar playing & music. sincere & genuine. Steve, same thing. Danny is such a humble man & so nimble around his instrument for a big lad. Terry Bozzio described Danny to me thusly: "what an amazing, perpetual student & journeyman" in a conversation after an OuTrio show at the Baked Spud many moons ago. only met Ade at NAMM (briefly) once, at the EigenHarp booth. he was engaging & cordial, but the EigenHarp folk had no idea who he was. i filled them in after Ade had sauntered off elsewhere. this band would be incredible to witness. hopefully they'll come to Europe. make it so, Myles 🙏🏻 fabulous interview as always, Anthony 🤙🏻
I always find it interesting when Vai compares Zappa and Fripp. It often makes me wonder what a Zappa/Fripp pairing would have sounded like. Crimson didn't have many session musicians, even if its membership over the years effectively could, to the uninitiated, make everyone but Fripp look like a session player. Nevertheless, the King Crimson environment is a highly improvisational one, so it seems likely that Zappa in a King Crimson setting would have had a lot of his own flavor integrated into a mélange that would be equal parts Zappa and all the individual members in KC at that time. What would Zappa have looked like, as as a featured performer on a KC album with the "Red" trio? How about the full "ITCOTCK" ensemble? How about the "Discipline" era? So many totally different possibilities from these alternate realities. Zappa, of course, surrounded himself with a regularly shifting series musicians, and made a habit of highlighting individual talents - Belew doing a Bob Dylan impersonation on "Flakes" is a great example. How would Zappa have taken advantage of Robert Fripp's "particular splendor", as he's called it? Would he have written a part for Robert, and asked Robert to put his own tone/sound onto it? Would Zappa have given Fripp some chord charts and time signatures, and left it completely open for Fripp to do his own thing, as RF did on Bowie's "Heroes"? For that matter, might Zappa have written a Bowie sendup ("Captain Tom"?) for Fripp as some kind of payback for Bowie having "stolen" Adrian Belew? Would he have asked Fripp to come up with his own interlocking parts to a polymeter Zappa complication? Possibilities here, too, are really interesting. The only difference Zappa's "solo" albums have to albums with either albums from either The Mothers of Invention or Frank Zappa & The Mothers is financial (who gets paid for album sales) so far as I can tell. So I can't imagine there's be difference with RF playing on a Zappa album versus a MOI or ZATM. But RF does have a robust solo catalogue. FZ on a Soundscapes album could be really interesting - I can imagine it being its own variant within the ambient genre. But the most exciting possibility of FZ on an RF album would have come from FZ making an appearance on "Exposure" - that would be absolutely incredible. Imagine a Zappa solo in "Breathless"! Finally, there's also the possibility that these two titans could have found a place to collaborate that was independent of their prior production environments. What if, in the 70's or 80's, we had FZ/RF: Red Hot Rats, or FZ/RF: FraKCture Flake, or FZ/RF: No Warning In The Dangerous Kitchen? This seems like the most interesting pairing to me. Such a shame that we'll never know. Maybe one day Steve Vai or Mike Keneally will get together with Ade and Robert and create something akin to it. We can always hope.
It's a real bummer they're not going to play the song "Discipline"... Love to see Vai's take on all those shifting parts, plus Carey's interpretation of the 17/16 log drum thing. I wonder why? I think I heard/read somewhere that Adrian only wants to do songs that have vocals.
Ah ha! IS THAT WHAT INDICIPLINE LYRICS ARE ABOUT?..... I do remember one thing It took hours and hours By the time I was done with it I was so involved, I didn't know what to think I carried it around with me for days and days Playing little games Like not looking at it for a whole day And then, looking at it to see if I still liked it I did! The more I look at it The more I like it I do think it's good The fact is No matter how closely I study it No matter how I take it apart No matter how I break it down It remains consistant I wish you were here to see it
This is the first interview with him I've checked out. In the 80s, I was a teenager and I couldn't stand the rigidity speed guitars, though I did live groove speed guitars. It took me getting past 30 before I could let myself enjoy some of those bands, bc I was so pissed that they were successful and heard my peers say things like this stuff has everything zeppelin has but faster 🙄. Anyway, I had my hang ups being young and seeing my oldest brother get his IRS record deal squashed by lawyers from a smaller company in Minneapolis. They probably spent more than they stole from him in their lawyers. So I had a chip on my shoulder too. BTW, Peter Diggins is still one of the greatest guitarist / singer /!songwriters you'd never heard of. I'd say better than all the people mentioned here, with more and more respect as I age. If you're interested ever in Northfield, MN, see if you can catch him playing gigs at The Contented Cow. Cover anthologies from the 50s-70s with a layer of jaw drop on top. His style is completely unique and in the 90s I remember watching him scream sing melodies while wailing away melodic sweep and alternate picking and that magic thing that happens when a band gets "there" and then blasts off ✨ even further. And his only claims to fame are a writing credit on Kiss's Crazy Nights album for a guitar riff and having Yanni dis him in a book calle chameleon days, because Peter left their band for that solo career that was squashed by those evil bastards. Anyway, I'd love to catch Beat, if possible and enjoyed this interview. I like this Vai guy 💥
How Adrian Belew plays and sings at the same time on this KC material, just messes up my brain noodles! Never mind the interlocking guitars! Jeez! Mind blown!
@@MakeWeirdMusic PS: BTW, thank you for the excellent interviews (and this great channel). I'm just hoping that BEAT record and/or film the tour. (And fingers crossed that bring the tour to Manchester, UK).
The last time I saw Crimso, was in DC - 2019, on a thursday. Three days later, I saw Dweezil play Frank's music in Richmond. 🔥💙🔥 I recently saw a Zappa/ Crimson 1974 concert ticket for sale on eBay. Time machine, anyone ?
