Joe Satriani News and Links

Ok, I just got the new “Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock” cd yesterday and have had a chance to give it a couple of preliminary listens.  First off, I went with the deluxe cd/dvd version which comes with a bonus dvd. The dvd has behind the scenes footage and videos of a few songs.  Being able to watch Joe go through my worst Halloween costume experiences as he gets decked out like a giant robot was worth the few dollars extra I paid for the deluxe edition.  Joe’s music has always been so inspired it’s great to see how he conjures vision for his musical ideas. 

I plan on making this a two part review.  The initial review will be based on first impressions.  I’ll write again after listening over time and in more depth.  I plan on going song-by-song here.  The true test of a good song for me is if I want to have the song on my mp3 player.  If I do, the song gets a synced.  Not getting a synced rating doesn’t mean I dislike the song, but only the best are “sync-worthy”.  Any Seinfeldian inferences are not entirely unintentional. 

The first track, “Musterion“, got synced.  I like the mysterious groove Joe lays down.  To my ears it wasn’t the best material on the album but I do like it and want to hear it again. 

Track 2, “Overdriver“,  has also found a home on my mp3 player.  This song, like most of the album, flows nicely from the previous piece.   What can I say, it’s the quintessential Satriani that I’ve come to know and love over the years. Synced.

Track 3, “I Just Wanna Rock“, didn’t make my sync list.  It’s too reminiscent of AC/DC for me, and I just never connected to them.  Joe did a lot of fun stuff with this track with the talk-box and I appreciate the creative process that went into it, so give it a listen, it just didn’t appeal to me personally.  

Track 4, “Professor Satchafunkilus“, opens with Joe’s son ZZ on the saxophone.  That’s a cool twist.  I hope he’s on the tour.  Joe definitely put the Funk in Satchafunkilus on this one. The song has Joe’s signature all over it but at the same time conjures images of that funky stuff people were shakin’ it down to in the 70’s and early 80’s.  Synced.

Track 5, ”Revelation“, is one of my favorites on the album.  It has a beautiful melodic counterpoint rhythm that reminds me of some of my favorite Steve Morse compositions.  Joe’s lead work flows beautifully, as usual.  I love it. Synced.

Track 6, “Come On Baby“,  starts slow and builds nicely.  The piano and tempo give the song an uncharacteristic feel, which makes for a good change-up.  Oh yeah, it’s on the synced list.

Track 7, “Out of The Sunrise“ - Again the flow from the previous song is noteworthy.  Heavy use of keyboards ties it in well and makes it somewhat unexpected.  This is another track that builds nicely. Synced.

Track 8, “Diddle-Y-A-Doo-Dat” - Bet you weren’t expecting any of Joe’s compositions to remind you of Frank Zappa. This one does.  The percussive rhythm lines give it a very Zappa-esque feel without going over the top.  Synced.

Track 9, “Asik Vaysel” is another of my favorites amongst favorites on this collection of works. Joe’s lead work is typically brilliant.  It just makes me want to say “thanks, Joe”.  Yeah,… Synced.

Track 10, “Andalusia” is amongst my top three picks on this album.  A beautiful piece with a flamenco feel that features Joe on acoustic.  While it starts with a mellow flamenco sound Joe really lights the whole thing on fire before long.  It’s everything I’ve come to know and love about Joe’s work.  Obviously, synced.

So I give “Professor Satchafunkalis and The Musterion of Rock” 9 out of 10 syncs.  Hey, it’s Joe. Would you expect any less?

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 10th, 2008 at 7:51 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.