“Eddie Van Halen’s main solo is a greatest hits of all his best guitar licks”: Dweezil Zappa issues update for What the Hell Was I Thinking? – his ambitious mega-track featuring Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, Brian May and more

Dweezil Zappa may have bitten off more than he can chew with his uber-ambitious project, What the Hell Was I Thinking? But, 35 years after starting it, he’s revealed he’s just about ready to get the mammoth composition over the line. 

The track features “at least 40” A-List electric guitar heroes – Steve Vai, Brian May, Steve Morse, Angus and Malcolm Young, and even the late Eddie Van Halen have all laid down solos for it – and thanks to new tech, its release may not be too far off.  

Guesting on The Vinyl Guide podcast, Zappa discussed the track’s origins and ambitions, and why new technology is helping advance the project in a way that wouldn’t have been possible when he started it in 1989.  

“The idea was that it was a continuous piece of music that’s morphing all the time,” he says. “It changes from style to style, and the atmosphere where the music is taking place also changes – so it might go from being like an old-time record sound to a live music hall.

“This project is going to be great for [Dolby] Atmos because it is a totally immersive experience,” he continues. “So that’s what I am going to focus on when I have time to try to wrap it up. But I have been working on that thing since 1990, or even 1989. It’s a long time coming.” 

Several anecdotes regarding the work in progress have surfaced over the years, with Dweezil now revealing he forced Yngwie Malmsteen out of his comfort zone with a slow blues solo: “He sounds even faster,” Zappa tells The Vinyl Guide.

As for Eddie Van Halen's part, that sounds equally intriguing.

“Edward’s part was really cool, because it was done at 5150 and he used his original amp – the one that’s on the first few records – and he hadn’t used it in a long time at that point,” he recalls.

“The main solo – he had two solos – but the main solo is kind of like a greatest hits of all of his best guitar licks. It was kind of a joke. I said, ‘Why don’t we do this thing where we put all these licks that are from your solos… we’ll see if we can find a way to connect them.’”

However, a key issue with a recording project that spans over three decades is that some solos were tracked analog and needed to be digitized. That, he explains, isn’t a straightforward process. 

Despite the project's protracted creation, Zappa says he’s “not worried about it,” and that his “audio movie” will “be what it will be when it is time to hear it!” 

That means there’s still time for further guest stars. Dweezil’s door is still open to Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and David Gilmour – three players he's eager to bring on board.