Steve Vai

Steve Vai played with a wide variety of acts during the '80s – Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, John Lydon's PIL, and Whitesnake, among others – as he became one of rock's most sought-after hired guns. In addition, Vai launched his own solo career, which come the '90s would be his sole career focus. The 2003 double-disc set Infinite Steve Vai: An Anthology is comprised almost entirely of Vai's solo work (save for a Whitesnake song, "Kitten's Got Claws," and one by the obscure outfit Alcatrazz, "Lighter Shade of Green"). While most "guitar shredders" got a bad rap come the '90s, Vai was always an exception to the rule – there's no secret that Vai was one of the most technically accomplished guitarists in all of rock, but he always knew to put songwriting before soloing (something that most of the other guitarists of the era failed to do), and inject his wacky sense of humor into his playing.

Mystery Tracks Archives, Vol. 3 is Steve Vai's third installment of his planned ten-disc rarities retrospective, this time out collecting various hard-to-find Japanese bonus tracks, compilation cuts, and otherwise unavailable promotional tracks. Included is an edited version of the notorious "Kill the Guy With the Ball," retitled here "Speeding," and like most of the other tracks that appeared on import versions of Vai's albums, it's the type of shredding that folks have come to expect from Vai. The version of "Sofa" done at the Zappa's Universe concert, long out of print, is also included here. The most interesting tracks, however, come from some of the instrument demonstration cuts done for companies like Korg and Roland. On these tracks, Vai was inspired by (and constrained by) the sounds available to the instrument he was showcasing, and it leads him down a different path than that generally represented on his albums. There's far less bombast in these understated performances, and they really give a better indication of what a well-rounded player Vai can be.

Vai/Gash is a collaboration album of Steve Vai and Johnny "Gash" Sombretto, recorded in the 90s. The recordings sat on the shelf for 30 years, and they are finally seeing the light of day!

Steve Vai has continually challenged notions of traditional guitar playing and composition – and on more than one occasion even reimagined the very instrument itself. "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.

The entries in Sony Legacy Playlist series may be packaged as budget compilations, but they really do represent the best-known and most representative tracks by a given artist during their tenure with the company. Former Frank Zappa sideman and guitar virtuoso Steve Vai's volume is no exception to the standard. Included here are 12 studio and two live cuts from his long tenure with Sony and Epic. The cuts are arranged aesthetically rather than chronologically, making for a very solid mix. This one kicks off with “Erotic Nightmares” from his third album for the label, Passion and Warfare. Also included here are “Lotus Feet,” “Salamanders in the Sun,” “Love Secrets,” and fine live versions of “You’re Here,” and “Whispering a Prayer.” In addition to these 14 cuts, there is also bonus CD-R material to boot. While fans may have everything here already, this set serves as an excellent, modestly priced introduction to Vai’s solo work.