Search - Joe Satriani :: Surfing With the Alien

Making Waves!

JAMES MCCORMICK | cedar rapids, Iowa United States | 12/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"5 Stars = Masterpiece



Joe Satriani along with his protégé Steve Vai, are probably the best known shredders, though they were not the first. The big difference though between Joe, & most others (including Vai) is that he respects the structure of a song, whether it be instrumental or with vocals. The man can not only play, but he can write also, & he writes very well! You see, Joe knows when to play lead guitar & when to play rhythm, & when to shut up. He does not go on noodling forever, saying nothing, which is the big down fall of the shred genre. Joe is at once concise, but also possesses an extensive guitar vocabulary second to none, & equaled by only a few.



I have several Satriani albums, but there are two for me that are a guitar neck above the rest, "Surfin' With the Alien," & " Flying in a Blue Dream." Both are masterpieces, & both completely different.



On "Surfin' with the Alien," Satriani provides the shredder genre with it's first masterpiece, an all instrumental attack on the ears! Not really a fusion album, but a "shred" album, & on it, Satriani plays like he is a fusion guitarist hopping over to the more structured side of rock. He cuts it through out the album magnificently, announcing a new force to be reckoned with, & a new genre, "shred," coming of age. "Surfin' with the Alien," is the standard in shred, for all other shredders to be judged by. Just an awesome piece of work!

"

To those critizicing the 80's sound of this album

Guitarrero | New York | 05/22/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Of course, if you buy this album today it is going to sound 80's. It was recorded in the 80's!!! Some of the ratings here even complain that there is no singing!!! hahaha. That made me laugh. I can see why those who do not play guitar or think of Ashley Simpson when they hear the word "music" can't fathom the technical and musical skills featured on this album, but for those of us who do play, even though not many get to the level of Satriani, it was, back then, an incredible source of inspiration, an eye opener to endless possibilities. After I heard this album for the first time, I saw the guitar in a whole different way. There is much music out there these days, more "modern" sounding albums, new styles, etc. But you have to appreciate this album for what it is: one of the greatest, most influential 80's-instrumental-guitar albums."