I'm with you there! I always love hearing that kind of stuff, and let's face it. if somebody played with Zappa for any substantial length of time, they probably have enough great stories for a lifetime.
@@JohnEaganMedia once you go down the Zappa rabbit hole, you understand the “conceptual continuity” especially with Vai substantially it… it’s all comes full circle with Zappa lore
That moment in this interview when Vai comments that Adrian throws some of the lines away...in my listening it's similar to jazz back phrasing. Agreed, Adrian is a two-headed singer/guitar beast.
@@MakeWeirdMusic He was always dancing about when he played (well when he was younger). Which reminds me of a Neil Peart video in which he was taking a lesson . NP was getting on and was at the top of his game. However his drum teacher, whose name I forget, told Peart to think about dancing when he was drumming.
I didn’t really get Frame By Frame as difficult until I saw the 90’s Crimson kind of laughing their way through a perfect rendition of it. To me it had just been a nice song, and I hadn’t noticed the complexity.
This is fantastic. This project is going to kick ass!. One other thing I can't wait to see as a big Vai fan, is the influence this project is going to have on Steve's music going forward :)
King Crimson’s polyrhythms are what got me to appreciate the intricacy of prog. I use it as much as I can (influenced by Crimson). Drat now I don’t appreciate 4/4
The idea Steve mentioned about Larks 3 - harmonic content honoured, with Vai being Vai with a tapping opus - sounds fantastic. Great move being the guitar buddy Steve. Loving your embracing of the material and your committed study of KC. Love Steve mentioning your friendship and including you as a musical contributor to the culture of this music , Anthony. That was cool.
I've been a fan of Robert Fripp, Crimson, Belew... for over 40 years (when Discipline came out), and I don't know Steve Vai very well, but every time I see him in an interview, it occurs to me that, really, he's a very, very nice guy. It's a pleasure to have such personalities in the music industry, and a joy to have him on Beat. Thanks for this interview 👍
Ooh, saw the short and look at this, Steve Vai talking about Robert Fripp. I only discovered your channel yesterday. You can quote me when I say "!!!!"
The bit where Steve was s talking about rushing/pulling and dragging/being behind, very interesting. I used to play with a drummer that rushed so much that we shaved several minutes off a 40 minute set. They’ve since remedied that, and has perfect time, 30 years later! Dragging, on the other hand, can be really interesting when it’s deliberate, and when a section locks back into “one,” is fun and engaging, like you’re part of winning a game!
The very first concert I attended in NYC in 1970 was King Crimson. I was forever addicted after hearing Andy McCulloch’s synthesized drum solo and the Frippisms in every composition. A dedicated fan to a one-of-a-kind band. My respect for Steve Vai has no bounds…what a talented man but humble and engaging. His interview regarding his experience with Zappa was fascinating.
This means so much to me. In a way I went to the Frank Zappa / King Crimson school of music. I learned that being disciplined with your craft is a sign of respect, maturity and skill. I never made it professionally with my music, but these life lessons burrowed deep and as an adult I am grateful to have found “High Information” music. “Will that be an aisle or a window?” 🧐
Love this talk but so distracted as always by the harmony hut. Oooh how i long to be the hermit of the harmony hut. Patching and making cables configuring equipment, preparing for sessions, cleaning tape heads and dusting and polishing everything so its a clean organized place to create.
@@MakeWeirdMusic getting approval from my Mrs. is the first step. Then I’ll reach out to Steves people. I saw him mayday and remembered to pitch my idea for a woody pia and a carbon fiber/ synthetic material pia guitar design for a companion or sister guitars the natural and unnatural series. Hopefully the idea sticks with him. Have a great week Sir
This is a great time for me. Imagine a young guy at the end of the 90s that was discovering for the first time the giants of music. Mostly I am a progressive lover, so King Crimson was on the top of the list. I started with the classics (21st, Red etc.) and then I bought the 80s trilogy, and just blew my mind. At the time there was already internet, but you could not find too many infos on the musicians, making of the album, anecdotes etc. Not like now, that you can find podcasts etc. So for so many years I listened to the music knowing not so much about the making of (and I would have liked so much to know more!). In the following years I became also a HUGE fan of Steve Vai, and fast forward... Now I am here listening to one of my favourite musicians, talking about some of my favourites records ever done. The work will be complete if they will Tour in Europe, I am crossing my fingers since the first time I heard about it (I watched live Steve 3 times, one a G3 with Fripp, and King Crimson 2 times so...) I am so thankful to people like you that makes this kind of interview. Thank you so much.
I feel so similarly. KC is one of my favorites and so is SV. Steve is the main reason I started playing guitar. Robert is one of the main reasons I continue to play.
I was introduced to KC by a friend with Discipline. At first I thought it was crazy noise, but after a few listenings-yes, something compelled me to-I became entranced! I found myself playing it almost constantly. Then Beat came out, & 3 of a Perfect Pair. I loved them all. Now have my ticket for October 15! Steve Vai is so accepting of being the back man, so to speak-he's doing Fripp, & Fripp was in a sense also a back man, so in good company Steve. I love his attitude & humility. Is amazing how Beat is selling out everywhere-too bad many won't be going who really want to. Anyway, I'm pumped to see!
Fantastic interview/discussion. The only analog for the Belew/Fripp interlocking guitar thing I know of is Television. Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine did that, albeit quite differently from Fripp/Belew.
@@MakeWeirdMusic check out Big Country's albums the Crossing and Steeltown, some brilliant celtic tinged rock they build a forest of guitars, with beautiful interlocking parts, soaring ebow melodies, achingly soulful, in a Scottish way. holy cow. so underrated. ok it's mostly 4/4 but Adamson was a genius.
Awesome interview....well done!!...that intro to Larks III with Steve Vai tapping out the harmony would sound so cool!!!! Great job again, Anthony!!!!!
Great point about Adrian's lyrical and vocal accessibility. Not simple by any means, but melodic and clear. Brings a consistency to the complex rhythms and sounds.
