Passion & Warfare

Steve Vai | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 24, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002BWP
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (124 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,859 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #8 in Music > Rock > Rock Guitarists > Shred

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The second solo album from Steve Vai shows the guitarist coming into his own as a composer, matching his prodigious talent as a performer. The result is an entertaining mix. The hilarious "Audience is Listening" complements more reflective pieces such as "For the Love of God." The high-powered "Animal" and "Greasy Kid's Stuff" are balanced by "Blue Powder" and "Alien Water Kiss." Unlike most guitar-god solo recordings, Passion & Warfare avoids the sort of technical noodling that is uninteresting to everyone except other guitarists, opting instead for a collection of high-quality music that is full of compositional experimentation without ever getting out of control. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars lol......some people need to open their ears, May 11, 2005

By 

Alan Pearson "Guitarius Maximus" (NZ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Passion & Warfare (Audio CD)

Just read through all of the reviews here and WOW --- some people on here must be tone-deaf or something! I think these days too many people think that the point of music is "hooks" (hence why the few who have given this album very negative reviews seem to mention satch). If you refuse to listen to any music that doesnt have some kind of hook or catchy riff that makes you tap your foot or nod your head, you will lead a very sheltered musical life! In this album, Vai takes a MUCH more mature approach to music than this, and creates a combination of catchiness on certain pieces (erotic nightmares for example), raw power on some (audience is listening, I would love to), and sheer emotion in others (for the love of god, blue powder). You have the absolute delicacy and wonderfully simple composition in "ballerina 12/24, and then complete experimentation in Love Secrets (which throws up some moments that can only be described as divine).

I cannot say one bad thing about this album, it is a work of art (as are all of Vai's works) -- beautifully crafted and impeccably delivered as always.
I think some people are just prejudiced towards any guitarist who shows signs that they have actually put serious effort into mastering their instrument. Where i come from we call this "jealousy".

p.s. i've been playing guitar seriously for 12 years, and i still cant play like Vai -- you can learn the notes, you cant LEARN the passion and soul. Open your ears.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Genius, July 27, 2005

By 

Fluffy Peanut - See all my reviews

This review is from: Passion & Warfare (Audio CD)

This the definitive Vai album. It contains Vai's greatest work and the playing is the best i've ever heard. Warning: no real vocals ( I know some people need vocals to enjoy music). Vai lets his guitar do most of the talking on this album and boy can he make it talk. Here's a breakdown of all the songs:

1 - Liberty - 5/5 - This song seriously sounds like it could be a national anthem.

2 - Erotic Nightmares - 5/5 - This song rocks hard and he makes some crazy noises with his guitar on it

3 - The Animal - 5/5 - This song is just downright cool.

4 - Answers - 5/5 - This is a very fun song.

5 - The Riddle - 5/5 - This song feels very mysterious.

6 - Ballerina 12/24 - 4/5 - Not my style, but boy does it sound cool. This song is very.. um.. different. It sounds like a baby song.

7 - For The Love of God - 5/5 - This song is a Vai classic and although it is hard it is also soothing.

8 - The Audience is Listening - 5/5 - My favorite song by Vai. This song is very funny. He is a little boy and his teacher lets him play a composition is class and he goes wild and turns the classroom into anarchy.

9 - I Would Love to - 5/5 - Yet another great song.

10 - Blue Powder - This song is very cool and contains a great bass solo.

11 - Greasy Kid's Stuff - 4/5 - This is a cool song, but it doesn't do much for me for some reason

12 - Alien Water Kiss - 0/5 - Just skip this nonsense, it's a bunch of noise.

13 - Sisters - 5/5 - This is a very light song and is very very soothing.

14 - Live Secrets - 3/5 - It's alright but it isn't anything special. It's pretty wierd.

*Every song on this albums contains great guitar work except for Alien Water Kiss.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Instrumental Guitar Rock, August 31, 2001

By 

M. Sturek "msturek" (Katy, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Passion & Warfare (Audio CD)

I first became aware of Steve Vai during his stint as a hired guitar pyrotechnic with David Lee Roth (hey, I was too young for Zappa!) Anyway, I bought this on tape when it first came out some 10 years ago and I still have yet to get bored by it.
The collection of songs represents the full range of Vai's prodigious talent.

"Liberty" serves as an intro to the album with big, sweeping guitar line that is repeated throughout. "I Would Love To", "Erotic Nightmares" and "Greasy Kid's Stuff" are straight-out rockers that exhibit his agility on the fret board. "Answers" and "The Riddle" flow logically into each other, and are progressive mid-tempo numbers. These two showcase what's great about Vai, he throws in seemingly every kind of distortion and effect that was available to him at the time, runs his guitar through it, and sees what comes out, but never does it sound forced or grating to the ears; it flows perfectly in the songs. "The Audience is Listening" is perhaps the most well known song. He made a video for it (the only Vai video I've seen), and has the trademark Vai humor with the dialogue of a cranky old elementary school teacher calling a young Vai crazy. Oh yeah, the music is great, too.

The two standout tracks for me, though, are two ballads, "For the Love of God" and "Blue Powder". Wow. It's hard for me to put into words how great these two songs are. Even if the other 12 tracks were horrible, these two would more than make up for it. Everything is perfect, the tempo, the guitar tone, the main melody, the solos, just perfect. If ever anyone accuses Vai of being a "shredder" - someone who plays fast just for the sake of playing fast with no emotion - just point him/her to these two songs.

I've always seen Vai as someone who has always embraced new effects as ways to express the emotions in his head. He is a musical genius (check out his theory teachings on his web site), and is able to communicate his emotions with his guitar. This is (so far) the pinnacle of his communication.