Michael Angelo Baito "MAB" Passion or Speed

[broken cord]

I was in a discussion on the Dean Guitar board and someone brought up MAB because he endorses Dean. I said he is a brilliant player and I would be lucky to play 1/4 as good as he does but I don't think he plays with passion, and went on to say he plays too many notes just for the sake of speed, or something to that effect. Wouldn't you know two post later MAB answers and it would seem I insulted him. What now?

Me
 

I agree 100% that MAB’s talent is immense and to do the quad over and under left or right hand playing is insane, but I am not a huge fan. I don’t hear the passion in his songs and I think his playing sounds a bit detached and sterile just too many notes for the sake of playing fast. Don’t get me wrong I would love to get to be one quarter of his ability, but a little passion please.

MAB

No, it is YOU that has missed the point. I perform all over the world. I am most likely going to go to Croatia this Spring as well. It is interesting that the people who have actually seen me perform live have had positive things to say here. I have 12 complete songs on what we call MAB radio on my site. I would bet that none of you that have "talked trash" about me and my music have taken the time to listen to any of them. All you can say is that "MAB has no feeling, no soul". That is ridiculous.

[noodleplugerine]

Laugh it off xD

Make a jab at his haircut!

[maverickf1jockey]

No offense to the man's playing but it does look like he was picked up by the record company at a Scooby Doo convention. He even sounds like Norville.

[noodleplugerine]

He's the ultimate "Wow factor" guitarist.

OH LOOK - 4 NECKS!

It's annoying to watch, specially as he can only play well on one, or attempt at 2 where his technique is fine, but it sounds like cr@p.

It's annoying. If I wanted to see someone show off on their guitar I'd watch Malmsteen do some speed arpeggios or watch an old Becker video.

[Sifu Ben]

He was actually being a bit of an asshole. Obviously has a somewhat fragile ego.

[shaman]

saw him at a guitar  clinic my friend sponsored back when he was MA(no B yet...) circa 1988...after being wow'ed by his shredding, a friend of mine asked him during q and a..."can you play the blues??"of course he could, and he indulged us, but then it was back to the shred-he went to a local club(keep in  mind this is Alabama-the heart of dixie in the deeep south)and my buddy talked to the guitarist in the band(was a southern rock/country band) into letting MA set in on a number..he breaks out his flamboyant looking ax and settles in with the band...looking all the while like an outcast/..tall,lanky 80's L.A. hair in a redneck bar...
he launches into a solo which is steady and solid, then he takes it into pyrotechnics heaven...does every little trick...place was silent when he walked off stage...singer announces "ughh...we are going to take a break now..."he was nice enough, but he knew he was king of shred-I walked away feeling like I had seen a freak in a sideshow-somebody had to do it..might as well be him...I did likek the thing he did with double neck-played "Purple Haze" riff on one neck/lead on other(but then I realized that is what friends are for...and hey??who ya gonna drink beer with??maybe had no guitar playing buddies where he grew up..)
cheers to all of us beer drinking/non doubleneck playing/no, my pick does not melt in my hands(he also claims this) style players

[broken cord]

He was actually being a bit of an asshole. Obviously has a somewhat fragile ego.

I got the fragile ego feeling  from his post as well. He seemed as if he were defending himself. I went onto his web site and he has quite a list of credit to his name.

I know he must be passionate about playing but I don't hear the passion in his playing and to me there is a big difference.

[Davey]

you have to understand that it's a bit annoying when almost everyone is slagging your playing, that you worked so hard to get to perfection at any give time.

of course he was defending himself. he's not the "i dont give a flying $%&# what everybody thinks about me, my hair, my pants and my gut" personality, that yngwie has. not a stab at yngwie at all, but he is that way, he doesnt give a damn.

[noodleplugerine]

Which is why Yngwie will allways be 100x cooler than Batio.

[Philly Q]

Wouldn't you know two post later MAB answers and it would seem I insulted him. What now?

Say "just be glad I never mentioned your hair".

I have a very old album (on vinyl) called Little Monsters by Holland, featuring guitarist Mike Batio (so pre-MA and pre-MAB), and it looks like he was losing his hair then.  That's no reason to mock, of course, but I'm just not sure why he chooses to wear that thing on his head.

And what you originally said about him was right anyway.  To be fair, I'm sure he does play with passion, but he definitely plays too fast just because he can.  To me that's sports, not music.  Just my opinion, of course.

It must have given you a fright to read that reply though!  :lol:  Can you post the link  :?:

[Manji]

http://www.deanguitars.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31245&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15&sid=29fb67caac7830bd5e04b670dcb3c794

Near the bottom of the page- he's registered as "Double Guitar".

To be perfectly honest, I agree with you, dude.  MAB is insanely talented, and  nobody is disputing that- in fact, from what I can tell you didn't make any derogatory remark about his skills in your post- but in my opinion, he goes too far into the "Oooh look, I can play a bazillion notes a second" field.  

It's all very well having blindingly fast speed, but I've personally always been a fan of slower, melodic solos that have emotion and feeling to them, not just shredfests.  That said, Slayer solos are great to spazz out to every now and then. :D

And the fact that he was scouring the Dean forums to find topics about himself just so he could respond (notice his post count of 17) suggests that yes, he does have a fragile ego and he felt the need to lash out against a perceived threat to his skill/manhood.

And Yngwie makes me laugh my arse off. :D

[indysmith]

http://www.deanguitars.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31245&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

All that talk about respecting him because he's clearly put a lot of effort into getting where he is now...
WASTE OF TIME IMO
Seeing him play has WOW factor, but nothing more. When your "originality" comes from the fact that you play a double-necked guitar, rather than what you play on a double necked guitar, you've wasted your time as far as i'm concerned. I've listened to his music quite extensively, and seen him live; the only things he's played worth listening to are covers of other people's songs with lots of extra unneeded notes added.
As a bloke i think he's great, good stories when he's live, and he seems really friendly and down to earth - I think he's got it hard aswell since so many people criticize him and laugh, when all he's doing is his very best to be the king of shred - which he probably is! I'd be touchy aswell.
He gets automatic respect for his technique and personality, but his music just ain't my thing

[chrisola]

his new album is great, have a listen...

it amazes me that its only shredders that get the shite off people....where are all the people who bash hendrix for ONLY being able to play the blues? :P

[indysmith]

the blues counts as music - shred does not ;) :P

[Muso]

You guys leave michael angelo alone!  :shock: