Sound Theories vol. I & II is a 2007 album by American guitarist Steve Vai

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....

. The album was recorded with the Metropole Orchestra in Netherlands in mid 2004-2005 and released on June 26, 2007.

Volume I features Vai playing guitar with the orchestra, which has itself earned worldwide acclaim by backing artists ranging from Mike Keneally

Mike Keneally

Michael Joseph Keneally is an American guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and composer. Allmusic says: "With his wide-ranging talents and ability to be creative in almost any musical situation, Keneally is the leading progressive rock genius of the post-Zappa era."Born on Long Island, New York, he...

, 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...

, Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....

 and Natalie Cole

Natalie Cole

Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...

 to Nancy Wilson

Nancy Wilson (singer)

Nancy Wilson is an American singer with more than 70 albums, and three Grammy Awards. She has been labeled a singer of blues, jazz, cabaret and pop; a "consummate actress"; and "the complete entertainer." The title she prefers, however, is song stylist...

 and the Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets is an American jazz fusion/smooth jazz quartet.-History:The original group, called The Robben Ford Group, was formed in 1977, and consisted of Robben Ford, Russell Ferrante, Jimmy Haslip and Ricky Lawson, all top-notch L.A. session musicians...

. Unlike other solo albums, the new material on Volume II is devoid of Vai's solo guitar. However, despite this the album received much critical acclaim.

Volume II features the Orchestra performing compositions written by Vai, including “Shadows and Sparks” and “Bledsoe Bluvd.”

Disc One - Sound Theories Vol 1: "The Aching Hunger"

1. "Kill the Guy with the Ball" - 4:30
2. "The God Eaters" - 2:09
3. "The Murder Prologue" - 1:09
4. "The Murder" - 7:56
5. "Gentle Ways" - 5:48
6. "Answers" - 5:44
7. "I'm Becoming" - 2:20
8. "Salamanders in the Sun" - 5:05
9. "Liberty" - 2:06
10. "The Attitude Song
    The Attitude Song
    The Attitude Song is the sixth song of guitarist Steve Vai's debut solo album Flex-Able which was released in 1984. One of Vai's most live performed songs, it appears on the G3: Live in Concert DVD, on the Live at Astoria DVD , and in orchestral form with the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra on...
    
    " - 4:37
11. "For the Love of God" - 9:35

Disc Two - Sound Theories Vol 2: "Shadows and Sparks"

1. "Shadows and…" - 8:41
2. "Sparks" - 9:27
3. "Frangelica Pt. 1" - 3:04
4. "Frangelica Pt. 2" - 10:30
5. "Helios and Vesta" - 8:19
6. "Bledsoe Bluvd" - 10:08

DVD

A companion DVD titled Visual Sound Theories was released through Epic/Sony on September 18, 2007. This DVD features the live performances from the Aching Hunger concerts with the Holland Metropole Orchestra in July 2005.

The DVD includes 14 tracks in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound:

1. Kill The Guy With The Ball
2. The God Eaters
3. The Murder Prologue
4. The Murder
5. Answers
6. Lotus Feet
7. I'm Becoming
8. Salamanders In The Sun
9. The Attitude Song
   The Attitude Song
   The Attitude Song is the sixth song of guitarist Steve Vai's debut solo album Flex-Able which was released in 1984. One of Vai's most live performed songs, it appears on the G3: Live in Concert DVD, on the Live at Astoria DVD , and in orchestral form with the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra on...
   
   
10. Gentle Ways
11. Liberty
12. For the Love of God
13. Shadows And Sparks
14. Frangelica Pt. I & II

Album

Year	Chart	Position
2007	Billboard Top Independent Albums	45

External links

• Steve Vai's homepage
• Steve Vai's Official MySpace