CD Review:Joe Satriani "Flying in a Blue Dream"

"My heart is pounding, my stomach's inside out
I'm feeling kinda shaky, my mind is full of doubt.
All I ever think about is fear and fear itself,
Wish I could unscrew my head and put it on the shelf."
Strange


Released on Epic in October 1989 (two years after the landmark "Surfing with the Alien"), "Flying in a Blue Dream" cemented Satriani's reputation as perhaps the best guitarist to come along in rock in many, many years, a position that he will no doubt hold for years to come And it serves to justify why he is considered one of the progenitors of the shred movement of the Eighties. "Flying in a Blue Dream" is an hour-long exploration into just what a virtuoso with formidable, somewhat intimidating, skills and pure desire can accomplish. From the opening strains of the title track "Flying in a Blue Dream", Satch kicks the chocks out from under the monster juggernaut, starting it rolling along. Thumping bass underneath the track holds down the foundation to his lead playing that threatens to take flight at any moment.

He moves effortlessly from the sublime, light and lightning fast fret work on some tracks to the downright heavy grooves on others. Most often, it's a combination of both ends of the musical spectrum. It is this sort of aural alchemy that makes Satriani such a force. He has the speed and technical chops to impress anyone, guitar player or not, but it is inherent sense of the intrinsic underlying rhythms that make his music so downright enjoyable.

Breaking from his previous tradition of not singing on his records, Satriani lends vocals to six of the eighteen tracks on "Flying in a Blue Dream". His voice, although nothing spectacular, lends itself perfectly for the music that he is playing. His vocals act, in opposition to many other guitarists in the genre, in a subdued supporting role to his fretboard wizardry. One of the most interesting aspects of this album is that he seems to drift easily between genre's, offering something for everyone. Everything from the funky "The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing" to the bluesy, mad dog howling of "Big Bad Moon" to the quasi-rap induced laced with high-test guitar-like "Strange" to the effortlessly beautiful "I Believe" to the humorous boogie of "The Phone Call" to tendon ripping exercises of "Back to Shalla-Bal".

Although originally drawn to the drums, Satriani made a decision to become a guitarist the day that Hendrix died. He has never looked back. Quickly becoming a very fluid guitarist, Satch began teaching and his list of former students reads like a who's who of guitar greats from Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Larry LaLonde of Primus to jazz fusion great Charlie Hunter. But it was student and friend Steve Vai that has had the biggest impact on Satriani's career. It was Vai's boasting of Satriani's playing and teaching after he had done so well as the guitarist for David Lee Roth's solo efforts that national attention turned towards Satch. They continue to work together at times, touring under the banner of G3. With a rotating cast of shred masters and power players, G3 is the Holy Land of shredders everywhere. Satriani, Vai, Malmsteen, John Petrucci, Eric Johnson, Robert Fripp …etc have graced the stage together at one time or another.

"Flying in a Blue Dream" shows off some of Joe's inspirations. In the many interviews that he has given over the years, he is never shy about talking about it. Obviously Hendrix but he adds Billy Gibbons of Z.Z. Top, Wes Montgomery (jazz guitar legend) and Al DeMeola as influences as well. It's easy to hear these influences in this record.

He continues to impress and amaze musicians and non-musicians alike. If you want to hear the true definition of the word "virtuoso", roll back the clock to the mid-eighties when shred was born. "Flying in a Blue Dream" is a perfect follow up to "Surfing with the Alien". This album is about as close to perfection in the genre.

In researching this review, I have read a number of interviews with Satriani aside from listening to the disc many times over and along with his technical skills, one of the things that strikes me most about him is that he gives the impression of being a really decent and humble person and underneath it all, a teacher at heart.

In an interview with the BBC , when asked what advice he would offer for young players looking to get into the music profession, he said "I would separate the playing part from the profession. For the profession part, I'd say get a good haircut, and a good lawyer. And this coming from someone with no hair!

On the music side, it's obvious that you need to practice the things like the notes, the scales and the chords. The other thing is to try and strive to be original. That's what the audience wants. We're looking to be surprised.
When I was a teacher, I saw a lot of homogenization from people wanting to belong, to the point where they were copying. I think that's a mistake.
It doesn't work professionally, unless you have something unique to offer."

These are not hollow words. Give a listen to "Flying in Blue Dream" and you'll agree, Satch practices what he preaches.