The Melodic Guitar Style Of Vinnie Vincent

[thattimeofyear87]

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"Vinnie had an incredible touch and an incredible knowledge of the guitar." -- Paul Stanley

Vinnie Vincent's six-string blend of metal bombast, high-velocity fusion chops and physical gymnastics earned him his renown as one of the fastest guitar players to emerge from the 1980s. His jaw-dropping bag of technical tricks included lightning-fast alternate-picked runs, swift legato passages, sweep picking blitzkriegs, a fierce use of chromaticism, and his own unique hybrid picking technique.

But was Vinnie Vincent a "one-trick mindless shredder"?

Based on the limited examples they've heard and various stereotypes, most fans would ignorantly answer, "Yes."

While it's no secret that Vinnie Vincent's guitar work with his own Vinnie Vincent Invasion was as subtle as the deep growls emanating from Gene Simmons' Punisher bass, in digging deeper within his discography, the truth is that there is a undeniably subtle, more melodic side to Vinnie Vincent's guitar playing.

This tribute showcases that underrated side of Vinnie Vincent's musical personality with several tasty examples that not only drip with melody, but span his entire recoding career -- from lesser-known work with artists such as Dan Hartman, Laura Nyro and Treasure to KISS and the Invasion.

Selections:

00:28 "I Wanna Love You" (Treasure)
00:57 "No Substitute" (Vinnie Vincent Invasion)
1:26 "Saint And Sinner" (KISS)
2:00 "My Innocence" (Laura Nyro)
2:54 "A Million To One" (KISS)
3:13 "Ecstasy" (Vinnie Vincent Invasion)
3:39 "What Does It Take" (Heat)
4:02 "Love Me Tonight" (Treasure)
4:28 "Time And Space" (Dan Hartman)
5:15 "And On The 8th Day" (KISS)
5:39 "Turn Yourself Around" (Treasure)
5:55 "That Time Of Year" (Vinnie Vincent Invasion)
6:37 "Don't Hold Back Your Love" (Felix Cavaliere)
7:11 "Innocent Eyes" (Treasure)
7:44 "Double-O-Love" (Dan Hartman)
8:12 "All Hell's Breakin' Loose" (KISS)
8:41 "Treasure" (Treasure)
9:32 "War Machine" (KISS)
10:15 "Love Kills" (Vinnie Vincent Invasion)

"[Vinnie] was probably the most talented of all the new guys that came in [KISS]. To this day, in my estimation, [he] can play rings around Ace, is a better songwriter in lots of ways than I am, sings much better, and is one of the most difficult people I've ever met in my life ... but his talent is unquestioned." -- Gene Simmons

"Vinnie was one of the most musical players I've ever heard. I've heard Vinnie play versions of "White Christmas" on guitar that were absolutely unbelievable." -- Adam Mitchell, songwriter (KISS)

"Vinnie was not a heavy metal player. He was a rock and roll player. He was a melodic player. Was he talented? He was very talented." -- Michael James Jackson, producer ("Creatures Of The Night," "Lick It Up")

"[Vinnie Vincent's music] is striking: aggression tempered with finesse; structure, form and order torn asunder by the ubiquitous menacing presence of Vinnie's guitar work." -- Wolf Marshall, "Guitar For The Practicing Musician"

"He was an incredible talent. He used to do a lot of solo dates in Connecticut. He'd go up to these bars and little restaurants. He could play as subtle as you wanted. He could play acoustically where he doesn't drive a crowd out because they need to hear to eat. He could play anything." -- Felix Cavaliere, the Rascals (former bandmate with Treasure)

"He was truly a fucking monster of a guitarist ... seriously. If you listen to those records today, there's still no one out there playing like him." -- Bobby Rock, former drummer of the Vinnie Vincent Invasion

"I think that Vinnie is absolutely brilliant and I think that as much as he would slam me in the press, I would have to say that he is a genius in so many ways. I think he's a great talent, I think he should still be making records. I think instead of talking about the record we made in 1987 I think he should just make a new record and be that person just making new music. I think he needs to take whatever he's working on and finish it because if you don't finish it, if you don't abandon that art and you just keep laboring on it what happens is it becomes a hybrid of what it once was. Vinnie has plenty of music in him. I look forward to him making more new music, I mean even if he were to turn around and make a country album or a  jazz ensemble record it would be great." -- Mark Slaughter, former lead vocalist of the Vinnie Vincent Invasion

[poserboy71]

Vinnie rules !

[Genebaby]

Vinnie, great guitarist and song writer!

[shramiac]

Tim never fails to deliver! Good stuff.

Some half way decent guitar playing there too!

[dega]

What a fantastic job on that video. Very well done.