That's what I love about this music phenomenon: If you put a few musicians in a room and just let them have at it and jam, whole concepts can come of it, and that's kind of how Robert fripp aproached it. He asked musicians he saw something unique in, got them together, and they built on what made their individuality and combined it into one of its own! I also can't agree more, that a lot of exceptional musicians can't do it all, I can sing and play guitar pretty good, but both together? that's when I mess up and lose track of it all! Shit, If I could play like Vai, I wouldn't worry at all if I couldn't sing, play yo yo, and chew gum all at the same time, and his understanding of music theory is top freakin' notch! No need to feel inferior. Yes! If you lose track of the click, meaning you can't hear it, then you are spot on, and everyone should learn how to be that tight! Then put it aside and play the way it feels right instead, so with the off-ness of human timing based on the emotional content of the tune, and if you can keep perfect meter yourself then locking on to others human timing becomes easier. Not sure why it works (psychology is vast), but it does! In the end, if you play live or record in perfect timing, rather than in human timing, something gets lost, and that something has the most impact on your audience, and it's the human element.
An endlessly fascinating discussion! Its always extremely interesting to listen to Steve talk music. But your questions structured the interview intelligently and comprehensively to create a truly satisfying deep dive into the world of 80s King Crimson soon to be brought to life by Beat.
Wow, so awesome to hear how hard Steve is working on this music, and to hear how he approaches this music and RF's playing which such respect. So glad I jumped on tickets instantly, and so looking forward to hearing how this band approaches this great music.
Wow! Those 55 mins flew by! Great interview. As always. Couple of thoughts: - Guitar Craft tutored by Vai would be interesting. And different. And great. - Vai revisiting Allan Holdsworth's music would be equally amazing!
In the introduction, when you talk about the "Discipline Era transcription book", it almost sounds like you say "disciplinary transcription book"... like, "be good and behave yourself, or we'll make you learn all this!".
🍻 Much better! Tk. 2 was not just an honest and informative interview with no fillers, but one of the most interesting interviews I've seen! Now I understand Steve's real attitude for the project, and I'm glad that my interpretation of it was false. The smoke has cleared. Congratulations, Anthony! Level up! 🍻
I think much of 'guitar face' is people using the speech centres of their brain to play their guitar you can see that Vai is doing that - as such it's not surprising he can't use the same area of his brain to sing because he's using it to play the guitar. If he verbalised it the sound that came out would be what the guitar is playing. This is, of course, a key skill because it's where we talk about great guitarists who can make their guitar talk or sing - that's literally what they are doing - the guitar is an extension of the speech parts of their brain. Guitarists that are singing are doing something else but most likely they either have to swap between using their voice to sing and their voice to play, i.e a lot of it simply that singer/songwriters tend to be playing a more rhythmical part when they're actually singing and if they play a more melodic or singing guitar line that'll be in the gap between singing. The more rhythmic stuff, either strumming a chord or playing a repeated motif is like you can tap your foot when you singing or clap. It's similar to the idea where if you count internally by having an internal voice "speaking" the numbers "1...2....3...." etc then you can't recite the alphabet or read something out loud while counting inside your head. But if you can count internally by visualising the numbers then you can talk, read or count something else. I believe Feynman observed this. Vai seems to think (as you might) that it's some kind of extra smarts that some people have, but it's really just how you use your brain - and I'd suggest the quality of a musician who is playing strong melodies and leads with a lot of nuance and care in the articulation of each note is going to need that area of our brain that can sing actively playing the guitar. Really when you listen to King Crimson's complex polyrhythm guitar parts they are intricate in terms of rhythm and pitch, but they are like midi in terms of articulation. ruclips.net/video/Cj4y0EUlU-Y/видео.html It's like Gary Moore singing is him singing and him playing his leads is singing too - and he does one then the other, he's not doing both at the same time live barring perhaps a bit of overlap of a sustained note. His singing is generally accompanied by him strumming a rhythm. Obviously this idea that we use our singing voice to play the guitar is why we have so many guitarists like Belew, Moore, Green etc who can sing so well - perhaps better than they can play the guitar, ironically, given that they're famed for playing the guitar but, you know, Zappa hired Belew after hearing him sing and to sing. He'd failed the audition on his guitar playing alone - kudos though he worked really hard to get guitar chops and he's very creative with effects to get interesting guitar sounds. You should perhaps be suspicious of your guitar playing if you think you can't sing because if you can make a guitar sing and your bends are all in pitch then you can sing and it's most likely the physical aspects of it you're getting wrong if your singing sounds bad - whereas if you can't sing in tune it may well be that you can't play the guitar in tune either and there's obviously a ton of shredders who if they spoke would sound like that kid in class who stands up to read and is completely monosyllabic. Belew's playing had more character and voice at times too he's very creative at making noises I guess (and his singing voice is sublime) he's not playing a complex singing melodic part when he sings, he plays rhythmically and generally a repeated motif and that's like tapping your fingers on the desk or tapping your foot while you talk - and there's a lot of that in the KC 80s stuff.
21:45 Steve Vai's assessment of Bill Bruford's drumming in the 1980s: "Bill had what I call nice warm loose edges, he wasn't very rigid.... [his lines] they're blurred, but they're warm. They're not awkward. And I like that about Bill."
I love Robert Fripp and Steve Vai! I also consider the collaboration of Andy Summers and Robert Fripp, as one of the greatest happenings in the history of music.
I am absolutely PRAYING that they play some of their older stuff from the 70s just like they did in their 80s live shows, but even if they don’t this show will knock the minds outta people!
Love the subject matter discussed @1810 ...really goes to show you how important it is for music to make you wanna shake your butt...really...if you're not moving dat ass around the music MAY be missing something. If your a prog head (indeed I am) but you're unable to appreciate Motown then you're missing a vital element in your growth of music appreciation. Grab hold !
