If you play the Guitar or just love to listen to it as an instrument, it’s impossible not to know Steve Vai—the virtuoso guitar Enigma who absolutely needs no introduction. But what makes him stand apart from other super shredder guitar Deities is that his virtuosity extends well beyond his technical prowess and to his compositional directions as well—making Vai’s decades spanning catalogue of otherworldly guitar works belonging to a genre that's as musically exquisite as unmistakably unique. His compositions aren’t just showcases of extreme dexterity and expressiveness on the fretboard, they’re also meticulously crafted, nuanced sonic arts which are beyond any pre-defined genre or even culture and probably has it’s roots in the unknowable depths of consciousness itself.
What Vai has created throughout his works, is a whole new language of expression on the guitar that completely surpasses the limitations of the usual idiosyncrasy of the instrument while also taking the listener on an electric journey that feels both ‘evo’-cative (EVO is the name of one of Vai's many signature guitars) and mystical at the same time.
So this article will attempt to celebrate Vai’s immortal electric creations by presenting the 7 most transcendental compositions that represent his sonic artistry most profoundly. These are the essential v(a)ibrations that no one who enjoys listening to or playing the guitar should ever miss out on.
7. Sunshine Electric Raindrops: Perhaps the most accessible and inviting song in Vai's entire catalog, Sunshine wows the audience with every second of it's runtime with impeccable compositional richness and musical delights. Strictly put in the structure of 'pop', Sunshine...still retains the Vai DNA at it's core----which results in the track being exceedingly gorgeous in many of it's parts that can even rival some of the songs near the top of this list. Bright and uplifting, this is the perfect introductory track for anyone not familiar with Vai's music.
6. Building the Church: Kicking off with a dazzling ‘tap’-estry of notes, Building...is a shamanic guitar anthem dressed in a glam-rock attire. Structurally it's fairly straightforward—the central melody starts out simple and then builds itself in each phrase by adding more and more variations on top, just like a spiral journey. Eccentric and melodic, this staple Vai track can make you hit the ‘replay’ button as soon as it’s finished.
5. The Crying Machine: Vai’s sense of melody is a defining characteristic of his playing, and this particular piece is one of the very best examples in that regard. It’s hard to
describe how absolutely gorgeous the central melody is on this track,
with all of it’s branches and phrases.
This track also features some of the most tasteful shredding on the electric guitar that I’ve heard, with the entire second half exploding into a face melting sonic extravaganza.
The next 4 tracks represents the most artistic, sublime guitar arts in the entire Vai-o-graphy—the JEMs (The Ibanez JEM is another one of Vai's signature guitar model).
In any great Steve Vai composition, there are several unbelievably profound musical moments that you can listen to over and over again and still continue to experience new heights of sonic bliss. Now frankly, these musical instances are generally pretty rare to come by in case of most other artists, but Vai’s compositions have some of the most that I’ve ever heard on the guitar. And these next 4 songs are listed on the basis of their abundance of those moments.
4. Windows to the Soul: Perhaps the most challenging (in terms of playing) piece of music that Vai ever wrote (as mentioned in a Music is Win interview), cause of several relentlessly hyper fast passages, Windows...is also one of the most emotional songs in Vai’s entire catalogue. The song, in all it’s patterns and flows, is not unlike a flower, starting from something that's fairly simple then growing more and more complex and nuanced with each passage and finally culminating in some achingly beautiful moments—Windows... is a flood of emotional catharsis in the form of Electric Guitar music that just grows on you every time you listen.
Peak Musical Moment: 4:43 to the end, just poetry in motion.
3. For the Love of God: Vai’s Magnum Opus and one of his most powerfully moving masterpieces, For the Love of God is literally glowing with spiritual ecstasy. From start to end, it’s a full-on longing for the Eternal, with a range of expressiveness I’ve never heard on the Electric Guitar anywhere else. There are lots of moments in this track where it actually feels 'devotional', which is an extremely rare feeling to be translated on the guitar, and the best part is that it didn't have to trade any of the virtuosity and technicality that's possible on the instrument to achieve that. For the Love of God tries to reach the Infinite, where all of it's raw technical complexity and insane fretboard dexterity is being channeled towards somewhere far beyond itself.
As with all true, uncompromised works of art, it probably won’t resonate the same way with everyone, and some may even get put off by the relentless intensity of the song. Seriously, it doesn’t let up till it ends, but for those who’ll truly listen, will be in for something that’s both mystical and unforgettable in every sense of those words. For me, this is definitely the pinnacle of artistry from the Steve Vai chain.
Vai really gives this song his all, listen to 4:31 to 4:36, that’s his fastest recorded alternate picked passage and I am unaware if he has any faster ones. Simply put, For the Love of God sees Vai at his fastest.
Peak Musical Moment: Too many to point out, basically the whole composition is laced with unforgettable musical moments that’ll stay with you long after it’s over.
2. Tender Surrender: Another one of Vai’s most iconic tunes, Tender...is a seamless, self contained web of melody that has pretty much everything that makes a great Vai track. As for why it’s so high in this list, well, Tender... just flows a lot better than most other ones and has even higher highs (though as well as lower lows) than For the...I love how organic the composition feels and how the melody goes on evolving from being simple and elegant to something that’s wildly chaotic, but never moving away from what it makes it all so enchantingly beautiful in it's essence.
Peak Musical Moment: 2:40 to 2:49 is the most musically rich passage I’ve ever heard from Vai, melodically organic and playful, this short section might as well be one of Electric Guitar’s most beautifully prosaic moments ever put on record.
1. And We Are One: Vai’s Spiritual inclinations have always been a driving force behind his songwriting, and this song finds Vai at his most esoteric and consequently, most evocative. And We... is about the Non-Dual nature of reality and the composition of both the lyrics and the solo is kind of Vai’s way of putting it all in a musical language—and the result is definitely one of the most alive pieces of music that I’ve ever heard on the Guitar.
The solo has two separate parts, and each, while having a distinct male and female characteristics in their tonalities and textures, also have an underlying sense of 'One-ness' which is the main theme of the song. It's amazing how Vai managed to express the 'Ad-vai-ta' in the form of Electric Guitar music.
Peak Musical Moment: The whole song.
These are what I consider as the most transcendental of Electric Guitar 'songs' from Steve Vai, though there are several other honorable mentions that can also come close to the ones listed above. Maybe not the most enchanting of Vai's creations, but definitely a must listen if you love any form of music coming out of the Electric Guitar.
Upanishads (Modern Primitive), Boston Rain Melody (The 7th Song), Misfits (Mystery Tracks), Sandman Cloud Mist (Inviolate) and Velorum (The Story of Light).
There you have it, these are the essential Steve Vai compositions (from my viewpoint, at least) that anyone who loves music ought to listen to. If you think I missed anything or if this list is in anyway out of order, let me know in the comments.
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