Review: Steve Vai – Vai/Gash

Favored Nations / Mascot Label Group (January 27th, 2023 CD, February 24th, 2023 LP)

Reviewer: David Mark Pearce

From what I understand, when Steve Vai wrote this he just wanted to come up with stuff that represented his love of riding his Harley Davidson motorbike etc and with that he succeeds. His friend John Sombrero, better known as ‘Gash’ handles the vocals here.

Online folk have been quick to mock the name, referring it to a certain part of a woman’s anatomy. However he earned this name sadly through an accident that resulted in third degree burns over 60% of his body! Gash has sadly since passed away, and I think that’s the reason this project was shelved for 30 years.

Anyway, that aside the guy can sing, and he fits the music here. But I’m sad to say his voice does little for me. It’s a cross between Bonnet/Roth and a smidge of DeBrow, but it’s not quite there.

However, do I hate it, no. I did the first time I listened though, It really just didn’t do it. But I left it  for a week and then enjoyed it a whole lot more. The opener ‘In The Wind’ keeps going round and round my head. There’s a couple of songs here that sound very much like Alcatrazz and DLR, which is odd as I think this was recorded around 1993, which is several years after those bands. My favourite song by a mile is ‘Danger Zone’.

It’s a solid well recorded album, which if it was on the stereo I wouldn’t turn it off. However, it’s not the first Vai album I would reach for either.

Tracklist:

1. In the Wind
2. Busted
3. Let’s Jam
4. Woman Fever
5. She Saved My Life Tonight
6. Danger Zone
7. New Generation
8. Flowers of Life