Vito Bratta...

[distressed_romeo]

...was possibly the most underrated guitarist of the 80s.

YouTube - White Lion - Tell Me
YouTube - White Lion - Wait
YouTube - White Lion - When the children cry
YouTube - White Lion Vito Bratta Solo
YouTube - Vito Bratta - Interview

Discuss!

You could learn a hell of a lot about melodic phrasing just by going through the 'Wait' solo...

 

[eelblack2]

His rhythm playing actually used to knock me out the most. Not the ballads, but the mid tempo stuff with all those inverted chords, upper position chords with open strings, 7th chords etc. Very cool.

 

[distressed_romeo]

His rhythm playing actually used to knock me out the most. Not the ballads, but the mid tempo stuff with all those inverted chords, upper position chords with open strings, 7th chords etc. Very cool.

I'm guessing that's his Elton John influence showing.

 

[playstopause]

I sooo listened to this band as a teen.
Brata is indeed one of the great 80's players. I think he had his share of reconnaisance though.

What the hell happened to him?

 

[distressed_romeo]

I sooo listened to this band as a teen.
Brata is indeed one of the great 80's players.

What the hell happened to him?

Dropped out of the public eye for what seemed like forever.

He resurfaced recently and explained everything that had happenned to him since the end of White Lion.

BLABBERMOUTH.NET - Guitarist VITO BRATTA: I Would Love For WHITE LION Reunion To Happen Today

 

[playstopause]

^

Thanks for that

It sounds like he had good reasons to disappear.

 

[IBZ Addict]

He was a great guitar player. I remember my old band opening up for White Lion countless times at L'amour here in NYC. Don't forget the solo to "Little Fighter" for some good melodic phrasing as well.

 

[Alex-D33]

Wicked player ...one of the best melodic phrasing of the 80's ..I agree with Distressed romeo on that one ( wait's solo ) is just chalk full of great idea's and my personal favorite is the solo in little fighter ..MAN it's a METRIC TON melodic . I think is chops where at the top on those tunes .Cheers for injecting some Vito in my day !!!

YouTube - White Lion Little Fighter Vito Bratta 80's glam metal

 

[cybersavior]

I always regarded him a a true cut above and with the wrong band. BTW, I couldn't find a current picture of him (which is why he probably hasn't been seen in a dozen years).

 

[Shannon]

Vito is purely amazing. That's really all that needs to be said.

 

[nienturi]

Vito, hm?

I find his playing has someting very unique. His lead playing, his solos, short licks, arpeggios, taps etc.

My most fav. Vito moments are the complete "Pride" album and his royal piece for SRV "Blue Monday"

 

[distressed_romeo]

I wish I could have found a video link for 'Love Don't Come Easy'. That's probably the best solo he ever recorded OMHO, and the tapping riff in it's sweet.

Oh, and I still want a Vito-style Steinberger!

 

[Jeff]

Vito always has been underrated, as has Nuno Bettencourt. A lot of the bands with power ballads as their big hits got pigeon-holed as crap, but some of those bands (Extreme, White Lion, Saigon Kick) had some unbelievable guitarists.

 

[distressed_romeo]

Vito always has been underrated, as has Nuno Bettencourt. A lot of the bands with power ballads as their big hits got pigeon-holed as crap, but some of those bands (Extreme, White Lion, Saigon Kick) had some unbelievable guitarists.

 

[nienturi]

Vito always has been underrated, as has Nuno Bettencourt. A lot of the bands with power ballads as their big hits got pigeon-holed as crap, but some of those bands (Extreme, White Lion, Saigon Kick) had some unbelievable guitarists.

I aggree, dude...

 

[Ancestor]

I always kind of wondered what happened to him. Figured I would have seen him involved in something at some point. Anyway, nice to hear that he's getting back into playing. Wish him the best. If the white lion thing isn't happening, he should just get together with some other people.

 

[noodles]

I always thought that Vito was the guy who took the EVH school of playing as far as it could go. His sense of melody and phrasing were amazing, and his chord choices were always ridiculously well thought out.

Vito, Nuno, and Reb Beach are probably the three guys in hair bands that had the ability to write poppy sounding stuff that was far more complicated than first listen suggested.

 

[playstopause]

^

Well said.