Guitar maestro Joe Satriani, since Not Of This Earth in 1986, has established, re-established, energised, re-energised, imagined and re-imagined the instrumental rock guitar album as an art form. On his latest outing he bristles with vibrant creativity, like a steel and nickel-spined porcupine, flying through a wormhole of light-splitting versatility and virtuosity, a myriad of quills reaching out for combustive connections to the interior of the time tunnel, setting off sparks.
Superb opener Sahara takes us on a desert journey with an invitation to a magnificent mindscape that’s pure Joe Flow, Joe Blow, Joe Mellow-dy. Senses are already working overtime, heightened further by the title track that starts out like a Hans Zimmer Dune-type deal, still resolutely Satch tho, a sci-fi soundscape with dark layers of threatening Red Planet conflagrations, conspiracies and ivory skulduggery, soundtracked by a helter-skelter musical force rippling, cascading down, like evolution somehow folding back on itself, hellacious horns flaring, blaring, fearing for the fate of the eponymous
be-tusked beasts.
Faceless burns and yearns for something, someone, some time other than now and we’re soon back into the depths of space with Sailing The Seas Of Ganymede, the band on top form as bass and keys lead us on a journey into the blackness before Joe lights the way to the stars – LIGHT ’EM UP!
E 104th Street NYC 1973 – Satriani is from the Big Apple, in case you don’t know, or in case you have been thrown by his California connections – could be the theme to an old cop show, or a new cop show, or the ultimate cop show, any time. There’s a tension like WALK or DON’T WALK or “walk the walk and talk the talk or get off the sidewalk”. Dance Of The Spores is another compelling epic and the jazzy Night Scene boasts a cool marimba, the album packed with variety …
I don’t mind admitting I came late in life to the Joe show, specifically via a 2018 G3 gig in Manchester, England. G3 is the live phenomenon when Satriani tours with two other worthy guitar exponents, allowing them to showcase their very own, very special chops before a Satriani set and a euphorically collaborative finale. I’d heard of Satriani and knew his music – bits of Surfing With The Alien and Flying In A Blue Dream, and the track Friends, from The Extremist and 2001’s Live In San Francisco, had been one of my go-to feelgood tracks for years. But I will readily confess I turned up at G3 more expectantly excited by the “supports”, ie Uli Jon Roth, formerly of Scorpions, and John Petrucci, of metal-prog titans Dream Theater.
Needless to say, Roth and Petrucci played exceptional sets, but the night was lifted up from beyond super to simply sublime when Satriani strolled out there and TOOK COMMAND – in a typically friendly Joe, entirely inclusive manner, of course.
Roth and Petrucci were elite guitarists in landmark bands, and had fronted “solo” gigs before, but Joe was a star, a legend, an effortlessly-cool stage master. He knew how to work the room, to juggle all the balls. On that particular tour his What Happens Next collection dominated with typically muscular work-outs of the Koyaanisqatsi-esque Thunder High On The Mountain and, er … Super Funky Badass!
Talking recently about the fine young shredders populating YouTube and Instagram, Satriani complimented the speed, dexterity and complexity (“so much better than I could ever play”) before sagely adding that: “Young people have to understand they should spend more time playing music for people and with people because that’s our job as musicians.” When it comes to YouTube, one of my favourite lockdown clips was Cory Wong reacting to the solo Satriani remotely contributed to Wong track Massive (check it out). But Satriani, as I said, rips it up live, and is really all about playing with and for other people. On record, he also speaks to US, you and me, the audience, bringing authority and control to much more than a simple mood or a single vibe, opening eyes, ears and minds in a way that goes beyond the appreciation of sheer musical excellence.
You will have no doubt realised you have come to the wrong place for in-depth commentary on pentatonics, arpeggios, legatos, on-point intonation or phrasing, not to mention recontextualising the intervallic gaps (yes, I cut and pasted all that out of Guitar World magazine). But I still state with some experience and authority that Joe can be extraordinarily squealy, squawky, rocky, raunchy, classy, sassy, jazzy, funky, crunchy and downright munchy. I know enough to know that G3 outing was one of the best guitar shows I have witnessed, and as well as Satriani, Roth and Petrucci I’ve seen Schenker (Michael), Schenker (Rudolf, with Matthias Jabs and the Scorps), Alex Lifeson with Rush, Buck Dharma and Blue Oyster Cult, Steve Hackett, Ronnie Montrose (fronting Gamma), Peter Green (in 2010) and Adam Jones with Tool. To name a “phew”.
Other guitarists will vie (like his old pal Vai!) for your attention and affection but ultimately it doesn’t have to be a competition – there are so many great players, so much great music out there. Still, for me, there is only one Satch. He is a unique voice in guitars, and the way he makes his beloved instruments talk can eloquently, elementally communicate more thoughts and ideas than many, many lines of vocals could ever muster or master. The Elephants Of Mars clearly states he still has a LOT to say, all the way to the fine one-two closure of the cherishable and nostalgic 22 Memory Lane and the climactically sweeping, weeping, symphonic Desolation.
Is it a perfect album? No. Do the plusses outnumber the minuses? Yo. And anyway, with guys like Joe, as we know in life, even if minuses have the numbers, plusses have the power.
The voiceovers on the hot, heavy and imaginative Through A Mother’s Day Darkly are by Ned Evett, Satriani’s writing and creative partner on the Crystal Planet comic book project. Other collaborators include bassist Bryan Beller and drummer Kenny Aronoff (Smashing Pumpkins, Lyle Lovett and live Chickenfoot, with Satriani et al). Skins-meister Aronoff is right ON IT, from Sahara onwards, and impresses throughout. The 14-track, 67-minute album is produced by Eric Caudieux.
The Elephants Of Mars, by Joe Satriani, is out on April 8 via earMUSIC
Very well put together review, hits it right on the button. Joe Sat just has that sound that as soon as you hear it you just know it’s Joe. The gift that keeps on giving, never loses his sound. True talent.