Inviolate Steve Vai

• 1 Teeth of the Hydra 05:12
• 2 Zeus in Chains 04:38
• 3 Little Pretty 06:25
• 4 Candlepower 03:30
• 5 Apollo In Color 04:18
• 6 Avalancha 05:09
• 7 Greenish Blues 06:06
• 8 Knappsack 05:18
• 9 Sandman Cloud Mist 06:00
• Total Runtime 46:36

Info for Inviolate

Over the course of a more than 40-year career, Steve Vai has routinely transformed what would appear to be outrageously impossible into something very, very possible... and still also pretty outrageous. From his days as Frank Zappa´s "stunt guitar" player to his more recent expansive and exploratory solo work, Vai has continually challenged notions of traditional guitar playing and composition - and on more than one occasion even reimagined the very instrument itself. Which, he´ll admit, is not necessarily his intention. "I don´t sit around and say, ´Okay, what can I do now that pushes the boundaries?," Vai explains about his approach to the guitar. "What I do say to myself is, ´Okay, Vai - what are you going to do now that´s going to interest you, that´s going to fascinate you, and that´s different than anything you´ve done before?” The answer to that question comes in the form of Vai´s newest and 10th solo album, Inviolate, a nine-song opus that does indeed push the boundaries of instrumental guitar music. This time out, Vai quite literally invented not just a new guitar, but also a new guitar-playing technique. At the same time, Inviolate presents his most focused, streamlined and perhaps invigorating music in years. "It´s very ´Vai,´ whatever that means," he says, and then laughs. "Someone else might be better than me at explaining what that is. But it´s just very honest music. This is nine pretty dense all-instrumental compositions that I wanted to capture and record so I could get out there and play them live for people.

Steve Vai, guitar, Hydra, bass, keyboards, programming
Jeremy Colson, drums
Terry Bozzio, drums
Vinnie Colaiuta, drums
Bryan Beller, bass
Henrik Linder, bass
Billy Sheehan, bass
Philip Bynoe, bass
David Rosenthal, keyboards
Bob Carpenter, organ
Dave Weiner, guitar

Steve Vai
born Steven Siro Vai, is an American guitarist and composer, born June 6th, 1960 in Long Island, New York (making him six years old on the sixth day of the sixth month in 1966, as he noted in the introduction to his guitar transcription book of Frank Zappa). Vai is best known for his self-composed, performed and produced guitar instrumental music, but he has also played on the recordings of several other rock acts.

Steve Vai made his name playing 'stunt guitar' with the legendary rock performer, composer, music producer, and publishing mogul Frank Zappa. In the early 80's he replaced Yngwie Malmsteen (a good friend) as lead guitarist in Graham Bonnett's Alcatrazz. Then he joined former Van Halen front man David Lee Roth's group to record the albums Eat 'em and Smile and Skyscraper. Vai also stepped into guitarist Adrian Vandenberg's shoes to record with British rock legends Whitesnake (after Adrian Vandenberg injured his wrist due to some exercises he found in a book and tried out) shortly before recording was due to begin for the album Slip of the Tongue.

Steve Vai continues to tour regularly, both with his own group and with his one time teacher and fellow Grammy award winning guitar instrumentalist friend Joe Satriani (on the G3 series of tours). Steve recently teamed up with former David Lee Roth band member Bassist Billy Sheehan for a world tour. G3 2003 features Steve, Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Steve Vai's music has featured in a number of feature films, including Dudes, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and Ghosts of Mars. He appeared onscreen in the 1986 Ralph Macchio vehicle Crossroads, playing the demonically-inspired Jack Butler. At the film's climax, Vai engages in a guitar duel with Macchio (with Ry Cooder dubbing Macchio's part). The 32nd note quick tempo pseudo-classical-baroque track (entitled Eugene's Trick Bag) with which Macchio wins the competition was composed by Vai, heavily based on Paganini's Caprice Op. 1 # 5, and has become a favorite apprentice-piece among many guitar students. Vai received a Grammy Award in 1991.

Where Vai's contributions to others' material has been constrained by the largely rock or heavy-rock style of those bands, his own material is considerably more esoteric. Vai is an accomplished studio producer (he owns two: 'The mother ship' and 'The harmony hut') and his own recordings combine his signature guitar prowess with novel compositions and considerable use of studio and recording effects.

Steve Vai owns 'Favored Nations', a recording and publishing business which specialises in looking after both newly discovered and already high profile recording artists from around the world. Vai is married with two children (Julian Angel & Fire) to Pia (former Bassist of All-Female Group 'Vixen', which can be seen in the movie 'Hardbodies'). He also enjoys keeping bees, which regularly produce a crop of honey that Steve sells for his chosen charity every year through his web site. (Source: 8notes.com)

Booklet for Inviolate