First heard Beat, Discipline and Three of a Perfect pair on LSD back in the '80s. Well, that changed things a bit! Oh man. Love you guys. There is no box! God bless you Steve. Rip it up kiddo.
Belew is one of the greats. Many srtists let him walk. Fuck them . I love Bowie, Zappa ect... thr Heads... he added , punched up the game. Big Electric Cat
I'm inspired that even the great Vai is taking many months in advance to deeply learn this material. Not just a technician, but respect for the feel & depth of the music.
When a master guitar player speaks with so much humility and respect about another player-Fripp-you know that Fripp is something special.
Steve, you are very articulate. I enjoyed all of your stories.
Great interview! Thank you so much for not interrupting Steve ... thank you for letting him talk. Can't wait to see Beat in October in DC!
RF is a wonderful & inspiring man. not just wrt guitar playing & music. sincere & genuine.
Steve, same thing. Danny is such a humble man & so nimble around his instrument for a big lad. Terry Bozzio described Danny to me thusly: "what an amazing, perpetual student & journeyman" in a conversation after an OuTrio show at the Baked Spud many moons ago.
only met Ade at NAMM (briefly) once, at the EigenHarp booth. he was engaging & cordial, but the EigenHarp folk had no idea who he was. i filled them in after Ade had sauntered off elsewhere.
this band would be incredible to witness. hopefully they'll come to Europe. make it so, Myles 🙏🏻
fabulous interview as always, Anthony 🤙🏻
They're all great
@@MakeWeirdMusic
they are what they is 😉
Poly-meters…? Gentle Giant!
👏
Foxtrot, Super’s Ready 9/8?!
😊
Have you watched our GG content/interviews?
I always find it interesting when Vai compares Zappa and Fripp. It often makes me wonder what a Zappa/Fripp pairing would have sounded like.
Crimson didn't have many session musicians, even if its membership over the years effectively could, to the uninitiated, make everyone but Fripp look like a session player. Nevertheless, the King Crimson environment is a highly improvisational one, so it seems likely that Zappa in a King Crimson setting would have had a lot of his own flavor integrated into a mélange that would be equal parts Zappa and all the individual members in KC at that time. What would Zappa have looked like, as as a featured performer on a KC album with the "Red" trio? How about the full "ITCOTCK" ensemble? How about the "Discipline" era? So many totally different possibilities from these alternate realities.
Zappa, of course, surrounded himself with a regularly shifting series musicians, and made a habit of highlighting individual talents - Belew doing a Bob Dylan impersonation on "Flakes" is a great example. How would Zappa have taken advantage of Robert Fripp's "particular splendor", as he's called it? Would he have written a part for Robert, and asked Robert to put his own tone/sound onto it? Would Zappa have given Fripp some chord charts and time signatures, and left it completely open for Fripp to do his own thing, as RF did on Bowie's "Heroes"? For that matter, might Zappa have written a Bowie sendup ("Captain Tom"?) for Fripp as some kind of payback for Bowie having "stolen" Adrian Belew? Would he have asked Fripp to come up with his own interlocking parts to a polymeter Zappa complication? Possibilities here, too, are really interesting.
The only difference Zappa's "solo" albums have to albums with either albums from either The Mothers of Invention or Frank Zappa & The Mothers is financial (who gets paid for album sales) so far as I can tell. So I can't imagine there's be difference with RF playing on a Zappa album versus a MOI or ZATM.
But RF does have a robust solo catalogue. FZ on a Soundscapes album could be really interesting - I can imagine it being its own variant within the ambient genre. But the most exciting possibility of FZ on an RF album would have come from FZ making an appearance on "Exposure" - that would be absolutely incredible. Imagine a Zappa solo in "Breathless"!
Finally, there's also the possibility that these two titans could have found a place to collaborate that was independent of their prior production environments. What if, in the 70's or 80's, we had FZ/RF: Red Hot Rats, or FZ/RF: FraKCture Flake, or FZ/RF: No Warning In The Dangerous Kitchen? This seems like the most interesting pairing to me.
Such a shame that we'll never know. Maybe one day Steve Vai or Mike Keneally will get together with Ade and Robert and create something akin to it.
We can always hope.
Robert Fripp is the Cheerful Insanity!!🙏❤️
I think Steve Reich is a big influence in KC music...
And/Or Philip Glass. Yep.
It's a real bummer they're not going to play the song "Discipline"... Love to see Vai's take on all those shifting parts, plus Carey's interpretation of the 17/16 log drum thing. I wonder why? I think I heard/read somewhere that Adrian only wants to do songs that have vocals.
The set list today is probably not the set list forever. Let’s see how it goes
🔥
So inspiring and music deep talk at its best…a bit like „Pablo held investigates series“…German piano player and composer…checked him out!🙌🏻😎
Nice to hear such a talented musician talk with humility and utter joy about the upcoming project. Hope i can hear BEAT in UK
Discipline, Beat & Three of a Perfect Pair were all 50 years ahead of their time 40 years ago.
That is a great way to put it!
My favorite version of Crim.
Time will tell, but if I had to bet, my money is on people never catching up; KC was ahead of their time and all other times, imo.
AMEN!
Popular music has mostly regressed, so KC is now 90 years ahead of their time.
We should never forget how priveligied we are to have King Crimson's music. One of the greatest and most idiosyncratic bands ever!
Completely agree. How wonderful is it that we can have Adrian and Tony in this lineup, too!
@@MakeWeirdMusic absolutely!
Agreed. The complete corpus is in itself a years long series of lessons in composition, orchestration, mixing, performance.
Ah ha! IS THAT WHAT INDICIPLINE LYRICS ARE ABOUT?.....
