Steve Vai's 3rd album Passion & Warfare is a gem. That being said, I feel this album along with Satriani's 'Surfing with the Alien', pushed the bar for guitarists so high.

Widely acclaimed as his best album, finds coming into his own as a composer, as well as bypassing vocals almost entirely. His style isn't quite as derivative of influences and as it was six years earlier on; while some of 's sense of humor is still evident on tracks like the cock rock strut of 'The Audience Is Listening,' it is mostly replaced by a spiritual reflectiveness on ballads like 'For the Love of God' and 'Blue Powder' and dignified, committed rockers like 'I Would Love To' and 'Liberty.' Is a more distinguished composer than most of his guitar-shredder contemporaries, and rather than simply showing off his technique, he isn't afraid to experiment or take chances in his playing. Thus, is arguably the richest and best hard rock guitar-virtuoso album of the '80s.