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After a relatively "alternative" solo debut, with this completely instrumental album Steve Vai showcases his creative genius to the world. Passion & Warfare is an innovative, enjoyable, and exciting album to listen to (even now, more than ten years after its release), perfect in terms of musicality and the distribution of the songs.
The album was born after months spent in the studio playing, developing, and mixing the pieces that Vai himself composes without any haste or pressure.
An album to have at all costs, perhaps Vai's best work, certainly the most original.
After a brief and intense introduction, "Erotic Nightmares," "The Animal," and "The Riddle" (preceded by "Answers") follow in succession, three pieces that effectively represent the "Vai" style, both in the way he plays the guitar and the type of emotions he manages to convey. The album then takes a more reflective turn with the very famous "For the Love of God," the most well-known and popular piece of all.
At the end of the album, more rhythmic and crazy pieces (typical of Vai) alternate with slower and atmospheric pieces ("Blue Powder" among them all).
In short, an album worth listening to from the first to the last song. Even the inevitable technicalities do not decrease the value of the pieces but enhance their more melodic parts.
BUY IT!
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
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 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.
By dervin
THIS MAN SINGS WITH THE GUITAR!
Steve Vai plays the guitar in the most honest way possible.
