Guitar Tab: Steve Stevens (Vince Neil) - Sister of Pain

Steve Stevens’ solo on Vince Neil’s “Sister of Pain” is one of those perfect early ’90s moments where a singer with something to prove hooks up with a guitarist who refuses to play it safe. “Sister of Pain” comes off Vince Neil’s 1993 solo album Exposed, the record he made after splitting with Mötley Crüe. The whole thing has this charged, defiant energy—lyrics about danger, addiction, and living on the edge, wrapped in that sleazy, neon-lit hard rock vibe that was about to be wiped out by grunge. Instead of trying to remake Crüe, Vince leans into a darker, more modern feel, and this track is right at the center of that.

Steve Stevens was a huge part of why Exposed sounds the way it does. Most people know him as Billy Idol’s right-hand man—the New York shredder behind “Rebel Yell,” “White Wedding,” and “Eyes Without a Face.” He’s also the Grammy-winning guitarist on the “Top Gun Anthem” and the session ace who added fire to Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana.” When Vince was putting this band together, the original idea was to have Adrian Vandenberg on guitar, but the label ended up bringing in Stevens instead. Once he signed on, he didn’t just drop in a few solos—he laid down virtually all the guitars and bass on the album, basically becoming the architect of Vince’s solo sound.

You can really hear that on “Sister of Pain.” The solo isn’t just tacked onto the song; it explodes out of the riff and leans into the song’s whole theme of chaos and temptation. Stevens stretches out in a way he rarely got to on Billy Idol records—bigger statements, more drama, but still that ultra-controlled phrasing and melodic sense that keeps it musical instead of turning into pure shred for shred’s sake. For fans, this track is a snapshot of Vince trying to carve out his own lane in the post-Crüe era. For guitar nerds, it’s one of those deep-cut moments where a legendary “hired gun” quietly drops some of his most intense and memorable work.

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