“It was very simplistic compared to my later compositions”: It may have been inspired by the Kinks, but Al Di Meola’s Race with Devil on Spanish Highway is one of the great virtuoso displays in guitar history. Watch the maestro play it with Steve Vai

Steve Vai . Al Di Meola – YouTube

Watch On
“It was very simplistic compared to my later compositions. But really, the whole basis of the song is that riff, which was inspired by the Kinks,” Al Di Meola told Guitar Player in 2020, in reference to his 1977 guitar opus, Race with Devil on Spanish Highway.

It may have simple origins, but Race with Devil on Spanish Highway is a true feat of guitar acrobatics (though Di Meola has always pushed back on those who refer to it as an example of proto-shred).

In April 2015, Di Meola made a stop at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California, for one of his guitar acrobatics-filled shows. As a bonus, the show was topped off by an encore appearance by Steve Vai.

For the encore, the guitarists performed a blazing version of none other than Race with Devil on Spanish Highway, which features on Di Meola’s Elegant Gypsy LP.

Viewable above, though, is a fascinating clip of Vai and Di Meola rehearsing the song at Vai’s Harmony Hut studio a few hours before the show – it’s a real treat to see their fretwork up close.

Race With Devil On Spanish Highway – YouTube

Watch On
Despite its intricacies, Di Meola says the studio version of the track – which features Anthony Jackson on bass, Barry Miles on keyboards, and Lenny White on drums – was cut fully live.

“We rehearsed the song a few times, and then we hit Electric Lady [studios, in New York City],” he told Guitar Player in 2020. “I didn’t really have to explain much to the guys. Their level of musicianship was so high that they could just look at a chart and know what they had to do to enhance the tune.

All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!

“I was using my ’71 Les Paul Custom and a Marshall 50-watt half stack. I didn’t use any effects – you lose so much punch that way.

“On my amp, I just turned the bass and midrange to 10, and I dialed the treble down to zero,” he continued. “I remember Larry DiMarzio came to the studio. He looked at my amp and said, ‘It’s funny that you use that setting. That’s how Leslie West sets his amp.’

“Everything was live, even my solos. I was standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by the other guys. There was some bleed from the other players, but what are you gonna do? It’s a bunch of guys playing together.”