Dear Steve,
The first time I heard your playing was when I was in college. I’m a guitar player myself, and when I started attending a college in the Los Angeles area in 1986 – I knew that I’d bump into some smokin’ players. Sure ’nuff when I was walking down the halls of my dorm for the first time I heard some amazing guitar playing. I assumed it was a someone listening to the radio, but I just wanted to know who was playing the guitar on the song. I walked into a room with one guy playing guitar and two onlookers. I asked if I could sit in and listen. The guy playing guitar went on to start playing “Far Beyond the Sun” by Yngwie Malmsteen note for note with the tape. I was astounded! I’d never heard such fast playing, and to see an eighteen year old guy play it was even worse on my ego.
A few days later I went to see this guy and he was practicing something on the guitar. It was “Shyboy” from “Eat ‘Em and Smile”. I was blown away by the way you and Billy Sheehan played together on that song. I’ve come to the conclusion since listening to that album that it is one of the top ten greatest rock albums of all time. Your playing on “Tobacco Road” is some of the best playing I’ve heard on any album. By the way, that guy who played Yngwie became my roommate the next year and we had a ball!
Thanks Steve for all the wonderful music and I wish you great things for the future.
Blessings,
Joe Dorsey