Search - Joe Satriani :: Live in San Francisco

Pure Satch

Edward Ju | San Gabriel, CA USA | 07/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was somewhat apprehensive of buying this double CD set, being a huge Satch fan but was never quite satisfied with how his live recordings (3 tracks from Dreaming #11 and disc 2 of the Time Machine double CD set) turned out. However, this new recording haven't left my CD player since I bought it last week, it was such a joy to listen to, and you can tell the band likewise was on fire and having a blast playing the music. Joe was cutting loose and took some liberty re-inventing his material without making the songs unrecognizable, while the rest of the band followed closely even though Joe's playing can be really unpredictable sometimes, a testament to the talent of the musicians involved.This was recorded during Satriani's "Engines of Creation" tour, which I had the pleasure of attending one of the shows. The songs presented were a balanced mix of exciting, recently recorded songs and the always crowd-pleasing "greatest hits" from his earlier albums. Quality of recording is great, unlike a great number of live recordings released by rock musicians. Personally, I am very pleased with the set list, which happens to be influenced by fans who vists Joe's website, who were given the opportunity to design their own set lists. Except for 1 song that I didn't really care for (hint: it had less notes per second than other songs, but that's not really the reason I disliked the song), the remaining 24 tracks simply made life more enjoyable while listening to them.This double CD set belongs in any Joe Satriani fan's collection, especially if you did not like his previous live recordings too much, because this one is different in the sense that the playing was more organic and less of a literal recital of the recorded versions. While you are at it, get the DVD as well. I didn't realize there was a DVD version until I heard Joe mention about it between songs. It will be amazing to see the fireworks his lightning fingers are capable of setting off on the fretboard, even though at the end of the day it's the music counts, and Joe delivers on that front ten-fold as well. Sure, he could play less notes and "go for the feeling", but why does he need to slow down when the feeling is already there in the music?Last but not least, for people who have never been to a Satch concert: the crowd was NOT booing after the bass solo or when Joe referred to him, they were actually worshipping him and yelling out the bassist's name, Stu! Definitely check out Stu Hamm's solo recordings if you haven't done so already, Satch fans usually find his music excellent as well."

Good air guitar material

frodo_bag | Guayaquil, Guayas Ecuador | 06/20/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I can't deny that I love instrumental rock guitar, Joe Satriani being one of my personal favorites, so his new live CD was a no-brainer purchase for me. However, being spoiled by his previous double live record, Time Machine, I was expecting early Satch technique. Nowadays, he has gone a lot more experimental, gone the so-called "feeling" route, favoring expression in lieu of flawless performance, one of his best early traits. The result is a mixed bag: I like the new life he infuses into some old classics, such as Summer Song and Always With Me, Always With You (My all-time Satriani favorite), but whenever you break old structures, you make sacrifices, which don't always sit well with those familiarized with the old versions. Still, there's more than enough here to please both old-school and new Satriani fans, with songs from both his old and new facets, with a great band and good sound. For the Satch-head, a must have. For the new fan, I'd suggest checking out his previous live effort, Time Machine, so you can truly witness Satriani's evolution."

Awesome songs get intense live treatment.

Lord Chimp | Monkey World | 07/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Where did this come from? I consider myself a big Satriani fan, although I didn't even know this was coming out, and there's a DVD for the same concert! I guess I wasn't paying attention, but what counts is that this album caught my eye when I slid into the record store to shuffle through the bargain bin (which sometimes holds inconspicuous treasures). Naturally, I made the purchase, and was later blown away by the great performance captured on these two discs.The power of Satch's infectious, virtuoso music is caught so effectively here, thanks in part to Eric Caudieux contributing the rhythm guitar section, which was often a neglected factor of Satch's live shows. The techno element of the Engines of Creation songs is buried under a raw, robust performance, so if you didn't like the last album, you'll probably love the iterations of its songs compiled here (which consumes a chunk of Disc 1.) Stu Hamm's compelling bass occupies a big space in the mix, which is cool because although Joe's arresting virtuosity is the highlight, his songs are often anchored to cool bass lines. An enjoyable solo spot also underscores Hamm's tasteful ability, where he integrates a quote from Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" and really gets the crowd going with some galloping grooves."Time" can be forgiven as a somewhat tepid opener (great song, though), for it segues into the aggressive attack of "Devil's Slide," which blisters with intensity and sounds more visceral with real drums and a speedier take on the song's big crunchy riff. From there, the song selection is great, covering almost 150 minutes of Satch songs, from concert staples "Satch Boogie," "Summer Song," and "Surfing with the Alien" to newer tunes like the beautiful "Until We Say Goodbye," the quirky, sparkling "Borg Sex," and the dynamic, sizzling "Crystal Planet" (with a cool piano intro). Joe's hairpin soloing is often embellished live, so keep an ear open for elaboration, and he has fun with the crowd too. All the songs are treated with a favorable production that effectively balances clarity with rawness, and each song is performed awesomely. I would have liked to hear "Up in the Sky," because it's probably a smokin' live song (it'd be a good opener), and I wish he'd perform "Motorcycle Driver," because it's one of my favorites, but those are wishes, not detriments. Buy this...it just might become the most listened to Satriani album in your collection."