Sex and Religion
Encyclopedia
Sex & Religion is a Steve Vai
album
presented under the name of simply "Vai" and before then "Light Without Heat" but had to be changed due to copyright issues to the original name. It features Strapping Young Lad
and The Devin Townsend Band vocalist and guitarist Devin Townsend
on vocals before he started either one of his own bands. Townsend also co-wrote the track "Pig", as well as "Just Cartilage" which was left off the final album. Vai also worked with Desmond Child
on the track "In My Dreams with You."
The album's cover art appears to be a reference to the famous artistic depictions of Saint Sebastian.
, bassist T.M. Stevens and drummer and fellow Frank Zappa
alumnus Terry Bozzio
. Vai ended up micro-managing the writing and recording process causing much conflict during the making of the album. The band that recorded the album never toured in support of it due to the conflicts during the recording process; in the words of Steve Vai:
"...now the next record (after Passion and Warfare
) was supposed to be so important. It turned out to be a hard record to make. There was the concept of putting this band together with all monster musicians. It worked in theory, but not in practice. I was hoping everybody could contribute their performance expertise while I sort of guided the band in the direction that I thought the music should go. They were very talented people that had definite ideas of the music they liked to play, and it all clashed dramatically.
"I was not ready for a band. You see, usually the idea of a band is to get together with people who could contribute their ideas and talents in a healthy exchange. With players like Terry Bozzio, T.M. Stevens and Devin Townsend, in order to have a band there needs to be an unconditional acceptance of everybody else’s contribution. I was not ready for that kind of commitment on my part. Although it may have seemed unfair to the others, there were definite ideas on which way I wanted to go with the music. Those guys are really wonderful musicians, but they have their own personality. When I try to have a band together I'm too much of a control freak. I want things to be done too much of a certain way. I gave them some freedom, but the freedom musicians of this calibre need, I wasn't able to give. Therefore, blame it on me, this project will not come together again.
After the album was finished, the band split up, and Vai toured with Townsend and several session bassists and drummers.
, except where noted.
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
presented under the name of simply "Vai" and before then "Light Without Heat" but had to be changed due to copyright issues to the original name. It features Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
and The Devin Townsend Band vocalist and guitarist Devin Townsend
Devin Townsend
Devin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
on vocals before he started either one of his own bands. Townsend also co-wrote the track "Pig", as well as "Just Cartilage" which was left off the final album. Vai also worked with Desmond Child
Desmond Child
Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
on the track "In My Dreams with You."
The album's cover art appears to be a reference to the famous artistic depictions of Saint Sebastian.
Background and conflict
For this album, Vai wished to put together a band of awe-inspiring musicians, which included him, Devin TownsendDevin Townsend
Devin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
, bassist T.M. Stevens and drummer and fellow Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
alumnus Terry Bozzio
Terry Bozzio
Terry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California. He started at age 6 playing makeshift drum sets. At the age of 13 he saw The Beatles premier performance on The Ed...
. Vai ended up micro-managing the writing and recording process causing much conflict during the making of the album. The band that recorded the album never toured in support of it due to the conflicts during the recording process; in the words of Steve Vai:
"...now the next record (after Passion and Warfare
Passion and Warfare
Passion and Warfare is a 1990 instrumental album from guitarist Steve Vai. It has been certified Gold by the RIAA. It 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...
) was supposed to be so important. It turned out to be a hard record to make. There was the concept of putting this band together with all monster musicians. It worked in theory, but not in practice. I was hoping everybody could contribute their performance expertise while I sort of guided the band in the direction that I thought the music should go. They were very talented people that had definite ideas of the music they liked to play, and it all clashed dramatically.
"I was not ready for a band. You see, usually the idea of a band is to get together with people who could contribute their ideas and talents in a healthy exchange. With players like Terry Bozzio, T.M. Stevens and Devin Townsend, in order to have a band there needs to be an unconditional acceptance of everybody else’s contribution. I was not ready for that kind of commitment on my part. Although it may have seemed unfair to the others, there were definite ideas on which way I wanted to go with the music. Those guys are really wonderful musicians, but they have their own personality. When I try to have a band together I'm too much of a control freak. I want things to be done too much of a certain way. I gave them some freedom, but the freedom musicians of this calibre need, I wasn't able to give. Therefore, blame it on me, this project will not come together again.
After the album was finished, the band split up, and Vai toured with Townsend and several session bassists and drummers.
Track listing
All songs written by Steve VaiSteve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
, except where noted.
- "An Earth Dweller's Return" - 1:03
- "Here & Now" - 4:47
- "In My Dreams With You" (Steve Vai, Desmond ChildDesmond ChildDesmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
, Roger GreenawaltRoger GreenawaltRoger Greenawalt is an American music producer and musician known for discovering singer Ben Kweller. A story on Greenawalt's efforts to get Kweller signed to a major label appeared in the New Yorker on April 7, 1997.-Background:...
) - 5:00 - "Still My Bleeding Heart" - 6:00
- "Sex & Religion" - 4:24
- "Dirty Black Hole" - 4:27
- "Touching Tongues" - 4:33 (Sakush KC)
- "State Of Grace" - 1:41
- "Survive" - 4:46
- "Pig" (Steve Vai, Devin TownsendDevin TownsendDevin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
) - 3:36 - "The Road To Mt. Calvary" - 2:35
- "Down Deep Into The Pain" - 8:01
- "Rescue Me Or Bury Me" - 8:25
- "Just Cartilage" (Japanese bonus track) (Steve Vai, Devin Townsend) - 4:19
Personnel
- Steve VaiSteve VaiSteven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals - Devin TownsendDevin TownsendDevin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
- lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - T. M. StevensT. M. StevensTM Stevens is an American bass guitarist born in the 1950s. He lives in the USA.-Life:Stevens records with his band Shocka Zooloo, a power trio that features Michael Barnes "Master Blaster" on guitar and Garry "G-Man" Sullivan on drums...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Terry BozzioTerry BozzioTerry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California. He started at age 6 playing makeshift drum sets. At the age of 13 he saw The Beatles premier performance on The Ed...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Kane RobertsKane RobertsKane Roberts,born Robert William Athas is a heavy metal guitarist best known for his tenure in Alice Cooper's band during the late 1980s...
- backing vocals