The Secret Jewel Box: The 10 Discs
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DISC 01: "The Elusive Light and Sound, Vol. 1"
[ 2001 - Included in Box ]

This disc collects Vai’s many contributions to film music, including such moments as the duel scene from "Crossroads" (including a guitar duel with Shuggie Otis, which never made it to the film). The album opens with an apropos version of The Kinks’ "Celluloid Heroes," and "Love Blood," a track Vai recorded for the Tom Cruise/Brad Pitt film version of Anne Rice's novel "Interview With A Vampire" that never made it to the film. Also includes tracks recorded for "Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey," "Encino Man," "Dudes" and various other contributions to soundtracks and films. Some pieces are long, others merely 15 seconds in length.

Tracklisting:

01. Celluloid Heros
02. Love Blood

Music from or inspired by the movie Crossroads:
03. Fried Chicken
04. Butler's Bag
05. Head-Cuttin' Duel
06. Eugene's Trick Bag

Music from or inspired by the movie Dudes:
07. Amazing Grace
08. Louisiana Swamp Swank

Music from of inspired by the movie Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey:
09. Air Guitar Hell
10. The Reaper
11. Introducing The Wylde Stallions
12. Girls Mature Faster Than Guys
13. The Battle
14: Meet The Reaper
15. Final Guitar Solo
16. The Reaper Rap

Music from or inspired by the movie Encino Man:
17. Drive The Hell Out Of Here
18. Get The Hell Out Of Here

Music from or inspired by the movie PCU:
19. Welcome Pre-Frosh
20. The Dark Hallway
21. The Dead Band Ends
22. The Cause Heads
23. Find The Meat
24. The Axe Will Fall
25. Now We Run (Cue)
26. Hey Jack
27. What!
28. Still Running
29. Dead Heads
30. Blow Me Where The Pampers Is
31. Pins & Needles
32. Plug My Ass In
33. Loose Keg Sightings
34. Don't Sweat It
35. How Hidge
36. Beer Beer
37. We're Not Gonna Protest
38. Initiation
39. See Ya Next Year
40. Now We Run

The CD booklet contains further commentary by Steve on the individual tracks and movie projects.

DISC 02: Alcatrazz - "Disturbing The Peace"
[ 2001 - Included in Box ]

Around 1985, Vai played in this "thinking man’s" hard rock band, which was slightly more eclectic than the metal mainstream of its day. This album, produced by Eddie Kramer and originally issued on Capitol, never broke through commercially, but Vai has received requests for it both from those who owned it on vinyl and others who want to know what it sounds like. Says Vai: "Yngwie Malmsteen was the original guitarist for Alcatrazz and he was a force to be reckoned with (and still is). When I joined the group in 1984 I knew my musical contribution would be drastically different from his. After I joined the band we made Disturbing The Peace and it was released on Capitol Records on March 22nd, 1985. Although the record was not a multi-platinum smash hit, the experience for me was very successful. We were all very proud of this record. Besides being tremendous musicians, the guys in the band were great people. Alcatrazz was one of my favorite band adventures."


Tracklisting:

01. God Blessed Video
02. Mercy
03. Will You Be Home Tonight
04. Wire And Wood
05. Desert Diamond
06. Stripper
07. Painted Lover
08. Lighter Shade Of Green
09. Sons And Lovers
10. Skyfire
11. Breaking The Heart Of The City

DISC 03: Frank Zappa - "FZ Original Recordings; Steve Vai Archives, Vol. 2"
[ 2001 - Included in Box ]

Only available in this box set, Vai reflects here on his three years as a member of Zappa’s ensemble where he was credited not just as "guitarist" but as wielder of "strat abuse" and "impossible guitar parts." These are Frank Zappa recordings, written and produced by the late musical innovator, and authorized by the Zappa Family Trust.

Says Vai: "I think I was 13 years old when my friend invited me over to his house to listen to 'a cool new record.' The music was completely different from anything I'd ever heard. It was intense yet subtle, profound and exquisite. It had fast, tight little notes and cool guitar playing. It had great singing, outrageous lyrics and was funny as hell. It was Frank Zappa. After one listen to 'Carolina Hard Core Ecstasy,' tears of joy filled my eyes as I realized that a misunderstood, gawky, prepubescent misfit like me had finally found something he could totally relate to. I immersed myself in the elixir of Zappa and have yet to surface."

Tracklisting:

01. Tell Me You Love Me
02. Theme From 3rd Movement of Sinister Footwear
03. Jumbo Go Away
04. Drowning Witch
05. Envelopes
06. Teen-age Prostitute
07. The Jazz Discharge Party Hats
08. Ya Honza
09. Alien Orifice
10. Approximate
11. I'm A Beautiful Guy
12. Beauty Knows No Pain
13. What's New In Baltimore
14. Moggio
15. RDNZL
16. Magic Fingers
17. Strictly Genteel

The booklet contains the original liner notes for each Zappa track, along with Steve's comments on each track.
(Note: The aforementioned three CDs are sold together along with the deluxe box. The remaining CDs will be sold seperately. Those who purchase the box will be notified of the following seven volumes as they are released.)

