Randy Coven

The '80s saw the emergence of quite a few technically accomplished hard rock bassists -- tops being Billy Sheehan and Stu Hamm -- as well as several lesser-known (yet just as skilled) players, including Randy Coven. Coven happened to come from the same locale that two of the decade's top guitarists hailed from, Long Island, New York, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Word has it that another renowned player, bassist Jeff Berlin, lived nearby as well, and offered Coven some pointers early on. Learning bass by playing in local cover bands that specialized in the top hard rock names of...