Audio CD review:
Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien Legacy Edition (CD + DVD)

Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien Legacy Edition (CD + DVD)

Band: Joe Satriani Title: Surfing with the Alien Legacy Edition (CD + DVD) Rating: Release Date: 07 August, 2007 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Surfing With the Alien 2: Ice 9 3: Crushing Day 4: Always With Me, Always With You 5: Satch Boogie 6: Hill Of the Skull 7: Circles 8: Lords Of Karma 9: Midnight 10: Echo

Customer Reviews Awesome. Joe Satriani is the man, and this was the best instrumental guitar music CD ever. In a word, awesome. Releasing this in modern quality just reinforces that fact. The DVD has a live performance that is also great. Stu Hamm plays bass for the show, and does a 5 minute bass solo that totally rips. Not for me. JS was highly recommended by a good friend . . unfortunately, I must say "Surfing" is not for me. Maybe with one exception, I just didn't hear any "hooks" or emotionally memorable tunes. The playing here was technically good but it just reminded me of a bland soundtrack background. Give me Clapton, Guy, Buchanan, Steve Kimock, or Steve Howe anyday. Maybe I need to hear another JS cd?. Treasure Trove For Satriani Fans! With this 20th anniversary remastered release, not much is changed- it still sounds fantastic, but oddly enough, I actually prefer the original production. A guitar album which was both groundbreaking and unprecedented (and has since become legendary), "Surfing With The Alien" is an absolute classic. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the remastered production seems a bit dry or sterile compared to the original release. . . . The real treat here for Satch fans is the addition of a bonus DVD with a fantastic early European gig in which a virtually unknown guitarists and band pull of a fantastic virtuoso performance despite a million setbacks (being "bumped" from a 12:00 time slot to 4:00 a. m. , having to cut half of their set-list, jet-lag and fatigue- the accompanying notes from Satriani are both amusing and interesting to read) as well as videos for a couple of classic songs and a hilarious commentary from Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel. The real treat for long time fans such as myself is seeing Joe in all his funky late-eighties neo-Hendrix glory (weird outfits, hair, and all) and wielding his old self-decorated Ibanez guitars that he used to cut his first three albums. . . . a fun and nostalgic experience. The only reason I knocked a star off is because I prefer the "old" mix of "Surfing". . . . other than that it's an excellent reissue. . . . I may be nitpicking; can I give it 4 and a half stars?. . You can see a complete list of all Joe Satriani discography, or go back to the Joe Satriani tabs