| Passion and Warfare | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 22, 1990 | |||
| Studio | The Mothership | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 53:15 | |||
| Label | Relativity | |||
| Producer | Steve Vai | |||
| Steve Vai chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
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.
Passion and Warfare was written based on a series of dream sequences that Vai had when he was younger, and in the guitar music book of the album, Vai sums it up as "Jimi Hendrix meets Jesus Christ at a party that Ben Hur threw for Mel Blanc". It was all recorded in The Mothership studio at his home in the Hollywood Hills, a 1,600-square-foot (150 m2) building in which his guitar parts for Whitesnake's 1989 album Slip of the Tongue were also recorded. Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale has small spoken parts on the album; Coverdale, Adrian Vandenberg and Rudy Sarzo are credited with backing vocals. Vai states that planning the album started as early as 1982, but was shelved after joining the David Lee Roth band and not picked up again until parting ways with Roth in 1989. [3]
"The Audience Is Listening" video received regular airplay on MTV. [4]
Vai utilized many unusual recording techniques on the album. For what would come to be one of his most popular songs to date, "For the Love of God", he fasted for ten days and recorded the song on the fourth day of the fast. [5] "Blue Powder" was originally recorded in 1986 as a showcase track for Carvin, using their X-100B amplifier, and given away with Guitar Player magazine in flexi disc format. Vai was introduced to Carvin by his mentor Frank Zappa, who had also used the X-100B. The drums were subsequently re-recorded for the album. [6] The equipment used to record Passion and Warfare was: Ibanez JEM and Universe guitars; Charvel Green Meanie guitar; Marshall JCM900 and Carvin X-100B amplifiers; ADA MP-1 preamplifier; Boss DS-1 distortion pedal; Eventide H3000 harmonizer; Lexicon 480L. Like many other releases by Vai, the album is largely instrumental, with only spoken word pieces being featured in terms of vocals, which are performed by many guests.
The song "For the Love of God" is available for download for the 2007 video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock , and was voted the 29th best solo of all time by a readers' poll in Guitar World magazine. [7]
In 2016, Vai embarked on the Passion and Warfare 25th Anniversary World Tour, where he played the album in its entirety for the first time. [8]
All tracks are written by Steve Vai
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Liberty" | 2:03 |
| 2. | "Erotic Nightmares" | 4:15 |
| 3. | "The Animal" | 4:01 |
| 4. | "Answers" | 2:56 |
| 5. | "The Riddle" | 6:24 |
| 6. | "Ballerina 12/24" | 1:43 |
| 7. | "For the Love of God" | 6:03 |
| 8. | "The Audience Is Listening" | 5:30 |
| 9. | "I Would Love To" | 3:41 |
| 10. | "Blue Powder" | 4:44 |
| 11. | "Greasy Kid's Stuff" | 2:58 |
| 12. | "Alien Water Kiss" | 1:10 |
| 13. | "Sisters" | 4:07 |
| 14. | "Love Secrets" | 3:40 |
| Total length: | 53:15 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Lovely Elixir" | 3:30 |
| 16. | "And We Are One (Solo #2)" | 2:03 |
| 17. | "As Above" | 2:15 |
| 18. | "So Below" | 2:14 |
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [9] | 25 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) [10] | 27 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [11] | 32 |
| European Albums (IFPI) [12] | 36 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [13] | 3 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) [14] | 28 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [15] | 12 |
| Spanish Albums (AFYVE) [16] | 42 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [17] | 27 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [18] | 35 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [19] | 8 |
| US Billboard 200 [20] | 18 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [21] | 18 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) [22] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada) [23] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Japan (RIAJ) [24] | Gold | 132,500 [14] |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) [25] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) [26] | Silver | 50,000 [27] |
| United States (RIAA) [28] | Gold | 850,000 [29] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Steven Siro Vai is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist for Frank Zappa, and played in Zappa's band from 1980 to 1983. He embarked on a solo career in 1983 and has released eight solo albums to date. He has recorded and toured with Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake, as well as recording with artists such as Public Image Ltd, Mary J. Blige, Spinal Tap, Alice Cooper, Motörhead, and Polyphia. Additionally, Vai has toured with live-only acts G3, Zappa Plays Zappa, the Beat Tour, and the Experience Hendrix Tour, as well as headlining international tours.
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