But really, the whole basis of the song is that riff, which was inspired by the Kinks,” Al Di Meola told Guitar Player in 2020, in reference to his 1977 guitar opus, Race with Devil on Spanish ...

It may have simple origins, but Race with Devil on Spanish Highway is a true feat of guitar acrobatics (though Di Meola has always pushed back on those who refer to it as an example of proto-shred).