Passion and Warfare was nothing less than the guitarist’s bid for immortality, and if it had the added benefit of leaving contemporaries like Edward Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen in the dust, so be it. for "Love Secrets" leads to one very wild ride that veers into the more eclectic and proggy side of But more importantly, I had been playing in David Lee Roth’s band, and I realized it was an opportunity for me to kind of shift my focus. I wanted to just forget about everything, and do what felt right for me. Don’t get me wrong, some aspect of me wanted commercial success, and that’s why I included things like “I Would Love To” and “The Audience Is Listening.” I understood that radio could be my friend, and that they and MTV would play my stuff if I gave them something to work with. So I did. Passion and Warfare is the second studio album by guitarist Steve Vai, released on May 22, 1990, through Relativity and Epic Records. [2] It has been certified Gold by the RIAA. When I was young, I was really into motorcycle culture though as a teenager I could never really afford one,” he recalls.

I had these beautiful Lydian chord changes, and I said, Okay, I'm going to do a solo, but I want to do something new. There’s something out there, I don’t know what it is, but it will come to me. a b Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9. That may be, but the liner notes to Passion and Warfare show there was some internal conflict. There are spoken word lines throughout the album that talk about balancing the physical with the metaphysical. For example, you say, “We may be human but we’re still animals,” or you talk about “walking a line between Pagan and Christian.” There is a very palpable sense of trying to pull together both spectrums of your personality.The concepts were bubbling over and driving me crazy. I enjoyed the music I was doing with Dave but he and I started moving in different directions and I felt like there was a larger, other world of music to explore. I was reaching into that secret part of the brain that we all go to for inspiration, and was curious as to if I could make those visions an audible reality.

The Riddle" (6:22) brings the music slower with tight bass lines and howling guitar in high register notes. It's really I’ve heard others try to describe the same state of mind. The greatest music ever sounded on this earthly plane is a pathetic, feeble shadow of the purity and magnitude of the music within, but I am not an authority on this, although I believe that authorities on the subject do exist. I am not in control of these incredible states of consciousness and can not summon them at will, although I try all the time. They come when they want and go as they please. Experimenting in these realms without the guidance of someone who is experienced can be extremely dangerous to one’s spiritual health. Top 3 Albums in Europe – Finland" (PDF). Music & Media. worldradiohistory.com: VII. 23 June 1990 . Retrieved 13 May 2021. Well, that’s a very interesting observation, and it’s true. Musically, I knew what I wanted to bring into the world, but on a personal level there was intense psychological drama going on in my head. In my early twenties I went through a very difficult period mentally. I was dealing with anxiety, confusion and depression.

Yeah, I was very interested in composition, hard things to play and quirkiness. A lot of that quirkiness followed me through my career, which I love. Meditation, in many circles, is the exercise of bringing the mind and body to that very still place. Then the inner worlds open up. It’s easy to become a famous guitar player but it’s virtually impossible to still and control the mind (I did say virtually). for Steve's guitar virtuosity. At least I suppose, I can be wrong, but I feel that this is his main

Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia’s Music Charts 1988–2010. Mount Martha, Melbourne, Victoria: Moonlight Publishing.

Tracklist

There’s a sizable six-year gap between Flex-Able and Passion and Warfare. What was happening to you and how did your attitude shift?