The Vin Man’s experiments on the progressive, futuristic and melodic approach of virtuoso playing went even further to craft this masterpiece! By 1988, with the release of Time Odyssey, he took his game another level up by emulating and surpassing the success of his previous album, also parting from Shrapnel Records. Shrapnel Records opened a new world to this 23-year-old guitar virtuoso. Vinnie just did the alchemy and made an album that is modern guitar history for all generations that came after. Although there are some obvious references to the neo-classical style regarding harmony, chord progressions, harmonic minor scale, and phrasing, we can hear progressive rock riffs ( In Control’s opening, Saved by a Miracle for example), preference for modal harmony, and a tendency to put melodic phrasing above non-sense runs all over the neck that was so popular back then ( Daydream, Hero Without Honor).Īll these innovative elements were combined to bring a new, different, and unique sound approach to the guitar world. With all the neoclassical hype at the moment, it is hard to stand out among a great number of imitators since it became so popular back then, and yet the Vin Man managed to pull out one single record that earned a deserved recognition by the specialized press, the critics, and other guitar personalities. Also remarkable was his sense of climax during the finishing sequence opening the last Pepsi bottle where he pulled off a scalar running which ended up at a high E vibrato, a very neo-classical musical approach that he would go more in-depth into in his first album, but we are just about to get there!įollowing the repercussion of the Pepsi commercial, Vinnie Moore and Mike Varney started to work together in Shrapnel Records to conceive the Vin Man’s first album: ‘Mind’s Eye.’ The album was released in January 1987 and represented a milestone for virtuoso guitar playing of the moment for various reasons. We can listen to every note during the scalar passages, the arpeggios, and the pentatonic licks being perfectly well played along with the video.
In this commercial, we can hear an accomplished 23 years old guitar player showing his alternate picking technique: clean, accurate, and fast. This event allowed him to get into a Pepsi commercial (see video below) thanks to a Los Angeles agency that saw Vinnie’s picture and submission to Guitar Player and even when it showed his hands only, it made his sound reach a national audience, getting recognition as new emerging talent from Delaware! It turns out that Varney was also owner and producer of Shrapnel Records, and Vinnie’s talent didn’t go unnoticed to him. He decided to pursue an opportunity and sent some of his recorded music, in the form of a seven-song demo tape, to Guitar Player Magazine, and it caught the attention of Mike Varney and his Spotlight column in the said magazine.
From there on, he started to work on his ideas buying a 4-track tape recorder and experimented with many fragments, which later evolved into songs, showing his proficiency on the six strings.īy 1985 Vinnie Moore already was a prolific composer. His first guitar was a Teisco and made him, in the Vin Man’s words, a “guitar freak,” always improving and crafting his unique voice through his youth.Īfter taking guitar lessons with a private instructor when he was 13, he started to put his skills to work by joining his first band, doing jam sessions and covers of their favorite songs in a typical setup of drums, bass, vocals, and two guitars. Records by the Beatles like their eponymous double album from 1968 (from which he has covered While My Guitar Gently Weeps many times), Jeff Beck’s ‘ Wired‘, Led Zeppelin’s ‘ IV Zoso’, Deep Purple’s ‘ Machine Head‘ and ‘ Burn‘, Queen’s ‘ A Night At The Opera‘, Van Halen’s self-titled album and many other bands all of them were among his early influences. He was only 12 when he got his first guitar a teenage boy who looked up to the great guitar legends of that moment. Nine solo albums, five collaborations, six UFO albums, two Hot Licks’ guitar video clinics, one virtuoso… Of course, we are referring to Vinnie Moore, the “Vin Man” as we the fans know him! He has accomplished quite a lot during his 30+ years of performance, but one wonders: who’s the man behind the strings? Well, to give you a proper answer in a few words is not fair to his career, so let’s take a look at those 30+ years of speed, accuracy, articulation, and advanced lead guitar techniques!
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