by Greg PratoThe 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 decades 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 the day (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, etc.), Coven packed up his bags after high school graduation, and enrolled in Bostons Berklee School of Music. The old adage its a small world came into play, as it turned out Vai had enrolled in the same school as well. It wasnt long before the two formed their own local band, Morning Thunder, and while the band nev...