I've watched this clip hundreds of times, but only just now realized an amazing fact. Steve Vai in the middle section played a progression that was very similar, and obviously a tribute to the devil's violin solo in The Devil Went Down to Georgia, of which the story follows similar lines with the "deal with the devil" themes. Amazing
I love this movie. Watched it a dozen times. The best story I heard was during the battle scene, Vai, who learned discipline from Frank Zappa and Joe Satriani, got told by the director to screw it up worse! He wasn’t flubbing the ending bad enough because his instinct was to just play it right. He had to force his mind to stop, stare off into space and just flap his fingers up and down the neck to get a good (bad) ending. 🤣
One of the things I like about this movie is the dive it makes into musical history. The classical piece that Ralph Machio's character plays from quotes heavily from a piece by Niccolò Paganini. Paganini was a virtuoso violinist in the early 19th century who was so good it was widely believed that he (or his mother) had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his talent. This was believed widely enough that the Catholic Church in Genoa initially refused to let his body be buried in sanctified ground. It's the perfect piece to play during a duel with the devil's guitarist.
Glad you guys covered this. #crossroads, only reason i came onto this channel. I will stay longer, to see more of your content. And again thanks for this Steve Via piece.
The challenge is a blues tradition called "cutting heads", which is like the champion (in his house) taunting beating and dissing his opponent foolish enough to step in his house and make a challenge. The winner stays the owner of the house (nightclub: free drinks and eats to perform nightly and beat challengers or in this case..enough wins to get your soul back and leave hell. until defeated. or quits (quit and you never get out of your contract). (it's the same as the "Professor" does to challengers in basketball on youtube videos) If you lose "your head been cut" or you been "schooled" in basketball terms. Steve Vai did both high-speed parts using tapping, pull-offs, finger pops, and other select guitar rock techniques. . Ry Cooder did the parts with the glass slide on his finger that gives that rolling sound when crossing over the guitar frets. (Slide guitar players in country bands use a metal slide). Ralph only pretends to play. The woman matches a blues tradition called the "chicken dance" I think. Where it is her job to dance all up and around the challenger to try and disturb his concentration and mess him up. Reason for her "black dress" and "red plume"-like a chicken (metaphor) flapping her arms and walking like a chicken.If you really tried this to get your contract canceled. and Steve or EddieVH are playing that night. Prepare to stay, put down your ax, and start washing glasses. ...unless you're "Malmsteen". ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-n6kPfe9gVJk.html - then Vai or VH might end up with extended contracts. LOL the greatest respect for all these guys.
Red shirt has black woman behind him. Black shirt has red car behind him. Don't mind me, I just find odd things and ty for doing that. Love that movie.
It wasn't a nursing home. Well, it was but, specifically, it was a secure facility, and Willie was in there for murder. Yeah, Ralph spends most of the battle looking like a dog about expecting a kick. Easter egg: the piece Ralph plays to win the battle is by Paganini, who supposedly also sold his soul to Satan for musical ability.
Steve Via actually did all of the guitar work on this movie. Ralph had to work really hard to make it look like he was playing guitar in this movie. Still great.though.
That’s a black David Gilmore (inspired) Fender Strat. I use it in a lot of our videos. This is one song that I didn’t play a riff intro. Check out some of our other videos and you’ll find it.
Steve Vai and Ry Cooder as phenomenal players but Ralph Macchio mimicked the guitars pretty good. Other than the picking style he's close to where the notes would be with this slide hand isn't bad either so either he knows a little guitar or really studied his parts
My name is Victor Nila Junior, and I am a rhythm guitarist. I don't mind not being like all the shredders, really. My roots are in grunge, folk rock, power pop, sunshine pop; anything soft, loud, and ethereal.
i watch this on TV many years ago as a teen with my friend, we were talking about how bad the ending was, coz it was a blues movie and finally the kid won with classical piece, how unrespect, they should go all the way classical, or all blues, it was just weird he beat Steve Vai by playing Paganini. It just not fit, but good solo though.
I'm so simple. That's okay, I play guitar, like I'm Kurt. In fact, I really don't mind being a folk rock, grunge, power pop, soft rock, sunshine pop instrumentalist. I started focusing on guitar after George Harrison, Cobain, Rivers Cuomo, and Drake Bell. I'm a multi-genre musician, and I play myriad (many) musical instruments. I don't wanna be a heavy shredder, just a childlike cheerful power guitarist. Trying to form a sunshine pop band; wish me luck, if you please.
Your wrong that Steve played both parts actually Ralph learned to play guitar for this movie who taught him his teacher Steve.. so sorry get your facts rite later
Talking about getting your facts straight. Ralph only learned to mime the parts. It takes years to be that good on the guitar. And Ralph never played a guitar until Filming Crossroads. www.guitarworld.com/artists/forgotten-guitar-crossroads-and-its-unsung-guitar-hero-arlen-roth