![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/gillan8.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/mcbride1.jpg)
While their guitars not so gently weep
In a true family tradition, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai started a new project called the SatchVai Band. Today, May 6, 2025, they have released a single called I Wanna Play My Guitar. And just to keep thing in the family, they got Glenn Hughes to sing on it.
When I started writing this song I had no idea how important the contributions from Glenn and Steve would be. What they brought to the track made it all happen. My original idea was to have Glenn Hughes and Justin Hawkins do the vocals together. I got this crazy idea on the Monsters of Rock Cruise where Glenn and Justin were both performing. Unfortunately, when I got back from the cruise I tested positive for Covid and I entered into a 10-day fog, forgetting if I had sent the invitations to collaborate. When I finally recovered, I heard back from Justin‘s people that The Darkness was going to be releasing a record at the same time and he wouldn’t be able to contribute to the song, so, I sent a rough demo to Glenn and he was into it. I pray no one ever hears that demo of me singing into my iPhone.
— Joe Satriani
This song depicts all that Joe and I used to think about as teenagers. All of the things we loved about pounding rock ‘n’ roll and the glorious Guitar. It is an absolute phenom for us to be able to present to you now our teenage aspirations in this song. I remember those days and how absolutely exciting it was to play the guitar. Our whole world revolved around it as if it was a mysterious monolith, as it is, and I know that there are teenagers right now that are feeling the same thing about this sacred instrument when they play it. It feels like freedom and joy and I recommend everybody find some time in their life to PLAY THE GUITAR. And to be able to hear the mighty voice of one of our childhood heroes on this track, the great Glenn Hughes is more than the icing on the cake, enjoy!
— Steve Vai
Thanks to Guitar Player for the heads-up and to Uwe for the video update.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Oh my, I need to change my undies. Best new rock track I’ve heard this year so far. It’s mostly a 12 bar, but then things start developing.
Glenn should form a band with both of them. He’s one of the few singers on Earth that can have Satriani AND Vai doodling in the background and still dwarf them both with his voice.
Wow. Glenn roolz. 🤘🤘🤘🤘
May 7th, 2025 at 02:51Let me disagree with Uwe. To me it sounds forced and it does not come through as a proper song. Though Glenn really sings fine, but no real deviation from the (good) same old.
May 7th, 2025 at 09:56Like always, a matter of taste…
May 7th, 2025 at 10:33The guitar playing reminds me of „Mr. Fastfinger“ from this ancient „guitarshredshow“-homepage.
@1&2:
Uwe, it sounds like someone is having their rootcanal fixed without anesthesia 😂😂
(In advance: soo sorry to whoever feel insulted over my remark. Actually the most things I write in here are with a glint in the eye, tongue in cheek and what else can be said to emphasise that I don’t wanna make anyone angry 😉😉😚)
Attila: I agree completely 👍🏼
May 7th, 2025 at 12:10Opinion – Dreadful
May 7th, 2025 at 14:22no me gusta ,bastante floja y previsible
May 7th, 2025 at 21:53Awful indeed, they may be taking the piss though, we would hope. All this guitar over the top scenario is one of the reasons today’s music is so dreadful, mind you that has been happening since the 1980’s. Some guitar geeks may salivate over it though, it is what it is. I did press the play button with apprehension, not to worry. And then I couldn’t get to some real music quick enough on my computer. Telemanns twelve Fantasias for solo violin was what I latched onto, and that was lovely. Cheers.
May 7th, 2025 at 21:59It’s fascinating how serious musicians can end up with such a lacklustrate material both vocally and instrumentally.
May 7th, 2025 at 23:50Nothing really works here neither solos nor riffs nor vocals.
I understand its two guitarists project but do they really have to do solos together all the time like it was school competition. And if they wanted to have proper song with vocals its nice to give some space to sing. And its super nice if the vocals do not sound as taken accidentally from different track.
Perhaps I like it so much because it reminds me of Vai’s short-lived band with a then still unknown Devin Townsend:
https://youtu.be/Twi28xWoLxc
I really dug that stuff, it was different.