I do remember one thing
It took hours and hours
By the time I was done with it
I was so involved, I didn't know what to think
I carried it around with me for days and days
Playing little games
Like not looking at it for a whole day
And then, looking at it to see if I still liked it
I did!
The more I look at it
The more I like it
I do think it's good
The fact is
No matter how closely I study it
No matter how I take it apart
No matter how I break it down
It remains consistant
I wish you were here to see it
Sure buddy.... whatever
Steve is such a nice guy.
Humble genius, for sure
@astiagogocannot disagree more
@astiagogohaha! I get that reference
This is the first interview with him I've checked out. In the 80s, I was a teenager and I couldn't stand the rigidity speed guitars, though I did live groove speed guitars. It took me getting past 30 before I could let myself enjoy some of those bands, bc I was so pissed that they were successful and heard my peers say things like this stuff has everything zeppelin has but faster 🙄. Anyway, I had my hang ups being young and seeing my oldest brother get his IRS record deal squashed by lawyers from a smaller company in Minneapolis. They probably spent more than they stole from him in their lawyers. So I had a chip on my shoulder too. BTW, Peter Diggins is still one of the greatest guitarist / singer /!songwriters you'd never heard of. I'd say better than all the people mentioned here, with more and more respect as I age. If you're interested ever in Northfield, MN, see if you can catch him playing gigs at The Contented Cow. Cover anthologies from the 50s-70s with a layer of jaw drop on top. His style is completely unique and in the 90s I remember watching him scream sing melodies while wailing away melodic sweep and alternate picking and that magic thing that happens when a band gets "there" and then blasts off ✨ even further. And his only claims to fame are a writing credit on Kiss's Crazy Nights album for a guitar riff and having Yanni dis him in a book calle chameleon days, because Peter left their band for that solo career that was squashed by those evil bastards. Anyway, I'd love to catch Beat, if possible and enjoyed this interview. I like this Vai guy 💥
@astiagogo
I have children sleeping!
Steve Vai is an excellent choice for the Beat band!
Agreed
Anyone only has to listen to Requiem to understand that he was the obvious and only choice
Vai is such a sweet guy. Love the FZ stories!
How Adrian Belew plays and sings at the same time on this KC material, just messes up my brain noodles! Never mind the interlocking guitars! Jeez! Mind blown!
Right?!
@@MakeWeirdMusic PS: BTW, thank you for the excellent interviews (and this great channel).
I'm just hoping that BEAT record and/or film the tour. (And fingers crossed that bring the tour to Manchester, UK).
I love all the Zappa tidbits that Steve Vai always manages to share with the audience ❤
Me too
He’s helping keep him and his music alive.
The last time I saw Crimso, was in DC - 2019, on a thursday. Three days later, I saw Dweezil play Frank's music in Richmond. 🔥💙🔥 I recently saw a Zappa/ Crimson 1974 concert ticket for sale on eBay. Time machine, anyone ?
I'm with you there! I always love hearing that kind of stuff, and let's face it. if somebody played with Zappa for any substantial length of time, they probably have enough great stories for a lifetime.
@@JohnEaganMedia once you go down the Zappa rabbit hole, you understand the “conceptual continuity” especially with Vai substantially it… it’s all comes full circle with Zappa lore
For the life of me I can’t even begin to comprehend how Adrian sings over his Crim guitar parts…can’t wait for this line up
Adrian is, as Steve said, "a freak of nature"
Agreed, totally insane, and he makes it looks easy.
If Adrian's playing Robert's parts - that would be, perhaps, impossible to sing like that
He's also a fantastic singer. I love his sense of phrasing and dynamics. That's not even getting into his lyrical talents.
That moment in this interview when Vai comments that Adrian throws some of the lines away...in my listening it's similar to jazz back phrasing. Agreed, Adrian is a two-headed singer/guitar beast.
Vai nails Bruford's feel here. It's very hard to explain how he sat in the music.
I agree. Steve is a master listener
Adrian is always smiling and laughing when he plays. Nuff said.
I love watching him play. He is always having fun
@@MakeWeirdMusic He was always dancing about when he played (well when he was younger). Which reminds me of a Neil Peart video in which he was taking a lesson . NP was getting on and was at the top of his game. However his drum teacher, whose name I forget, told Peart to think about dancing when he was drumming.
I love his joy when he plays. Part of the reason my oldest son is named Adrian.
I didn’t really get Frame By Frame as difficult until I saw the 90’s Crimson kind of laughing their way through a perfect rendition of it. To me it had just been a nice song, and I hadn’t noticed the complexity.
What about Europe? Come on guys, pleeeeeeeeeease! Everybody is waiting for you!
Like Steve said, you never know!?
It SO GOOD to hear Steve Vai now say he might not be able to learn some of that stuff... How can one get so high and be so humble about it
Steve has always been and always will be a student of the guitar and music. He loves learning!
This is fantastic. This project is going to kick ass!. One other thing I can't wait to see as a big Vai fan, is the influence this project is going to have on Steve's music going forward :)
I know, right?!
Riiiiight??!!
seriously! I'm so excited. hope they release a dvd of this tour.
@@MobiusBandwidth Yes! A dvd. Unfortunately it will be impossible for me to see one of the shows live.
Tony is an incredible musician and a very nice person.
Agreed. We’ve done a few interviews with him
vai seems so chill. he has really grown on me, now i just want o hang out and chat around dinner.
Getting better with age!
Steve Vai is so eloquent in his answers. Love it.
He really is. I love it
Those three albums are timeless
Dang
Over $300 per ticket in the nose bleed section at the venue near me. I truly hope a live album is released…
Yeah, it's hard to get an affordable ticket at this point.
I love all eras of Crimson and have enjoyed Adrien’s music for over 40 years. I’ll take a live recording to enjoy again and again.
The prices really seem to vary a lot depending on the venue. You might check some of the new dates in cities you could reasonably get to.
They should put a chair on the right side of the stage as a nod to Robert.
