Goin' Crazy!
David Lee Roth, 1986. Solo by Steve Vai.
Vai's playful, horn-backed solo mixes precise legato with the comic sound effects he became known for.
Goin' Crazy! is one of the brightest, most playful tracks on Eat 'Em and Smile, complete with horns, and Steve Vai's solo matches that spirit. He mixes precise legato runs with the comic sound effects he became known for, making the guitar seem to laugh, squeal and talk back. Beneath the humour, the solo is carefully built, with each gag set up by a clear, melodic phrase. It showed how Vai could bring personality and wit to virtuoso playing, a quality that set him apart from many shredders of the era. Listen for the moments where the guitar mimics a voice, then slides straight back into a clean, fluid run.
Goin' Crazy! by David Lee Roth is ranked #319 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Steve Vai and the song was released in 1986. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #65 (Magazyn Gitarzysta).
In our lists
Sources
Who played the guitar solo on Goin' Crazy!?
Steve Vai played the solo on David Lee Roth's Goin' Crazy! (1986).
Where does Goin' Crazy! rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#319 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.