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Rating:
The reason that compels me to review this album, despite it already being commented on three times, is inherent in my rating. Two out of five. Therefore, mine will be a negative review in contrast to the other three already published on this site.
Let's start with the cover. It fairly well summarizes the character of the album, and its style is very similar to that of David Lee Roth's solo album (in which Vai played), "Eat 'em and smile." "Passion and Warfare" is from 1989 and features the following songs:
- liberty: serves as the album's intro, it’s enjoyable, but with quite trivial harmonies and in the end it leaves nothing
- erotic nightmares: starts with a rocking riff that’s not bad, but evolves into an instrumental chaos overwhelmed by presumptuous guitar experiments: guitars intertwining, effects, slides, and various antics. Vai’s style certainly appears distinctive, though not his compositional vein. The mystical segment near the end rises from nowhere and fades away just as quickly
- The animal: great opening riff and guitar groove off the charts. Rather inspired solos, but even here, the further it goes, the more ideas for the song run dry, favoring the insane performances of Zappa and Satriani's student.
- Answer: one of the most well-known pieces, also for its very flashy funky intro. Needless to say how the song evolves. Even here, it starts with a truly remarkable solo, but then gets lost in harmonic arrangements made by someone who doesn't know how to make them.
- The riddle: melodically connected to the previous song. Very interesting harmonic experiments in Vai's solos, which sit atop the (poor) rhythmic soul of a song dragged on a bit too long.
- ballerina 12/24: great guitar piece, made unique by the sound and frantic use of the octaver. One of the album's best pieces.
- for the love of god: here we ascend to heaven, because finally the solo remains worthy till the end and the arrangements aren’t as affected as usual. The best.
- the audience is listening: irresistible intro for the expressiveness of Steve’s guitar... starts with an irresistible riff for everyone, then strengthened by the usual grandiose distortion and sporadic use of harmonics. Then nothing, really. Even the solos here are banal.
- I would love to: an honest piece, a very eighties rock, it passes through pleasantly.
- Blue powder: a slow piece of the same kind as for the love of god. Expressive guitar that oscillates between harmony and technical prowess. However, we're at a rather low compositional level.
- Greasy Kid's stuff: Not bad this rock piece, also filled with unusually original variations.
- Alien water kiss: a sound experiment. There's room in an album for such a track.
- Sisters: after for the love of god, there's this gem. Clean guitar reigns, Vai almost seems to want to blend a Knopfler style into his sounds. What emerges is a fantastic intimate song.
- Love secrets: this song annoyed me so much that it brought my personal rating of this album down by one star. It seems like messing around with synthesizers. When bad taste knows no bounds. Ending with sisters would have been much more stylish.
Conclusions: 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. Goodbye everyone. Squalo.
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 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 dervin
THIS MAN SINGS WITH THE GUITAR!
Steve Vai plays the guitar in the most honest way possible.
