# Flex-Able

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***Flex-Able*** is the debut studio [album](/source/Album) by American virtuoso guitarist [Steve Vai](/source/Steve_Vai). This was his first as a solo artist, and was created in Stucco Blue, a shed converted into a studio in Vai's old back garden. It is very different from many of his other albums, and is largely influenced by [Frank Zappa](/source/Frank_Zappa); Vai was a member of his backing band from 1980 to 1983. *Flex-Able* does not rely as much on massive guitar arrangements and [shred](/source/Shred_guitar) moments as the rest of his output from the 1990s onwards, with the exception of *Leftovers* which is a compilation of bonus tracks and remasters from his sessions at Stucco Blue.

The cover of the May 2009 issue of *[Guitar World](/source/Guitar_World)* features a photograph of Vai in a pose similar to the album's cover, including the bending guitar neck.[1]

## Track listing (Original LP release)

The album was originally released on vinyl in 1984.

All songs written by [Steve Vai](/source/Steve_Vai).

### Side one

1. "Little Green Men" – 5:39
1. "Viv Woman" – 3:09
1. "Lovers Are Crazy" – 5:39
1. "Salamanders in the Sun" – 2:26
1. "The Boy/Girl Song" – 4:02

### Side two

1. "[The Attitude Song](/source/The_Attitude_Song)" – 3:23
1. "Call It Sleep" – 5:09
1. "Junkie" – 7:23
1. "Bill's Private Parts" – 0:16
1. "Next Stop Earth" – 0:34
1. "There's Something Dead in Here" – 3:46

## Track listing (extended edition re-release)

The album was re-released on [CD](/source/Compact_disc) in 1988 by Akashic Records, with four bonus tracks from the *[Flex-Able Leftovers](/source/Flex-Able_Leftovers)* EP; and again remastered and reissued by [Epic Records](/source/Epic_Records) in 1997, with the same track listing as the Akashic reissue. There is also one [European](/source/Europe) reissue on Curcio Records (released in 1992 in [Italy](/source/Italy)) that features the same cover on the vinyl and just the first eleven tracks.[2]

All songs written by [Steve Vai](/source/Steve_Vai) unless otherwise indicated.

1. "Little Green Men" – 5:39
1. "Viv Woman" – 3:09
1. "Lovers Are Crazy" – 5:39
1. "Salamanders in the Sun" – 2:26
1. "The Boy/Girl Song" – 4:02
1. "The Attitude Song" – 3:23
1. "Call It Sleep" – 5:09
1. "Junkie" – 7:23
1. "Bill's Private Parts" – 0:16
1. "Next Stop Earth" – 0:34
1. "There's Something Dead in Here" – 3:46

**Bonus From *[Flex-Able Leftovers](/source/Flex-Able_Leftovers)* EP**

1. "So Happy" (Steve Vai, Laurel Fishman) – 2:44
1. "Bledsoe Bluvd" – 4:22
1. "Burnin' Down the Mountain" – 4:22
1. "Chronic Insomnia" – 2:05

## Trivia

The first song on the album, "Little Green Men", is dedicated to [Nina Hagen](/source/Nina_Hagen).

## Personnel

- [Steve Vai](/source/Steve_Vai) – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, synthesizer, bass, percussion, piano, keyboards, sitar, vocals, bells, producer, engineer, drum machine, drum programming, design, and mixing

**Additional Musicians**

- Scott Collard – synthesizer, keyboards, Fender Rhodes
- Larry Crane – lyre, xylophone, bells, vibraphone
- Greg Degler – clarinet, flute, saxophone
- Joe Despagni – sound effects
- Laurel Fishman – vocals
- Peggy Foster – bass
- [Chris Frazier](/source/Chris_Frazier) – drums
- [Stuart Hamm](/source/Stuart_Hamm) – bass, sound effects, vocals, vocals (background)
- Bob Harris – trumpet, vocals (as Irney Rantin)
- Suzannah Harris (as Ursula Rayven) – vocals
- [Billy James](/source/Ant-Bee) – percussion, drums
- Paul Lemcke – keyboards
- [Pia Maiocco](/source/Pia_Maiocco) – vocals
- [Tommy Mars](/source/Tommy_Mars) – violin, keyboards, vocals
- Lill Vai – sound effects
- [Chad Wackerman](/source/Chad_Wackerman) – drums
- Pete Zeldman – percussion, drums

**Production**

- Aaron Brown – design, illustrations
- John Matousek – mastering
- Mark Pinske – assistant
- Neil Zlozower – photography

## References

1. ["Guitar World - New Issue Preview May 2009"](https://www.guitarworld.com/gw-archive/new-issue-preview-may-2009). Guitar World. 2009-02-25. Retrieved 2009-04-07.

1. [More Informations (Discogs)](http://www.discogs.com/Steve-Vai-Flex-Able/master/44446)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Flex-Able](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flex-Able) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flex-Able?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.