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Rating:
THE REVIEW
This album is amazing! It contains 50 minutes of astral and mystical music, which should appeal to anyone with a minimum of musical sensitivity. It's not an album just for guitarists, and although it's almost entirely instrumental, it's never boring or predictable.
Steve Vai has poured all his abilities into it, aided by Chris Frazer on drums, Stuart Hamm on bass, and occasionally Dave Rosenthal on keyboards, to craft a historic record for us. It opens with "Liberty", which could potentially be the new U.S. national anthem, and with "Erotic Nightmares", he presents a hysterical metal-boogie that melts into a slow section of dreamlike oddities. Here and there, Steve's influences come to the fore: the central part of "For The Love Of God", where Vai unleashes furious, endless bursts treated with the wah-wah, closely resembles what Jimmy Page used to do in the instrumental interludes of "No Quarter" (live version 1977). "Sisters" is instead full of Hendrixian reminiscences, while "The Audience Is Listening" and "I Would Love To" hark back unashamedly to Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher" and "Jump". But there's everything in this work: in "Blues Power" a bluesy experiment, in "Ballerina 12/24" an unusual guitar arpeggio and harmonizer, in "Answers" '90s industrial music.
The technical goodies are then so numerous that they can't even be cataloged or deciphered. Steve Vai is a genius, one of those rare artists who manages to hear the "voice of the moon" and translate it into music, just as Fellini did with cinema. This "Passion & Warfare" is something to own and place on the shelf of the most cherished items, next to Van Gogh reproductions, photos of loved ones, and, why not? ...a poster of Marco Van Basten...
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Summary by Bot
Steve Vai's 'Passion & Warfare' is an exceptional instrumental rock album showcasing his extraordinary guitar skills over 50 minutes of mystical and varied music. The album features contributions from top musicians and blends diverse styles that keep listeners engaged without predictability. It evokes influences from legends like Hendrix, Page, and Van Halen, making it both a historic and essential listen for music lovers and guitar enthusiasts. Highly praised for its creativity and technical mastery.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Steve Vai
Steve Vai (born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist and composer known for virtuosic instrumental rock, wide stylistic range, and high-profile work with Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake, as well as an extensive solo career.22 Reviews
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 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.
