Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien (Legacy Edition)

It's been well over 10 years since I last heard Joe Satriani's Surfing with the Alien (Epic, 1987). When I was younger, I was into such guitar gymnastics, but my tastes have changed, and I haven't given the album much thought since then. Recently, though, I picked up this 20th anniversary "Legacy Edition" out of curiosity - to revisit an old friend, so to speak.

Lords of Karma
Echo

What surprised me was how well the material has held up. On one hand, the album is extremely dated. The electronic drums and tones are so '80s, all processed and Rockman-ed out. Even though there's been a resurgence of shred guitar to an extent, it's nowhere near the Shrapnel mania that swept guitar magazines in the '80s.

On the other hand, the songs are killer. Personally, I prefer the warm, organic feel of his self-titled album or the night driving atmosphere of Not of This Earth. However, Surfing has the most memorable melodies and compositions Satriani has ever written. "Ice 9"? "Crushing Day"? "Always with Me, Always with You"? All stone cold classics, with tight, efficient arrangements and eminently hummable solos. Ironically, this simplicity is why Satriani sits atop the shred guitar heap (with only Steve Vai in the same sentence). Even when he goes off on insane runs, he makes them sound easy.

Joe Travolta

This reissue isn't remixed (no need, as the original was clean to the point of sterility), but it's been remastered for pleasingly beefier sound. The liner notes are everything one could ask for, with lots of historical photos and Satriani's track-by-track recollections ("Lords of Karma" took 12 years to write???).

The included DVD contains a great-sounding gig from the 1988 Montreux Jazz Festival, featuring the classic trio with Stu Hamm on bass and Jonathan Mover on drums. The cameras are numerous and the editing is professional, though there is an unfortunate preponderance of behind-the-throne ass shots of Mover. Satriani's outfit is a car wreck, a vile vest and pants combo that suggests Keith Haring designing for Zubaz. I really did not need to see that much of Satriani's chest and armpit hair.

Other extras include a hilarious interview with Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel about Satriani, and videos for "Satch Boogie" and "Always with Me, Always with You." All this extra material comes at an elevated price, but it's worth it. This is arguably the best instrumental rock guitar record ever; the Legacy Edition is a perfect entry point for newcomers and a lovely nostalgia trip for oldsters like me.