In the dark
A photographer aiming a camera
King Crimson’s polyrhythms are what got me to appreciate the intricacy of prog. I use it as much as I can (influenced by Crimson). Drat now I don’t appreciate 4/4
The idea Steve mentioned about Larks 3 - harmonic content honoured, with Vai being Vai with a tapping opus - sounds fantastic. Great move being the guitar buddy Steve. Loving your embracing of the material and your committed study of KC.
Love Steve mentioning your friendship and including you as a musical contributor to the culture of this music , Anthony. That was cool.
Thank you, Jules! I hope he can pull of the new intro!
what a generous offering of musical knowledge! thank you, mr Vai.
I've been a fan of Robert Fripp, Crimson, Belew... for over 40 years (when Discipline came out), and I don't know Steve Vai very well, but every time I see him in an interview, it occurs to me that, really, he's a very, very nice guy. It's a pleasure to have such personalities in the music industry, and a joy to have him on Beat. Thanks for this interview 👍
You're welcome
Awesome interview man. Steve rules! I’ll be seeing Beat in San Jose in September. Haven’t been this stoked about a show in a long time!
I can't wait for the show in Phoenix! Glad you got tickets. That one sold out quickly!
The reimagining of the Beat era with a "VAI" interpretation is going to be epic
Totally agree
"My job is easy". . .yes, because you're Steve Vai. Lol
Haha, yeah, but that could make it harder
🤣
I think Adrian took his Talking Heads experience and shared it with King Crimson. Gave them a different voice.
Do not forget that RF also worked with Talking Heads, producing and playing on Fear of Music.
Every experience changes us, but Adrian would be Adrian even without Talking Heads
Ooh, saw the short and look at this, Steve Vai talking about Robert Fripp. I only discovered your channel yesterday. You can quote me when I say "!!!!"
This is part 2, too! Check out part 1 :)
Thanks for watching
The bit where Steve was s talking about rushing/pulling and dragging/being behind, very interesting. I used to play with a drummer that rushed so much that we shaved several minutes off a 40 minute set. They’ve since remedied that, and has perfect time, 30 years later!
Dragging, on the other hand, can be really interesting when it’s deliberate, and when a section locks back into “one,” is fun and engaging, like you’re part of winning a game!
Nothing like working with a great drummer who keeps time well. Thanks for your constant support Sharon!
The very first concert I attended in NYC in 1970 was King Crimson. I was forever addicted after hearing Andy McCulloch’s synthesized drum solo and the Frippisms in every composition. A dedicated fan to a one-of-a-kind band. My respect for Steve Vai has no bounds…what a talented man but humble and engaging. His interview regarding his experience with Zappa was fascinating.
😊
I have 8th row orchestra seats in front of Vai for the Reading PA show, and I CAN'T WAIT. THESE 4 ARE BRILLIANT.
🙌💥
This means so much to me. In a way I went to the Frank Zappa / King Crimson school of music. I learned that being disciplined with your craft is a sign of respect, maturity and skill. I never made it professionally with my music, but these life lessons burrowed deep and as an adult I am grateful to have found “High Information” music.
“Will that be an aisle or a window?” 🧐
Man! Can't wait to hear and see this lineup! 🔥👍
Fripp had the book , the layout, fripp found, heard Adrian's input and resched out. And Crimson revival began
Polymeter... us on the street called whatever it was ... rubberband music.
Love this talk but so distracted as always by the harmony hut. Oooh how i long to be the hermit of the harmony hut. Patching and making cables configuring equipment, preparing for sessions, cleaning tape heads and dusting and polishing everything so its a clean organized place to create.
You should talk to his engineer, Greg Wurth!
11:03 im like that, it’s like pissing and sneezing ones gotta stop . At least for me.
@@MakeWeirdMusic getting approval from my Mrs. is the first step. Then I’ll reach out to Steves people.
I saw him mayday and remembered to pitch my idea for a woody pia and a carbon fiber/ synthetic material pia guitar design for a companion or sister guitars the natural and unnatural series. Hopefully the idea sticks with him.
Have a great week Sir
This is a great time for me. Imagine a young guy at the end of the 90s that was discovering for the first time the giants of music. Mostly I am a progressive lover, so King Crimson was on the top of the list. I started with the classics (21st, Red etc.) and then I bought the 80s trilogy, and just blew my mind. At the time there was already internet, but you could not find too many infos on the musicians, making of the album, anecdotes etc. Not like now, that you can find podcasts etc. So for so many years I listened to the music knowing not so much about the making of (and I would have liked so much to know more!). In the following years I became also a HUGE fan of Steve Vai, and fast forward... Now I am here listening to one of my favourite musicians, talking about some of my favourites records ever done. The work will be complete if they will Tour in Europe, I am crossing my fingers since the first time I heard about it (I watched live Steve 3 times, one a G3 with Fripp, and King Crimson 2 times so...)
I am so thankful to people like you that makes this kind of interview. Thank you so much.
I feel so similarly. KC is one of my favorites and so is SV. Steve is the main reason I started playing guitar. Robert is one of the main reasons I continue to play.
@@MakeWeirdMusic you know what is kind of funny? I am a keyboard player.
Wild! What amazes me is when non-musicians like this music. They are a minority.
He’s such a cool person. Got my tickets for November :)
Fripp and Eno... zappa im not so sure.. zappa is ,was the best show ive ever seen. I seen more than imagined.
Oh man that is sooooo interesting…to all crimson guitar drum an musiclovers…biiiiiig big thank you!!!🙌🏻🙌🏻😎😎💥🔥❤️❤️❤️❤️
Great video Anthony! Hope you’re well..
