GUITARIST JASON BECKER MIGHT RELEASE UNRELEASED DAVID LEE ROTH SONGS
Jason Becker says he could finally reveal previously unreleased songs he recorded with David Lee Roth.
The guitar icon – who suffers from the debilitating disease ALS – replaced Steve Vai in David Lee Roth’s solo band and recorded guitars for the 1991 album A Little Ain’t Enough.
Becker, now 45, was diagnosed with ALS just days after joining the band and he was never able to tour with former Van Halen frontman Roth. But he says there are a handful of tracks that the two recorded which didn’t make it onto the album.
He tells Talking Metal, “There were a couple that didn’t make it. I think I might put them on my next album, but they won’t have Dave’s singing.”
On the decision not to tour with the band, Becker adds, “We were planning on going on tour, but when I was helping Dave, I auditioned some other players for the tour. I was having a hard time standing and playing. My legs would shake, so I had to sit the whole time. After that day, Dave and I talked and we decided I wouldn’t tour. He was depressed. I tried to make jokes and pick up his mood, but that didn’t really work.”
Becker made his name as part of the band Cacophony, which he formed with friend Marty Friedman. They released two albums, 1987’s Speed Metal Symphony and 1988’s Go Off.
source: Classic Rock magazine
A Little Ain’t Enough is a great Roth album. Part of the problem was that it came out in the early 90’s and was torn apart by critics at the time, because it wasn’t Alice in Chains or Soundgarden. If anyone remembers, I think Roth played to half empty venues on that tour. Jason not being able to play on the tour didn’t help.
Jason plays stellar guitar on it, for sure. In hindsight, the other reason it probably didn’t do well was because it was a pretty tame album. Gone was the crazy Vai/Sheehan riffage, and over the top Rothisms. It was a straight of AOR stadium album at a time when that music was taking a kick to the nuts. It was a followup to Skyskraper, which was a strange direction for Roth, though I’m still fond of some of the songs.
It’s awesome that Jason is still around, kudos to him.
Anyone that hasn’t seen the documentary JASON BECKER: NOT DEAD YET needs to. It’s amazing how he has dealt with his illness. There are times I feel like crap, have a cold, muscle aches after I get off work or whatever and I complain about it like everyone does. But when I think about what Jason has gone through and how he has such a great attitude that it makes me feel like a wimp that I complained about anything. The guy is an inspiration and shows how strong the human spirit can be.