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Showing reviews 1-5 of 22
 Time makes a Classic... October 28, 2003
Saranjit Dosanjh (Brussels, Belgium)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Sometimes you can think an album is going to be a classic when it's released, but you can't really know until many years later. Surfing With the Alien is still mentioned in the same breath as Satriani's name. It is the most highly recommended of his albums, I myself bought it on the strength of a recommendation 10 years ago. At the time I was into all sorts of metal and goth from 70's onwards, anything guitar based really, but I resisted the instrumentalists because I thought it a bit geeky. I was surprised and instantly impressed with this album and thought straight away it had the potential to be a classic. While I never became an avid collector of instro albums, I picked up a few over the years. However, this is the one that gets the most play and that, after 10 years, it what makes it classic to me. The fact that many other people share that feeling is what makes this a classic of rock music. This isn't just for metalheads or guitar freaks, anyone who prefers rock to pop should be able to get something out of this music. But if you are metalhead or guitar freak - YOU WILL LOVE IT !!!
An unknown classic May 7, 2003
Trelloskilos
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Surfing with the Alien is without doubt one of the finest 'Guitar' albums that you'll ever find. It was released at just the right time, and despite being associated with the poodle-haired widdlers of the time, this album showed a sophistication, technique and composition that very few people could match, and less attempted to emulate. pAlmost 15 years on, "Surfing" has become a sought-after album by most aspiring rock guitarists, and is frequently referenced by mainstream music magasines using terms such as "Influential", "Original", "Innovative" etc.pSatriani has a knack of making the mundane sound interesting, and the interesting sound stratospherically fascinating. It's not just a showy jumble of notes played really fast. there are tasteful phrases, riffs, and some astounding acoustic moments, and of course, some good ol' toe-tapping RAWK!pIt's not for everybody. Westlife fans will hate it. However, anyone open to music played well, no matter what genre will love this album.
The album that made the legend that is Satch October 23, 2002
Mr S G Johnson
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is the album that started the phenominal appeal of Joe Satriani. In my opinion the greatest guitarist in the world today, Satriani sets high standards with this groundbreaking album. Preety much all the tracks are outstanding, displaying just how masterful Joe Satriani is on his guitar. In my opinion the first 5 tracks are instant classics and, considering this album is 15 years old, and on his current tour he plays 7 of the 10 tracks on it, shows that they age well and don't become tiresome over time. This is a great buy if you want to get into guitar music, needless to say if you are an electric guitar fan you will already own this. It is definatley one of the greatest rock albums of all time.
Definitely a classic! June 21, 2000
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
The career defining album. Incredible. The most recent remastered version benefits from the digital jiggery-pokery. After hearing the original, you can hear differences such as the sound of the plectrum hitting the strings on 'Circles'. If there is one rock guitar album you buy...this is it.
A stone-cold classic January 3, 2004
Metaller (Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
To say that Joe Satriani is a technical virtuoso who has forgotten more chops than the rest of us will ever know is to do him a terrible injustice. I have many rock instrumental albums by different artists, and Satriani is the only one who truly replaces the singer. Such soulfulness and lyricism is incredibly rare in shred guitarists. Don't get me wrong, I love shred, but this album offers so much more than that. Never before has a guitar solo sounded so moving or so full of emotion, and even at breakneck speeds, Satriani's bluesy tendencies show through, and add a very human aspect to the playing. I realise that non-guitar players may have heard instrumental albums before, and found them boring, but is different. This album's appeal stretches beyond the small group of musicians found in guitar shops talking about their mullet haircuts. I think that an open-minded pop fan could enjoy it just as much as a speed-metaller, because it is accessible on so many different levels. I could approach it is a work of technical genius, but I don't. It's much more fun to sit back and let the songs take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The standout track on the album for me is 'Always with me, Always with you'. In the 'chorus' you can almost hear the words 'Always with me, Always with you' being whispered in the background. It is haunting, but also fun. The only guitar album I know of that leaves you with a smile, and not the guilty feeling that you should have liked it because the guy can play so well. Satriani is one of the few guitar heros who I respect for their music, not just their solos. Buy it. You'll love it.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 22
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