Thank you, Kyle
I dream that this guys hit it off and write some original music. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I was introduced to KC by a friend with Discipline. At first I thought it was crazy noise, but after a few listenings-yes, something compelled me to-I became entranced! I found myself playing it almost constantly. Then Beat came out, & 3 of a Perfect Pair. I loved them all. Now have my ticket for October 15! Steve Vai is so accepting of being the back man, so to speak-he's doing Fripp, & Fripp was in a sense also a back man, so in good company Steve. I love his attitude & humility. Is amazing how Beat is selling out everywhere-too bad many won't be going who really want to. Anyway, I'm pumped to see!
Fantastic interview/discussion. The only analog for the Belew/Fripp interlocking guitar thing I know of is Television. Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine did that, albeit quite differently from Fripp/Belew.
I'll have to check that out!
I thought that straight away. Marquee Moon is amazing!
@@MakeWeirdMusic check out Big Country's albums the Crossing and Steeltown, some brilliant celtic tinged rock they build a forest of guitars, with beautiful interlocking parts, soaring ebow melodies, achingly soulful, in a Scottish way. holy cow. so underrated. ok it's mostly 4/4 but Adamson was a genius.
Awesome interview....well done!!...that intro to Larks III with Steve Vai tapping out the harmony would sound so cool!!!! Great job again, Anthony!!!!!
I kinda hope he finds the time to make it work because I would kill to see it!
2025....PLEASE COME TO EUROPE !!!
PLEASE record the shows , or even better come to the UK :)
To France too
Great point about Adrian's lyrical and vocal accessibility. Not simple by any means, but melodic and clear. Brings a consistency to the complex rhythms and sounds.
Discipline not on the set list 😓 still very excited about that project - hope they tour Europe, too!
Same!
What are these guys doing, playing with Steve Vai? He played with Zappa. Everybody knows there's no coming back from that.
Something new and different. Nothing wrong with that.
Belew also played with Zappa. The chemistry with Vai may be astounding ... or opposite! Given they're both good lads, I'm betting on the former.
That's what I love about this music phenomenon: If you put a few musicians in a room and just let them have at it and jam, whole concepts can come of it, and that's kind of how Robert fripp aproached it. He asked musicians he saw something unique in, got them together, and they built on what made their individuality and combined it into one of its own!
I also can't agree more, that a lot of exceptional musicians can't do it all, I can sing and play guitar pretty good, but both together? that's when I mess up and lose track of it all! Shit, If I could play like Vai, I wouldn't worry at all if I couldn't sing, play yo yo, and chew gum all at the same time, and his understanding of music theory is top freakin' notch! No need to feel inferior.
Yes! If you lose track of the click, meaning you can't hear it, then you are spot on, and everyone should learn how to be that tight! Then put it aside and play the way it feels right instead, so with the off-ness of human timing based on the emotional content of the tune, and if you can keep perfect meter yourself then locking on to others human timing becomes easier. Not sure why it works (psychology is vast), but it does! In the end, if you play live or record in perfect timing, rather than in human timing, something gets lost, and that something has the most impact on your audience, and it's the human element.
Love you, Steve. So happy you’re so happy with this gig. The world can’t wait!
An endlessly fascinating discussion! Its always extremely interesting to listen to Steve talk music. But your questions structured the interview intelligently and comprehensively to create a truly satisfying deep dive into the world of 80s King Crimson soon to be brought to life by Beat.
I’m a lifelong fan and I’ve studied this music very deeply. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to talk to Steve about it.
Wow, so awesome to hear how hard Steve is working on this music, and to hear how he approaches this music and RF's playing which such respect. So glad I jumped on tickets instantly, and so looking forward to hearing how this band approaches this great music.
I think it's gonna be a very dynamite show
Hasn't Bill Bruford been in retirement for years? Hell, I'd go see them just for him.
Wow! Those 55 mins flew by! Great interview. As always.
Couple of thoughts:
- Guitar Craft tutored by Vai would be interesting. And different. And great.
- Vai revisiting Allan Holdsworth's music would be equally amazing!
Oh man, I agree. Also, I have a new video about Steve and Holdsworth. I totally forgot about it! Thanks for the reminder
Fripp with D Sylvian period was also very interesting.
This is really great! Thanks so much for giving us a peek into you guys' world.
So glad you liked it, Andre!
In the introduction, when you talk about the "Discipline Era transcription book", it almost sounds like you say "disciplinary transcription book"... like, "be good and behave yourself, or we'll make you learn all this!".
Now I’m going to think of Austin Powers: “Oh, behaaave.”
Great to hear and learn from Steve’s eloquent knowlegable analysis of KC konstructs which I first experienced in ‘72, loved since. UK visit please
He hears the rubberband.
🍻 Much better! Tk. 2 was not just an honest and informative interview with no fillers, but one of the most interesting interviews I've seen! Now I understand Steve's real attitude for the project, and I'm glad that my interpretation of it was false. The smoke has cleared. Congratulations, Anthony! Level up! 🍻
So glad you enjoyed it, Eugene! I seem to recall you were bothered in one of my previous videos.
I think much of 'guitar face' is people using the speech centres of their brain to play their guitar you can see that Vai is doing that - as such it's not surprising he can't use the same area of his brain to sing because he's using it to play the guitar. If he verbalised it the sound that came out would be what the guitar is playing. This is, of course, a key skill because it's where we talk about great guitarists who can make their guitar talk or sing - that's literally what they are doing - the guitar is an extension of the speech parts of their brain.
Guitarists that are singing are doing something else but most likely they either have to swap between using their voice to sing and their voice to play, i.e a lot of it simply that singer/songwriters tend to be playing a more rhythmical part when they're actually singing and if they play a more melodic or singing guitar line that'll be in the gap between singing. The more rhythmic stuff, either strumming a chord or playing a repeated motif is like you can tap your foot when you singing or clap.