DISC 04: "Archives, Vol. 3: Mystery Tracks"
[ 2003 - Released June 6 ]

Vai Archives is a series of discs that can contain anything from minor contributions that Steve has made to various other artists' records to bootlegs, B-sides, vault tapes and reshaped extrapolations of his past catalogs. It's sort of like a golden scrap pile. Devour with a silver spoon.

Archives Vol. 3 is a compilation of Steve's bonus tracks featured on Japanese releases of his CDs, along with promotional tracks, songs featured on other albums and unreleased/demo tracks.

Tracklisting:

01. Speeding
02. Just Cartilage
03. San-San-Nana-Byoushi
04. Sofa
05. Essence
06. Wipeout 2000
07. Feathers
08. Opposites Attract Part 1
09. Misfits
10. Selfless Love
11. Maple Leafs (Song for Canada)
12. The Murder
13. Opposites Attract Part 2 (The Indulgent Version)

The CD booklet features Steve's commentary on each track.

DISC 05: "Archives, Vol. 4: Various Artists" 
[ 2003 - Released June 6 ]

Vai Archives is a series of discs that can contain anything from minor contributions that Steve has made to various other artists' records to bootlegs, B-sides, vault tapes and reshaped extrapolations of his past catalogs. It's sort of like a golden scrap pile. Devour with a silver spoon.

Archives Vol. 4 is a collection of songs Vai has contributed to other projects and records including Public Image Ltd., tracks from the Hendrix tribute In From The Storm with the London Symphony Orchestra, and a collaboration with Chick Corea from The Songs Of West Side Story, among others.

Tracklisting:

01. Sweet Lady Luck (Whitesnake)
02. Rumble (Various Artists - The Songs of West Side Story)
03. Ease (Public Image Limited - Compact Disc)
04. Home (Public Image Limited - Compact Disc)
05. Western Vacation (Western Vacation - Western Vaation)
06. Noah's Ark (Gregg Bissonette - Submarine)
07. Drifting (Various Artists - In From the Storm)
08. Bold As Love (Various Artists - In From the Storm)
09. There's Still Hope (Bob Harris - The Great Nostalgia)
10. Autumn In Nepal (Bob Harris - The Great Nostalgia)
11. Feed My Frankenstein (Alice Cooper - Hey Stoopid)
12. Der Holle Rache [Queen Of The Night] - (Various Artists - Angelica)
13. Gone (Lilly)

The CD Booklet features Steve's commentary on each track.



DISC 06: "Vai: Piano Reductions Vol. 1 - Performed by Mike Keneally " 
[ 2004 - Released Nov 16]

This is an album of 11 solo acoustic piano interpretations of Vai songs by fellow Zappa alumnus Mike Keneally. Included amongst the performances are "Bledsoe Bluvd," "All About Eve," "Ballerina 12/24," "Die To Live," "Salamanders In The Sun," "Touching Tongues," Kill The Guy With The Ball," "The God Eaters," "Pig," "Sisters" and "Dying Day."

DISC 07: "Steve Vai & The Classified: Modern Primitive " 
[ 2017 - Released July 7]

Directly following Vai’s affiliation with Frank Zappa, and prior to recording Passion And Warfare, Vai formed The Classified with such stalwart musicians as Stu Hamm, Tommy Mars, Chris Frazier and Sue Mathis. The band recorded extensively, but the tracks remained unreleased until now. Vai considers this the "missing link" between his first solo album Flex-Able and his second one Passion And Warfare.

Tracklisting:

01. Bop!
02. Dark Matter
03. Mighty Messengers
04. The Lost Chord
05. Upanishads
06. Fast Note People
07. And We Are One
08. Never Forever
09. Lights Are On
10. No Pockets
11. Pink and Blows Over..
12. Pink and Blows Over..
13. Pink and Blows Over..
DISC 08 & 09: "Alcatrazz: Panic Jungle [Live In Japan]" 
[ Coming soon... ]

Two never-before-released CDs in one package capturing Alcatrazz’s raw live sound live across the Pacific. Originally intended to be a concert video, these CDs present the audio portion of the Japanese shows, which tell the whole story.

This double CD will be released in the near future.
DISC 10: "Hot Chunks" 
[ Coming soon... ]

Hot Chunks is The Secret Jewel Box's most unusual component - an odd potpourri of music interspersed with dialogue. Vai is an audio pack rat and has recorded conversations, parties, source music and weird scenes from touring. Vai calls it "a completely eclectic art thing."

This CD will be released in the near future.

Did we mention that there is a secret to this Secret Jewel Box? For now, it’s for Vai to know and future box owners to discover — or not.


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