Source: Album Artwork
Steve Vai is not as much of a household name as he technically should be. With three Grammys under his belt and a history of working with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Spinal Tap and Whitesnake, he’s certainly had a colourful career since his humble beginnings in 1978, working as a transcriptionist for Frank Zappa. Last year marked the 25th anniversary of Vai’s most successful album, Passion And Warfare, and to celebrate a special edition version has been released, paired up with brand new material entitled Modern Primitive.
Instrumental guitar rock is not for everyone. It would be safe to say that most music fans enjoy their tunes with vocals, but that doesn’t mean to say that anything defying that standard is incomplete. Pioneered by the likes of Joe Satriani (Vai’s teacher, funnily enough), this genre has been lying in wait for many years now with only a very small, niche market to play to. Somehow, Vai has managed to elevate his chosen style, making each song so epic, so unique, that you almost forget that there are very little vocal parts to ‘lead’ the song. Who would need that when you have killer guitar licks instead?
Guitarists in modern bands can play guitar, of course, but not many of them can say they can command the instrument to sound like something nobody has ever heard before. Some may argue that a guitar is a guitar and that’s that, but Vai proves otherwise. This man has been able to do remarkable things in the past, as proven in the remaster of Passion and Warfare, but is also showcasing that his talent is still very much alive in the new material offered on Modern Primitive. Highlights of the new record find their place in ‘And We Are One‘, a gentle, 80’s inspired ballad, and ‘Lights Are On‘, which throws caution to the wind with it’s hypnotising quick riffs that follow an almost identical structure to vocals, if they were there.
There’s not much to say about the anniversary edition of Passion and Warfare for the fact that it is essentially the same record as the one released back in 1990— however, it is not something to be looked over easily. With the re-release of this album, it’s gaining exposure to a younger audience who may not have been old enough (or even alive enough) to appreciate the record during it’s first cycle.
All in all, Steve Vai’s latest efforts will certainly show who is boss in the guitar playing world. Slash, Angus Young and Brian May can move over, ’cause this guy’s walking all over them.
