Steve VAI


Real Illusions: Reflections

(2005)



1. Building The Church 4'58
(Steve Vai)
2. Dying For Your Love 4'50
(Steve Vai)
3. Glorious 4'36
(Steve Vai)
4. K'm-Pee-Du-Wee 4'00
(Steve Vai)
5. Firewall 4'19
(Steve Vai)
6. Freak Show Excess 6'52
(Steve Vai)
7. Lotus Feet
(live) 6'45
(Steve Vai)
8. Yai Yai 2'38
(Steve Vai)
9. Midway Creatures 3'43
(Steve Vai)
10. I'm Your Secrets 4'27
(Steve Vai)
11. Under It All 8'07
(Steve Vai)

Total Time: 55:15


  • Steve Vai - Guitar, Vocals, Instrumentation
  • Tony MacAlpine - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
  • Dave Weiner - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Electric Sitar
  • Chris Opperman - Piano (7)
  • Pia Vai - Harp
  • Billy Sheehan - Bass, Vocals
  • Jeremy Colson - Percussion (4, 5), Drums
  • Gregg Bissonette - Percussion (4, 5)
  • METROPOLE ORKEST (7)
  • Dick Bakker - Conductor (7)
  • Gary Grant - Trumpet (5)
  • Jerry Hey - Trumpet (5)
  • Dan Higgins - Saxophone (5)
  • Charles Loper - Trombone (5)
  • Bill Reichenbach Jr. - Trombone (5)
  • Larry E. Williams - Saxophone (5)
  • Brian Beller - Bass (7)
  • Stacy Ellis - Vocals (bckgr) (5)
  • Laurel Fishman - Spoken Word
  • Len Birman - Spoken Word
  • Ruby Birman - Spoken Word
  • Fire Vai - Spoken Word
  • Thomas Nordegg - Spoken Word
  • Jeff Mallard - Spoken Word

    Steve Vai - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
    Co De Kloet - The breath of life for the project (7)
    Neil Citron - Assistant Engineer
    Paul Bliven - Assistant Engineer
    Bernie Grundman - Mastering
    Ruta E. Sepetys - Management for
    SEG Inc. with Daniel Schmidt, John Sepetys and Priscila Bara
    David Kole - Orchestration
    Pamela Dancy - Production Coordination
    Brian Greenbaum - Booking at
    CAA
    Kaz Utsunomiya -
    A & R
    Michael Mesker -
    Vai.com
    Larry DiMarzio - Photography
    Tony Sartino - Stylist
    Andrea Cobb - Cover Art
    Hooshik Bayliss - Art Direction, Collage
    Michael Lau Robles - Design
    Steve uses:
    IBANEZ Guitars, CARVIN LEGACY Amps, MORLEY Pedals, Ernie BALL Strings, DiMARZIO EVOLUTION Pickups

    Recorded at the MOTHERSHIP (Hollywood) and the HARMONY HUT (Encino)
    Except "Lotus Feet"
    Recorded live in Holland at three different shows during the performances of
    The ACHING HUNGER:
    One at De OOSTERPOORT in Groningen and two at the PARADISO in Amsterdam





    Real Illusions:
    Reflections

      A rock fable by Steve Vai In the end, Captain Drake Mason was found kneeling in the alley, trembling, his face in his hands. He looked up at the sympathetic congregation of townspeople that began to come to him. After five minutes, through joy-soaked tears, he uttered, "It's all very clear to me now."

      But not necessarily in this order

      •Real Illusions: Reflections is the first part of a muititayered menagerie of vignettes based on the amplified mental exaggerations of a truth-seeking madman who sees the world...Oh, never mind.

    1. Building The Church

      As Pamposh walked from the gathering, there immediately came a massive, heavyweight gravity storm. Internalizing the mammoth, black-hole-like magnitude manifesting from the storm, and wielding the mass of his intellect—matched only by his piety-caused a conscious edifice to materialize before the townspeople. Appearing over the entrance was the name of the structure. He then de-gravitized and faded like a whisper on the wind, into the ether.

      ( instrumental )

    2. Dying For Your Love

      He felt that human love was mostly selfish. He was determined to discover its purest form. Stripping himself to the core after an eternity of being bound by iron and sometimes golden chains, he touched it and became a slave to its ambrosia. He was then honored with the responsibility to direct those who were ready to be directed.

      I stared into a mirror for three days, didn t eat or sleep
      Just to see if I could see something down underneath,
      yeah yeah
      I saw angels and demons in fear and a torn blue little soul
      In an ocean of your love

      There were kings and killers, the face of a beggar
      And everything I ever was
      In there was heaven and hell, and the whole creation
      Was Dying For Your Love
      And now I m Dying For Your Love
      I said, I'm Dying For Your Love

      And there s nothing I wouldn t do or go through to get to truth
      But faceless things are in my way
      Yes, I can see every little thing we never really knew
      Is lying there buried in the silence
      Waiting for time to decay

      Lust and anger, a freak and a savior
      And pieces of the universe
      Black phantom creatures, trapped in a prison of desire
      Are crying for your love

      Now I'm Dying For Your Love
      We all are Dying For Your Love

      And I need to feel me in those arms again
      I said, I need to feel me in those arms again

      Because I'm Dying For Your Love
      I said, I'm Dying For Your Love
      I'm Dying For Your Love
      We all are Dying For Your Love

    3. Glorious

      The Seraphim gathered in response to the cries from the physical. There was more to this tittle town than ã casual observation. A decree was made to send One from Helios and Vesta. Its name was Pamposh.

      ( instrumental )

    4. K'm-Pee-Du-Wee

      As Eve felt helplessly in love with the infant in her arms, she sang him a lullaby. "K'm-Pee-Du-Wee, anything you wanna be."

      ( instrumental )

    5. Firewall

      In a moment of lucidity, Captain Drake Mason was confronted with his way of thinking, "All About Eve."

      Boom Shika-Boom Shika ba-ka-tu-ka
      Boom Shika doo-ba-boom-ba-tacka-chooka
      Boom Shika Boom Boom Chika Ba-koom-ta
      Shika-ba-ku-ta Brrrr Chika ba-kum-ta Boom Chica brrr brr brrr chi-koom-pa
      Brrr-cha-kum-ta brr-Chica ba-poom-pa
      Boom ta-ta boom boom Shi-ka-ti-ka
      Rra-ka-kack Rra-ka-tu-ka pa-ka-tu-ka

      It's been a white since t knew you before
      Hindsight says I was so much to blame
      But even then, you possessed so much more
      I buried my guilt under my fantasies

      I never knew what it would do to you, oh my God
      I dealt a hand and played with fate
      But I still feet, and I surrender to, your intoxicant

      But I want you to really know me
      But when I try to get into your space

      I run into your Firewall
      Medusa's home
      Built out of hurt and pain

      Welcome to the Firewall
      If I get too close
      I will go down in flames
      Eh, just look at me now
      I'm on fire.

      And if I could, I would get down in your soul
      And clean up the mess that I made

      Maybe will and grace
      Will replace your faith
      And we can embrace

      You'll never get to know me
      Unless you
      Let me touch your face

      A victim of your Firewall
      The devil's own
      Destroy your enemies
      I dance into your Firewall
      When you're done, there'll be nothing left of me

      Suck me into your flames, and let me burn deep down
      inside until I ...

    6. Freak Show Excess

      Yet the innocents deserved a little visually playful, animated Extreme-e-ties. Ladies and Gents, introducing the Whirling Dervish.

      ( instrumental )

    7. Lotus Feet

      Suspended around her reflection, the cherry blossoms glowed and danced. She found herself humbled at the boundless, grace-emanating feet of I AM. As her letting-go became more complete, wave by wave she was brought higher than she'd ever been. Soon there was just ...

      ( instrumental )

    8. Yai Yai

      Finally, it was Buddy Graham's turn. Everyone was eager to see what was to become of him. "For fouling off at the mouth about everyone you know, thus making their life miserable with your insidious and hurtful lies, from here on, the only words that will come out of that hole—no matter what you try to say—will be, 'Yai Yai,1 until the day that your lips move while your eyes make water. You'll know how to forgive after that."

      ( instrumental )

    9. Midway Creatures

      The captain's only relief from the dementia comes when he is transfixed by the multitude of reflections that pass before his eyes on the still surface of the pond. She emanated the most profound purity that had ever come before his eyes. When she loses her grip on the Sound Current, the madness takes hold, and the cherry blossoms eventually turn to either dust or a rich, mud-tike substance in the depths of the void. As a result, sprouting forth from a far-left dimension of the abyss is where the creatures come from. They march forth in search of ...

      ( instrumental )

    10. I'm Your Secrets

      Take my hand
      Look into my eyes
      Tell me what you see
      Because the eyes never lie

      And all that you've ever done
      And everything you ever knew
      And in every dream you'll ever have
      I'm there with you

      Tell me everything you can
      'Cause I am the one who will understand
      I am all of your fantasy, yeah yeah
      And after all, it's just you and me

      I'm Your Secrets

      And when you hurt from the weight of the world
      There's nothing I wouldn't do
      And on the day you leave the world
      I go with you

      Tell me again about endless love, yeah yeah
      The talk with the sun and the moon and stars
      What do you think about God and man, yeah yeah
      Tell me the thing no one would understand

      'Cause I'm Your Secrets

      You ask is love a lie
      And is the world insane
      Why do we cry
      And is this life realty just a dream

      Tell me everything you can, yeah yeah
      I am the one who will understand you
      I am alt that you wish to be, yeah yeah
      It's always been just you and me

      'Cause I'm Your Secrets

    11. Under It All

      I'm just the paint
      You paint the picture
      What are you seeing?
      What are you feeling?

      And all my colors
      For your creating
      Is your rainbow
      Black and blue

      Or your heavens,
      Cherry Blossoms ?

      But what do you cover
      With your ocean of colors?
      Secrets? Regrets?

      Who are you
      Through and through?

      See who you are
      Deep in the core
      Under the paint
      Under It All

      Paint me your face
      And please be revealing
      What are you dreaming?
      What are you praying for?

    PRAYERS
      Joey Brider:
        Now I lay me down to sleep and pray the Lord to be with all the people that have nobody. I want my mommy to come back.

      Sister Ruby Theresa:
        Oh, mighty Father who is within, I beg you for your mercy. Please save me from this guilt and pain that has stolen my life.

      Maria Hendrix:
        All I ever wanted was someone to love me. That s all I ever wanted. All I want is someone to love me.

      Guzzo Sockler:
        Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy money. Thy kingdom come money, Thy will be done money, on Earth as it is in money. Give us this day our daily money and forgive us our money, as we forgive those who money against us. And lead us into money.

      Eve Patterson:
        Gllpplupp --- hmmsgulpplvgud --- ohhhhaabawewglaba --- hmmmmmm, hmmmm - agullgullg, etc.

        Pray for fortunes
        Pray for love
        Or the highest
        Radha Soami

        Or do you see that all
        Is always within us all?

        Deeper, look deeper

        Or is there just nothing
        There at all?

      Joey Brider:
        Hi, my name is Joey Brider, and when I grow up I wanna be a doctor. But what I don t know is that I m actually going to discover the cure for loneliness.

      Sister Ruby Theresa:
        I'm Sister Ruby Theresa, and I've spent my life caring for the poor and the sick. I've saved so many, but accidentally killed my baby brother when I was seven.

      Maria Hendrix:
        I was 12 when I told my parents that my teacher touched me. He lost his job and family and died in prison. Then, when I was 35, I told the truth.

      Guzzo Sockler:
        I have a beautiful wife, three amazing daughters that love me very deeply, but what I would like most in this world is Bill Gates money.

      Michael Nemus:
        I never thought that anything I could ever say could hurt someone so deeply.

      Sister Ruby Theresa:
        God gave the gift of artists to the world, so that people can dream while they re awake.

      Joey Brider-:
        I'm alive and I'm aware!

      Maria Hendrix:
        I'm only happy when everyone else is miserable.

      Michael Nemus:
        I'm going to tell you the Truth, even if I have to lie to you.

      Guzzo Sockler:
        I'm dead.

      Sister Ruby Theresa:
        I would suffer another whole lifetime of emptiness and pain just to hear, one time again, the whisper of Your small, still voice.

      Guzzo Sockler:
        Now you listen to me you dirty mutha-fulger. You don t know me, and now you fulgen did it. Now come here Bang !!!

      President Ausi Oak (Us):
        It is time we stand up for our human rights and our way of life and destroy our enemy, for they are soulless animals and the corrupters of freedom.

        I take an oath to hunt them down and root them out and kill them until they are dead. We will not give up the fight until righteousness prevails, for it is for sure that God is on our side.

        Bin Lenny (Them): The time has come that we must protect our souls and the future of our kind by annihilating the infidels; it is our duty to the creator to cleanse the world of such filth.

        Let us gloriously offer our lives, for the rewards of heaven await us, for it is sure that God is on our side.

      Chorus:

      See who you are
      Deep in the core
      Under the paint
      Under It All

      Straight to the heart
      Behind the walls
      Under the paint
      There's so much more

      Under It All
      There's so much more
      Under It All


      Pamposh's final qestion befor drifting into a state of transcendent ecstasy was. "But Master, if everything is an illusion, then why does anything matter ?"

      To which the master replied. "It may all be an illusion, but it's a very real illusion."

      THE PLACE
      Someplace in midwestern Wherever-You-Live

      CAST OF CHARACTERS AT THIS TIME:
      Captain Drake Mason, Pamposh, The pubescent angst-driven teens: Dirty Ed, Jarv, Un, PH, Wedge, Loaner, Cha Cha, Ovalthawlt and the rest, Eve Peterson, The Midway Creatures, Lucas Mason (K'm-Pee-Du-Wee), Seraphim, Buddy Graham (Yai Yai), The Wirling Dervish, Joey Brider, Sister Ruby Theresa, Maria Hendrix, Guzzo Sockler, Michael Nemus, President Ausi Oak, Bin Lenny Disclaimer: All names are ficticious character that I made up in my head, so if you happen to have the same name as someone in this story, I'm not refering to you.