During a conversation with Ultimate Guitar's Justin Beckner, guitar legend Steve Vai looked back on his 1980-1983 tenure in Frank Zappa's band, which he joined after working as Zappa's transcriptionist for about two years.

Vai: "I was making Flex-Able while I was working with Frank. And while I was working with Frank, I knew it wasn't going to be a lifelong career because Frank doesn't do that and I couldn't see myself being a sideman for the rest of my life, with Frank. I loved it when I was there with him. It was quite an unbelievable experience."

UG: That's a huge step moving from a band like Zappa's to the abyss of a solo career. What made you take that step?

Vai: "Well, I started working with Frank when I was 18, transcribing music, and then when I was 20, I joined the band and toured and recorded with him for three years. The last show of the last tour in '82 was in Palermo, Sicily and there was a riot and three kids got shot. Frank just told everybody, 'I'm done touring. That's it. I'm not touring anymore.' For two years, he sat in his studio and built some clavier music. So, you know, I wasn't going to wait around for Frank to tour again. I had to go out and get moving. I felt so invigorated from working with him, and his influence was so obvious and so powerful on me, that I started experimenting with the things I was learning from Frank and that became Flex-Able.

Then the rock 'n' roll bug was itching again, and that's when Alcatrazz was looking for a guitar player (following the departure of Yngwie Malmsteen) so I kind of did that. That was great - I got to get some real metal ya-yas out. Then when the gig came with David Lee Roth, I was working on (1990's) Passion & Warfare and I had to shelve it. But it was always in the background, even when I was touring and recording with Roth. Then finally, push came to shove, and I had to do it."

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Joe Satriani's new Club Joe Streaming Sessions returned for Episode #3, and focused on everything about G3 Experience. Joe was joined by his good friends Steve Vai and John Petrucci to explore the past, present and future of G3. Watch below: