Steve Vai - «Knappsack»

On Dec 29, 2020, Steve had corrective surgery on his right shoulder. He believes that sitting while playing the guitar and hunching his shoulder for close to 50 years may have compromised the tendons, and then doing chest flies (work out exercise) and overextending did it in. He had two tendons that were torn all the way through, and a bicep tendon torn from the bone and shredded. Then he found Dr. Thomas Knapp, (Santa Monica) perhaps the leading cuff surgeon in the USA. Dr. Knapp fixed Steve up really nice and set him up in a sling that Dr. Knapp created called “The Knappsack.” Steve wore his Knappsack for 4 weeks, and it can be seen being worn in this video. Months before the shoulder surgery, Steve developed trigger finger in his left thumb. This is a condition that is a form of carpal tunnel. His thumb eventually froze, and he was in need of corrective surgery. In January 2021, Steve underwent this surgery that was performed by Dr. David Kulber (Beverly Hills) for which Steve says, “After all of the research I did, I believe he is considered the top hand surgeon out there.” Both surgeries were successful and Steve was on the mend. But during the recuperation process, while wearing his “Knappsack” and not able to use his right hand, he felt compelled to write and record this track and name it “Knappsack.” Because of Steve’s legato hammering style, performing with one hand was not so alien of an idea to him and when he set out to write and record this track, it flowed...