It's similar to the idea where if you count internally by having an internal voice "speaking" the numbers "1...2....3...." etc then you can't recite the alphabet or read something out loud while counting inside your head. But if you can count internally by visualising the numbers then you can talk, read or count something else. I believe Feynman observed this. Vai seems to think (as you might) that it's some kind of extra smarts that some people have, but it's really just how you use your brain - and I'd suggest the quality of a musician who is playing strong melodies and leads with a lot of nuance and care in the articulation of each note is going to need that area of our brain that can sing actively playing the guitar. Really when you listen to King Crimson's complex polyrhythm guitar parts they are intricate in terms of rhythm and pitch, but they are like midi in terms of articulation. ruclips.net/video/Cj4y0EUlU-Y/видео.html
It's like Gary Moore singing is him singing and him playing his leads is singing too - and he does one then the other, he's not doing both at the same time live barring perhaps a bit of overlap of a sustained note. His singing is generally accompanied by him strumming a rhythm. Obviously this idea that we use our singing voice to play the guitar is why we have so many guitarists like Belew, Moore, Green etc who can sing so well - perhaps better than they can play the guitar, ironically, given that they're famed for playing the guitar but, you know, Zappa hired Belew after hearing him sing and to sing. He'd failed the audition on his guitar playing alone - kudos though he worked really hard to get guitar chops and he's very creative with effects to get interesting guitar sounds. You should perhaps be suspicious of your guitar playing if you think you can't sing because if you can make a guitar sing and your bends are all in pitch then you can sing and it's most likely the physical aspects of it you're getting wrong if your singing sounds bad - whereas if you can't sing in tune it may well be that you can't play the guitar in tune either and there's obviously a ton of shredders who if they spoke would sound like that kid in class who stands up to read and is completely monosyllabic.
Belew's playing had more character and voice at times too he's very creative at making noises I guess (and his singing voice is sublime) he's not playing a complex singing melodic part when he sings, he plays rhythmically and generally a repeated motif and that's like tapping your fingers on the desk or tapping your foot while you talk - and there's a lot of that in the KC 80s stuff.
That is some interesting commentary!
Great interview, thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@MakeWeirdMusic You definitely draw out the passion in the person
Discipline exploded my fragile egg shaped 13
Year old mind
Thank you so much for this series and this wonderful conversation with Vai. In-depth and intelligent and a real teaser for the Beat tour!
Check out the new Tony Levin videos I recently uploaded, too. Thanks!
21:45 Steve Vai's assessment of Bill Bruford's drumming in the 1980s: "Bill had what I call nice warm loose edges, he wasn't very rigid.... [his lines] they're blurred, but they're warm. They're not awkward. And I like that about Bill."
Playing a Fripp part in Vai hammer-on instead of Fripp shredding sounds amazing. I'm so looking forward to seeing you.
No DEATH METAL ☝️ More beautiful than beautiful ☝️😁
Sad to hear the track Discipline isn’t on their setlist
I hope we can still enjoy the show! :)
@@MakeWeirdMusic of course, it’s just that track is so iconic. I never realized the extent of things until I got a copy of The Book. 🙏🏼
Steve is such a good guy. Your modesty and humility are inspiring. What a great musician and human!
Hopefully we will get an album out of this. Live or studio. Either will do.
Hopefully a blu ray!
I have my tickets for the Montreal show on October 17th, I just can’t wait…
Gonna be great! I’m seeing them in Phoenix
I love Robert Fripp and Steve Vai! I also consider the collaboration of Andy Summers and Robert Fripp, as one of the greatest happenings in the history of music.
I need to dig into their collabs more. I never really listened to them.
@@MakeWeirdMusic 😉👍
@@MakeWeirdMusicthe first album of Summers/Fripp is great. A third album is coming out soon from what Andy Summers said recently.
“I don’t have a guitar around”…
Steve Vai - 🤣🤣🤣🤣
We love you Steve!
My wife and I will be in
Attendance at the Ryman
In Nashville on October 28th…
It's funny, there's about 10 headstocks in the background, but I don't think any of them are normal guitars.
Brilliant interview
Wow
Excited about this tour!
Me too. Thanks!
Who else thought that Les Claypool would have been a good addition if Tony wasn’t available?
Hah! That's a good suggestion
He's surely taling about Big Swifty at the beginning... Makes you think, how much trouble every day just to get your groovy tune...
This is so great . I can’t wait to see this live 🎉
I am absolutely PRAYING that they play some of their older stuff from the 70s just like they did in their 80s live shows, but even if they don’t this show will knock the minds outta people!
Up to Robert, bill and David
Larks 3 intro is pure Robert and completely insane.
Totally insane
Fripp is
totally underrated. He has an incredible style all his own.
100%
Love the subject matter discussed @1810 ...really goes to show you how important it is for music to make you wanna shake your butt...really...if you're not moving dat ass around the music MAY be missing something. If your a prog head (indeed I am) but you're unable to appreciate Motown then you're missing a vital element in your growth of music appreciation. Grab hold !
Frame by frame, death by drowning in your arms - analysis 🎸⚡️🎶💕
First heard Beat, Discipline and Three of a Perfect pair on LSD back in the '80s. Well, that changed things a bit! Oh man. Love you guys. There is no box! God bless you Steve. Rip it up kiddo.
So funny that he seems surprised about being asked if he'll sit while playing.
After two tours with Robert nonetheless haha
51:27 "i don't have a guitar around." there's 4 behind his right shoulder. 😂
Hahaha, I thought that too, but then I looked at the headstocks. There's an electric sitar, a bass guitar, an acoustic...
Belew is one of the greats. Many srtists let him walk. Fuck them . I love Bowie, Zappa ect... thr Heads... he added , punched up the game. Big Electric Cat
So thankful for this video and the previous. I feel better it's not just me having a hard time learning these tunes!
Oh man, we should talk!
I'm inspired that even the great Vai is taking many months in advance to deeply learn this material. Not just a technician, but respect for the feel & depth of the music.