So you can play the blues exceptionally well? I notice you said "we" at the end of that tirade, that's all. Part of it may be jealousy; I certainly wish that I could play with the technical competence of people like Vai, Satch, Petrucci, etc. However, seeing as I fall asleep everytime I hear their music, I certainly don't hope to sound like them. The argument about whether or not they are "shredders" or not is useless, because the term does not change the way they play. Maybe they do play with feeling, it's just not feeling I can relate to. I listen to very little blues, because, despite the fact that I think blues can sound great, it can also be a bit limiting. I always find it interesting how people like Malmsteen etc are so in awe of Hendrix, who was essentially a blues player at heart. Hendrix played faster than most blues players did, but Malmsteen and co have taken it to a level where it is alienating; it gets away from the fundamentals of blues. Blues is not about subtlety; it is about hurt and pain and sex. Once you start going into elaborate compositions perhaps you get away from the fact that a few notes are all that are needed. If I want to listen to more subtle feeling I listen to jazz or classical music, which people like Vai simply don't play. They may be great, but in niche that heaps of people don't care about.