Surfing With the Alien

Surfing With the Alien

by Joe Satriani
Surfing With the Alien

Surfing With the Alien

by Joe Satriani

CD

$9.99 
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Overview

Surfing with the Alien belongs to its era like Are You Experienced? belongs to its own -- perhaps it doesn't transcend its time the way the Jimi Hendrix Experience's 1967 debut does, but Joe Satriani's 1987 breakthrough can be seen as the gold standard for guitar playing of the mid- to late '80s, an album that captures everything that was good about the glory days of shred. Certainly, Satriani was unique among his peers in that his playing was so fluid that his technical skills never seemed like showboating -- something that was somewhat true of his 1986 debut, Not of This Earth, but on Surfing with the Alien he married this dexterity to a true sense of melodic songcraft, a gift that helped him be that rare thing: a guitar virtuoso who ordinary listeners enjoyed. Nowhere is this more true than on "Always with Me, Always with You," a genuine ballad -- not beefed up with muscular power chords but rather sighing gently with its melody -- but this knack was also evident on the ZZ Top homage "Satch Boogie" and the title track itself, both of which turned into rock radio hits. This melodic facility, plus his fondness for a good old-fashioned three-chord rock, separated Satriani from his shredding peers in 1987, many of whom were quite literally his students. But he was no throwback: he equaled his former students Steve Vai and Kirk Hammett in sweep picking and fretboard acrobatics and he had a sparkling, spacy quality to some of his songs -- particularly the closing stretch of the Middle Eastern-flavored "Lords of Karma," the twinkling "Midnight," and "Echo" -- that was thoroughly modern for 1987. The production of Surfing with the Alien is also thoroughly of its year -- stiff drumbeats, sparkling productions -- so much so that it can seem a bit like a relic from another era, but it's fine that it doesn't transcend its time: it captures the best of its era and is still impressive in that regard. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date: 08/03/1999
Label: Epic
UPC: 0888837142922
Rank: 29501

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

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Joe Satriani   Primary Artist,Guitar (Bass),Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Percussion
Jonathan Mover   Drums
Stuart Hamm   Guitar (Bass)
Jeff Campitelli   Drums,Percussion
Bob Smith   Drums,Bongos,Percussion
John Cuniberti   Percussion
Bongo Bob Smith   Percussion

Technical Credits

Jeff Kreeger   Programming
John Cuniberti   Audio Production,Audio Engineer,Photography,Producer,Engineer
Joe Satriani   Audio Production,Arranger,Composer,Producer,Photography,Programming,Drum Programming
David Richards   Mixing,Engineer
Matt Resnicoff   Liner Notes
Stuart Hamm   Composer
George Marino   Mastering
Bob Smith   Design,Programming,Drum Programming
Neil Zlozower   Photography
David Bett   Art Direction
Mick Brigden   Direction
Arnie Pustilnik   Direction
Nigel Tufnel   Interviewee
Jim Kozlowski   Concept,Cover Art Concept
Flip Holahan   Photography
Fred Duffin   Management
Bongo Bob Smith   Drum Programming,Sound Design
Christine Wilson   Design
Bernie Grundman   Mastering
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