Steven Siro Vai - Biography - With David Lee Roth (1985-1990)

With David Lee Roth (1985-1990)

Also, in 1985, Vai became the object of widespread public fascination after joining—at the urging of his friend, bass virtuoso and future bandmate, Billy Sheehan -- David Lee Roth's post-Van Halen supergroup. The David Lee Roth band, which later became known as the Eat 'em and Smile Band, (1985-1989,) featured Roth on vocals; Vai on guitar; former Talas bassist Billy Sheehan on bass; and former Maynard Ferguson drummer, Gregg Bissonette. The foursome's debut album, Eat 'em and Smile, was both a critical and commercial success, reaching #4 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart and selling over 2 million copies. Rolling Stone Magazine compared Vai's guitar-playing favorably to that of Roth's legendary former partner Eddie Van Halen, stating that Vai "takes his cues from Eddie's loop-the-loop style, but, importantly, he adds some wild dips of his own. He's not simply aping Eddie, he's also embellishing. Likewise, Vai's musical rapport with Roth mirrors Van Halen's, and that relationship, as usual, defines much of the material." Retrospectively, Eat 'em and Smile is frequently evaluated as one of the best rock albums of the 1980s. Vai's, Roth's, Sheehan's, and Bissonette's highly successful world tour began in May 1986 and continued through 1987.

The Eat 'em and Smile Band's second album, Skyscraper, (released 1988,) was produced by David Lee Roth and Vai. Like its predecessor, Skyscraper was a major commercial hit, reaching #6 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart; however, its multi-tracked pop alienated many of Roth's longtime hard rock fans. The Eat 'em and Smile Band began to fracture after the recording of Skyscraper, when Billy Sheehan left due to "creative differences." In 1989, following the successful Skyscraper World Tour, Vai's departure signified the end of the supergroup.