SHRED WEEK: The Attitude Song by Steve Vai - A few people complained how I could possibly not include Steve Vai when I did Shred Week. Â Well complainers, here he is now. Â It was unfortunate that I could not fit him in though because he is one of the most amazing rock guitarists there is. Â When he released Passion and Warfare in 1990, that album literally floored me. Â But he had been known as a guitar virtuoso well before then, having hooked up with Frank Zappa in the late 70's after catching Zappa's attention with his spot on transcriptions of Zappa's songs.
Flex-able was Vai's debut solo album and it is all sorts of weird. Â In many ways it takes a heavy cue from Zappa, but you start to hear bits and pieces of his own personality shine through. Â The instrumental The Attitude Song is one of those. Â It has now become a hallmark of his, having become a concert staple. Â And while it may not be my favorite of his many fine solos, it was his first and most important shred moment.