Classic Albums – Eat ‘Em And Smile (David Lee Roth)

David Lee Roth – Eat ‘Em and Smile: A Guitarist’s Perspective
When it comes to the golden era of guitar-centric music, few albums stand as prominent as David Lee Roth’s “Eat ‘Em and Smile”. The real star of this album is Steve Vai, the lead guitarist, whose versatile playing styles and innovative techniques make this album a veritable encyclopaedia of guitar prowess.
Released in July, 1986, Eat ‘Em and Smile is the debut full length solo album by original Van Halen vocalist David Lee Roth. Featuring an all-star virtuoso lineup of Steve Vai, Billy Sheehan, and Gregg Bissonette. Both a huge critical and commercial success, this classic album saw Roth return to a hard rock sound comparable with that of early Van Halen, but with some speed metal, lounge and even jazz influences thrown in for good measure.
In this course, LickLibrary’s Sam Bell walks you through the many highlights of each song from this ‘80s rock classic one phrase at a time, including Steve Vai’s outrageous guitar riffs and solos from legendary tracks such as; “Shyboy,” “Tobacco Road” and “Yankee Rose.”

Guitar Lessons in The Course
• Yankee Rose
• Shyboy
• I’m Easy
• Ladies’ Nite In Buffalo
• Goin’ Crazy
• Tobacco Road
• Elephant Gun
• Big Trouble
• Bump And Grind
• That’s Life

Guitar Lesson 1: Yankee Rose
In this song, Vai uses the Mixolydian scale, making use of the major third to create a rock-solid sound. The memorable opening exchange between Roth and Vai’s talking guitar is not just a demonstration of the guitarist’s creative sound design but also of his technical abilities. The solo itself is a classic Vai work, filled with unusual bends, fast alternate picking runs, and melodic lines that border on the supernatural.

Guitar Lesson 2: Shyboy
“Shyboy” showcases Vai’s intricate riffs and playful guitar work. The main riff relies on the Phrygian Dominant scale and involves some power chords and palm-muted single note lines. The guitar solo includes some high-speed alternate picking and legato runs.

Guitar Lesson 3: I’m Easy
In “I’m Easy”, Vai exploits the Dorian scale’s bluesy nature. The solo features Vai’s trademark use of two-handed tapping to create fast, melodic passages, and some pinched harmonics to add a different texture.

Guitar Lesson 4: Ladies’ Nite in Buffalo?
This song is an example of a tune built around chord progressions. It serves as a testament to Vai’s versatility, featuring well-placed arpeggios, some double-stop bends, and melodic soloing.

Guitar Lesson 5: Goin’ Crazy!
In “Goin’ Crazy!”, Vai dives into the world of whammy bar tricks, notably dive bombs. He also makes liberal use of power chords, harmonics, and pull-offs in the song, taking the solo to another level.

Guitar Lesson 6: Tobacco Road
“Tobacco Road” features a combination of pentatonic minor and blues scales. Vai demonstrates his string-bending prowess in this song, providing a classic blues-rock sound.

Guitar Lesson 7: Elephant Gun
“Elephant Gun” delves into unison bends and pre-bends. Vai’s solo also features a plethora of hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Guitar Lesson 8: Big Trouble
“Big Trouble” is another song centered around chord progressions and arpeggios, with Vai displaying his command of various techniques, like alternate picking, slides, and rakes.

Guitar Lesson 9: Bump and Grind
“Bump and Grind” is driven by Vai’s guitar riffage in the style of syncopated rhythms. Vai uses some power chords and palm muting to make the rhythm guitar parts as exciting as his lead work.

Guitar Lesson 10: That’s Life
“That’s Life” serves as a change of pace, Vai chooses to lay back on his more technical skills and plays to the song, using open-string riffs and octave melodies to support Roth’s vocals.

Guitar Techniques used in Eat ‘Em and Smile
• Vibrato
• Alternate Picking
• Legato
• Double-stop Bends
• Unison Bends
• Pinched Harmonics
• Chord Progressions
• Arpeggios
• Dive Bombs
• Harmonics
• Pull-offs
• Power Chords
• Palm Muting
• Two-handed Tapping
• Pre-bends
• Hammer-ons
• Slides
• String Bending
• Syncopated Rhythms
• Open-string Riffs
• Whammy Bar Tricks
• Octave Melodies
• Rakes

Steve Vai’s contribution to the album “Eat ‘Em and Smile” is significant. It’s not just about his virtuosity and technical prowess; it’s about how he uses those skills to support the song, drive the groove, and still stand out as a unique voice on the guitar. His creativity and innovative approach to guitar playing provide a myriad of lessons for any aspiring guitarist to learn from.