CIAO Marty, in a recent answer, you told at the guy who asked u a question: ""It is easy to get caught up in the technical challenges of playing guitar and completely forget the goal of just creating good new music."". I agree fully with you, but so don't you think Jason Becker used too much technique too when he played? Or you think that he used it at the right moment? When it was necessary?

Jason had an exceptional amount of technique but he also had a beautiful sense of music that was just starting to grow. During the first Cacophony album, he had tons of chops and a hint of a melodic sense, but had a very hard time slowing down to play a melody, and most of what he wrote was at warp speed. But by the time he did his 1st solo album, he had developed (at 17!!) his own unique melodic voice. It was only getting better and better. Listen to "Altitudes" and imagine where this 17 year old was going musically...