Rumor has it Steve was nominated for an Oscar for pretending he couldn't play guitar.

I wonder how many takes it took for Steve to remember to mess up lol!

I love the part right before Eugene steps into the Paganini piece. Willie is so crushed. He not only lost his own chance at redemption but took a young boy to Hell with him. Then Eugene starts to play, and its like the fog clears away from the old man's eyes for the first time in decades and he realized that God had him all along. Willie grew up in the church. All them old blues men did. God always planned on sending someone special. The moral to the story. You can't sell what God already owned since before the world knew you. All you can do is act bad and feel bad after. You can't actually sell it. Old Scratch is just lying to you and playing you for a trick to keep the world miserable. Also - Notice the look on Scratch's face when Eugene starts. The composer of that piece, Niccolo Paganini, was also rumored to have sold his soul in exchange for his abilities, which were supposed to be amazing. The Devil knows THAT piece. He helped write it.

Props to Ry Cooder on slide. Steve played everything but the slide parts. That wrecks me. So good. Thanks dude. Really appreciate the react

There's a lot of people who forget that Eugene was a progeny. And he went to Juilliard. The classical piece he is playing here is the same one he did in class at the beginning of the movie.

My name is Victor Nila Junior, and I am a multi-genre musician. I also play myriad (many) musical instruments, including guitar. My roots are in power pop, grunge, folk rock, sunshine pop, and jazz. I don't mind not being a total shredder, indeed no. I just wanna be a childlike, cheerful, gently loud power guitarist. They absolutely smashed it, though. Expect to hear music from yours truly, Uncle Vic jR.

Bro, when you lowered your shades are Ralph's classical jamming, I felt that. 😆

The movie starts with him getting in trouble for adding blues licks in classical guitar school.

👍 reaction

You should react to the full version just a little longer but has more music to it.. the old man plays his harmonica once the band starts playing.. cool scene

The classical song at the end is interesting: "Eugene's Trick Bag", the updated classical piece at the film's climax, is largely based on Niccolò Paganini's "Caprice #5". According to myth, Paganini sold his soul to the devil for his musical skills. Fitting way to defeat the devil.

@ 4:16 the original poster of the video edited out some Willie Brown harmonica parts and a very fumbling start to the head cutting by "Lightnin Boy".

You are awesome man.

I love the fact that Eugene had to catch up to Steve the entire battle. Steve lead all the way and Eugene brilliantly held his own. Then the 1 time that Eugene got the lead. Steve couldn't hack it. Nothing beats true talent.

Great guitar playing aside. My fave is when the band kicks in and the girl does that dancing thang and punks out Machio edging him off was priceless. Also. And most didn't get this because they only saw this part. But Ralf's character back at school, played this classical bit on his acustic guitar. If you get a chance, look that scene up. It goes a long way to get his playing against 'Jack Butler'.

Not just a classical scale, that was Paganini, who supposedly also sold his soul to the Devil for musical ability. Oh, and Steve Vai deserves an Oscar for acting like he couldn't play that. Especially considering he was actually playing both sides of the battle.

2:12 Here's an odd thought that I just put 2 and 2 together with, even though I have seen this movie quite a bit. While the battle is reminiscent of the "battle with the devil"...Robert Judd is actually playing Legba. Papa Legba is a lwa in Haitian Vodou, Winti and Louisiana Voodoo, who serves as the intermediary between the lwa and humanity. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives permission to speak with the spirits of Guineé, and is believed to speak all human languages. In Haiti, he is the great elocutioner. Now remember back when Willie and Eugene were first pulled there and waiting for Eugene to play against Jack Butler...Willie gives Eugene a bag and says something similar to, "You know what I got here? This is mojo hand. Louisiana voodoo charm...the winning boy's magic. I'm giving you all the magic I've got". The Legba mentioned is of course also Voodoo technically, so it's like two versions of Voodoo battling each other. Then let us think back to Willie meeting Legba's assistant on the road in the car that pulls up...Legba's assistant says to Willie, "Legba? Where you been at, slick? He done changed his name to Scratch!" I did a bit of research regarding this movie before and the devil/voodoo thing is all over the place. Old Scratch or Mr. Scratch is a nickname or pseudonym for the Devil. The name likely comes from Middle English scrat, the name of a demon or goblin, derived from Old Norse skratte. So in some scenes it's "the devil" and in others it's Legba, basically the voodoo deity of sorts. Still a great movie, just some inconsistencies. Granted, for those of us who believe in God and therefore also the devil/Satan....Voodoo and all of the other stuff is technically from Satan, so I guess it theoretically is about the same as a battle with the devil. Also, Robert Judd's mannerisms and style of speaking while walking up the road to Willie are amazing. They're also relaxing in a way with the footsteps crunching on the road and smooth way that he talked. He didn't get enough credit. As a former guitarist of 17+ years, let's also remember that Eugene was in Juilliard's music school, if I remember correctly. He was playing Classical music, from which the later solos are derived (I believe that's Paganini?). I remember from back in my early days of getting into guitar...everyone said Classical guitar is much harder to play because Classical guitars have a wider neck than acoustic guitars and electric guitars. I also know that electric guitar is much, much easier to play vs even acoustic guitar, having played both considerably. I never tried Classical, but getting a good sound out of them is tough because they're so muffled, which is why in the scene earlier in the movie Eugene picks up his acoustic guitar and puts down the Classical. He likes the sound of acoustic better and I don't blame him.

Thanks for posting this...I use to love this old movie 🎥. Crossroads about Robert Johnson...my dad was an extremely talented guitarist. My friends use to ask if there was a concert happening at my house. It was my dad shredding his guitar...but he could play any instrument I found out by observing him with his musician friends. I have one really expensive guitar that my grand daughter will inherit along with three others with other amps and equipment. You’re REACTION was Great 👍🏽. I’m praying she’s inherited this gene 🧬.

Steve made his guitar laugh at Ralph. . .

5 This man got it !

macchio was a classical guitar student in the beginning of the movie...who loved the blues.

Nice to see you pick up on that classical scale to

That part where he played classical music , it was N. Paganini Caprice no. 5 .

Müzik evrenseldir,,,bu kurt cede olabilir ...!!!

Rumor had it that ry cooder played Ralph's parts

You have an excellent ear :)

Eugene brought the smoke and Jack Butler choked

Listen to some joe (satch) satriani! Steve's teacher! Joe is a guitar god!

Bro.... I would have clicked just to get a better look at that epic beard, never mind Steve via

The slide guitar parts were all played by Ry Cooder. Steve Vai played his parts and a Japanese classical guitarist played the classical parts. I prefer Ry's playing if youre talking blues.✌

Playing a piece by Someone who sold his soul to the devil to win against the devil..

did rahlp really played that solo or Steve did it and rahlp just act it. upon this guitar battle it shows that it not the guitar but the player makes it sound great..ibanez vs telecaster..but I guess steve played the solo on both guitar the technic and attract is very much the same.peter cannot play exactly like John play the guitar he can get the right notes but the right sound is hard to immitate.