Joe Satriani--Surfing With the Alien

Joe Satriani--Surfing With the Alien (1987/Relativity) Rating--7.5

Satriani burst onto the scene as the most visible guitar "wizard" since Eddie Van Halen, and is the one-time teacher of a number of metal hotshots, including Steve Vai and Kirk Hammett. Good rhythms set him apart from many other six-string specialists, though there are plenty of innovative lead techniques as well. Though he incorporates some singing into his work on later releases, all tracks are instrumental here.
"Satch Boogie" became the modern-day "Eruption" when it was released, as it is tight, building, and compact.
The title track has a solid flow, "Circles" features a nice kick-in, and a metallic churning backbone pushes "Crushing Day". One of Satch's best numbers ever surfaces in the form of "Always With Me, Always With You." This is a beautiful, majestically-played slow piece, and excellent from start to finish.
A great disc to get for the guitar guru, especially if you can pick up techniques by ear. You'll learn a lot from this one.
TRACK LIST: Surfing With the Alien/Ice 9/Crushing Day/Always With Me, Always With You/Satch Boogie/Hill of the Skull/ Circles/Lords of Karma/Midnight/Echo

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