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Rating:
In a strict sense, I would say that I like Steve Vai a lot. In an even stricter sense, I would say that there are at least four or five reasons why any musician should like Steve Vai. But since objectivity in music fortunately does not exist, then it is better to say that, roughly speaking, the music he plays is disliked by 97% of our mothers and a good 89% of young people between 18 and 30 years old. Therefore, how he still manages to sell records seems like a minor miracle. Despite this, and despite the numerous criticisms that will rain on this review, I feel compelled to say that "Passion and Warfare" should be the first album to listen to when deciding to learn to play the guitar. Certainly, I forget about Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, or Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton.
But in these 50 minutes of music, there's everything you need to know about the six strings that fascinate us the most. And I don't say it out of pure reverence. I firmly believe that this album is one of the most beautiful instrumental albums in living memory. And I call it an instrumental album simply because it is not 50 minutes of backing tracks on which Steve Vai practices going faster and faster. Let's leave that to the shredders.
The wealth of detail with which he crafts the arrangements is frighteningly detailed. Let's take a random song: "The Riddle". For 3/4 of the song, the chord progression stays the same, yet the experimental sounds and Steve's truly refined touch keep the piece from being monotonous. On the contrary, Steve enjoys creating particular melodies, sometimes dissonant, sometimes sweet and slow. With a nod to the master Frank Zappa, we could say that Steve does what he wants with music (and not just with the guitar). And what about the technique? Well, I would say that by his own admission, at Berklee in Boston, he dealt with people who were technically much more gifted than him but lacked feeling, touch, or whatever you call it. For 50 minutes, I never paid attention to the technique for its own sake that might stand out in an album of this kind. If there is a single virtue in this guitarist, it is precisely the ability to put technique at the service of the sound. And he succeeds splendidly, given that my first impression hearing the initial "Liberty" and "Erotic Nightmares" was: THIS MAN SINGS WITH THE GUITAR! That's it, to hell with the subjectivity of music. To hell with everything. Steve Vai plays the guitar in the most honest way possible. He can do things that many guitarists would do blindfolded with their hands behind their backs, but with one difference. They would probably do it without that famous feeling or touch we mentioned before. End of story.
Five-star album. If you want to open your mind, listen to it.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
04 Answers (02:56)
De antwoorden zijn altijd al aanwezig.
I cannot be ungrateful for what i
Have received from america,
But I'm not the judge.
The judge of justice say, 'led-em-go.'
05 The Riddle (06:24)
So let's make love...
Let's make love again...
Is that a proposition?
Now let's make love.
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Of the United States of America
And to the Republic from which it stands
One nation,
Under God
Individual, which liberty and justice for all.
With liberty and justice for all
With liberty and justice for all
With liberty and justice for all
With liberty and justice for all
Which liberty and justice for all.
08 The Audience Is Listening (05:29)
Now stevie, now don't be nervous, honey, o.k.? I'm gonna go in & i'm
Gonna introduce you & then you're gonna come in with your guitar & you're
Gonna play that nice, nice music you were telling me about; & while you're
Doing that, I'll be sitting in the back of the. we'll have such a good time,
So don't you be nervous, honey. it will relaw everybody, & we'll be so happy.
I'm gonna go n now. I'll introduce you, o.k.? heads up! now you kids you,
All of you, calm down. that's good, o.k. everyone in your own seat, that's
Good. o.k., now, little stevie vai is going to play a composition on the
Guitar. he wrote it all by himself. o.k., stevie, bring your three friends
Up, they can play with you. that seve vai, what a nice little boy. {i wrote
This song for all my friends. when I grow up, I'm gonna be a famous rock
'n roll guitar player.} love it. eh, he, he, go ahead. {and this is my
Whammy bar. and it's gonna be loud.} don't you think that's a bit loud?
Boys!!! it's getting too loud! you're getting out of control, boys. stevie,
Now calm down class, calm down. mr. vai, you've got to turn it down...
{what did you say, you want me to turn it down? you mean down like this...}
(boys, what happened to that nice music? ) that sounds like noise mr. vai.
And I want it stopped! you've all got detention. {uh, oh, here comes
Trouble.} ayy. vai, are you outta your mind? you, guys, ya don't back off.
Ya must be crazy! I'm gonna flip-out. I'm tellin' you. if this is my
Final flip-out, you guys are gonna go with me. {ah, shut up.} will you
Two stop dancing like that. frankie, leave that girl alone! we're not
Gonna have another incident like mildred. come here to me me, vai, don't
You hear me? come here you little snit. wait 'till I get my hands...
Don't you run away. ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay vai. knock it off! get
Off my desk! {hey andrea, check this out.} oh, stevie, you promised me
You'd play nice music; people out of control, dancin' on the desks. playin'
With the girls. that awful noise just make people go wild. you gotta turn
That music down, stevie, please. {i'm fearless in my heart. they will
Always see that in my eyes. I am the passion; I am the warfare. I will never
Stop...always constant, accurate, and intense.} mark my words, you'll never
Amount to anything, steve vai. you'll see, you'll be a bum, in the streets.
A bum, that's it, a bum. I thought you were such a nice little boy. ya
Know what? ya mean, ya got a mean, nasty, vicious streak. why don't you
Just quit school? move to california with all those other bums. go, that's
Where you belong, with all those crazies out in california. maybe you'll be
Famous; {thank you very much.} ha! that's the funniest thing I've ever
Heard. {thank you very much.} you-famous? with that noise? ha! i'll
See ya in jail; {thank you very much.} give me a break stevie, stop it.
You'll see, mark my words.
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Other reviews
By QbProg
Passion & Warfare is an innovative, enjoyable, and exciting album to listen to (even now, more than ten years after its release).
An album to have at all costs, perhaps Vai’s best work, certainly the most original.
By AR (Anonima Recensori)
This is an extraordinary album, here is "Passion & Warfare"!
With this album, Steve Vai was consecrated among the greatest shredders of all time.
By VuFeRo-Rosso
Steve Vai is a genius, one of those rare artists who manages to hear the 'voice of the moon' and translate it into music.
'Passion & Warfare' is something to own and place on the shelf of the most cherished items.
By squalo
An album for guitarists only, but to be listened to with critical judgment.
There are many ideas, but laid down in a confusing way and without compositional skill.
