This weeks Hot Lick is from a hidden favorite of mine from 1986. The PIL album Compact Disc was their first attempt at a more palatable listening experience. Still very exploratory with the tracks like Rise and Bags the album was a FRESH TREAT in the face of Hair Band Madness of the mid to late 80s. Hidden in some of the tracks was the guitar playing of yet to be guitar hero Steve Vai. These tracks were mostly recorded in 1985 before Mr Vai became famous in the David Lee Roths Band. If you listen to the Mp3 sample below of the guitar solo during the song Ease you will hear the young genius at work. His solo set to a more tribal rhythm and NOT the pop oriented metal tracks of the day is hypnotic and incredibly tasteful. Only one wishes he had stayed on or retreated to this type of direction sometime in his career.

Rumor has it that Mr Vai was brought in because John Lyndon wanted a Eddie Van Halen type player. They set Steve up in the studio played him the track as he played along. The track on the album is rumored to be him playing to the track one time cold. As with most awesome songs and instrumental compositions spontaneity is always the inspiration to true genius...........

Mp3 of Ease

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