Of all the bands he’s played with, Vai fitted worst with Whitesnake. As a guitarist, he’s of course top notch with a very individual style that I haven’t really heard emulated by anyone else.
https://youtu.be/1JNmz17gnMw
May 8th, 2025 at 01:14(Shredfather Vai makes his dramatic entry @03:10.)
So… I listened to it yesterday. I’m not a fan of Vai at all and I can only just tolerate Hughes as a vocalist; Satriani I’ve always liked. I wasn’t overly impressed by this song but nonetheless I had it stuck in my head all night long. So I guess if a song does that it is a success? Does it make me wanna play my guitar? No, it makes me wanna play Russian Roulette with 5 bullets in and 1 empty chamber.
But what do I know? I think crap like this is good music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLEWl4ju0E4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLVWEYUqGew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN-rJfa4LOs
May 8th, 2025 at 02:13@7
“And then I couldn’t get to some real music quick enough on my computer. Telemanns twelve Fantasias for solo violin was what I latched onto, and that was lovely.”
Lucky S.O.B. It wasn’t until I accidentally heard Bela Lugosi is Dead by Bauhaus that I was able to get that song out of my head.
May 8th, 2025 at 07:56Well … Father and son here at Max towers are not impressed.
And thank you for mentioning Telemann in this forum, Mr. MacGregor. About time too.
May 8th, 2025 at 08:15An all time fave of mine when it comes to classical music.
@2 I agree. Nothing special about this song to my ears. Also I generally tend to find the playing of Satriani and Vai a little tedious after a while as there often is just too much notes and not enough silence in between them for my taste. And if both of them play on the same track it’s a little over the top for me. Glenn’s singing, like always, is fine. In many of his projects Glenn’s voice manages to carry otherwise mediocre songs over the finishing line.
May 8th, 2025 at 08:28(P.S. Attila, we already agreed on Glenn’s fine voice in March in Vienna subway after some great Whiskey, Apfelstudel and other Nasty Habits)
Of course it’s OTT, what do you guys expect from a project called SatchVai, a sparse album in the JJ Cale mode? 😂
May 8th, 2025 at 12:40Russ, your “crap music” is all fine, nothing wrong with Blues, Americana and Alt Rock. I can dig all three.
That SatchVai song is by its own admission supposed to commemorate how an overeager teenage aspiring guitarist feels about and listens to music, I think it captures that well.
I think both modern day guitar gods show self-deprecating humor with this release:
https://youtu.be/VAKVmW1InBA
May 8th, 2025 at 12:56Am I the only one to notice how Max sen. + jun. now work hand in hand, employing tried and trusted German military tactics (“Zangenbewegung”/pincer movement) to get their point across? 🤣
Meanwhile, as usual, Herr Hughes is unperturbed by all the naysayers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h86Wsj6BnU8
Impressive, how they got Jeff Beck to play rhythm guitar for them, quite a feat.
May 8th, 2025 at 15:38Tillythemax and Attila saw Nick Simper this year in Vienna?
Where is your report?
May 8th, 2025 at 15:47@16: At first, I also thought it was Beck. Then I realise it was Nigel Tufnel.
(It’s actually Pete Thorn, apparently a pretty good banjo slinger himself. )
May 8th, 2025 at 17:01What would we do without Svante?
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nkqc-jyBZ4k
May 8th, 2025 at 20:44@ 11- thanks for the Bela Lugosi track, first thing in the morning sets up my day nicely. I have never heard that before. Really enjoyed your five bullets loaded with one empty chamber comment. Lugosi is the ultimate on screen suave sophisticated Dracula, who was copied by so many. He was originally from over that way too, what more could we ask for. Cheers.
May 8th, 2025 at 22:06Funny how things evolve over generations. For me Lugosi (who could never pronounce an English word without a thick Hungarian accent, ready Teller Ede) was a bizarro relic. My francophone (linguist by profession) daughter saw his ‘art’ interesting.
May 9th, 2025 at 11:12Last dates and grand finale of the EU tour! in the city of Šibenik, Croatia.. 2 concerts (01-02 08) in nice place the medieval fortress of St. Mihovil.
May 9th, 2025 at 12:26Absolutely marvellous!
May 9th, 2025 at 14:27