Steel Panther guitarist Satchel spoke to Guitar Player and revealed his favorite guitar solos of all time. One of them is an Alcatrazz track in which he thought that Steve Vai should have been appreciated more.

Following Yngwie Malmsteen’s departure from Alcatrazz because of his argument with Graham Bonnet, the band decided to hire Frank Zappa guitarist Steve Vai in 1984. Then, Alcatrazz released their second studio album entitled ‘Disturbing the Peace’ on March 22, 1985.

Vai’s guitar performance in the album received very positive reviews, and Steel Panther’s Satchel wanted to credit the guitarist while mentioning his solo in ‘Wire and Wood’ within his list of top 5 guitar solos. According to him, both Vai and the other Alcatrazz members deserved critical acclaim for their performance.

Moreover, Satchel described the solo as ‘a killer’ with a well-crafted constitution and climax and added that he’s been a huge Steve Vai fan for a very long time. The Steel Panther guitarist also drew attention to Vai’s unmatchable skills as an instrumentalist and composer.

Satchel said in his interview that:

“I’ve always been a fan of Steve Vai, and he has continued to inspire guitarists for decades. This song is off a great Alcatrazz record that didn’t get the credit it deserved. Again, Graham Bonnet is on it! I think playing with Graham Bonnet must mean you’ve finally reached success as a guitarist. So many awesome players have jammed with him, and Steve Vai is definitely one of them.

This solo, like all the solos on this list, is melodic. It’s got killer phrasing. It’s got great timing and great note choices and total conviction. One of the things I really like about it is the climax at the end. The improv skills of all the guys on this list are amazing, and Steve Vai has more than enough licks to improve for the rest of his life.

However the construction of the solo is an art form as well, and Vai has always been able to construct amazing solos. This might be my favorite on this album, and that’s saying something because everything he played on this record is killer.”

You can listen to the song below.