Joe Satriani
Dreaming #11

THE REVIEW

This forgotten E.P. from 1988 marks a crucial moment in Satriani's career.

Three of the four tracks included are the result of the "Surfing with the alien" tour, and consequently are part of an unrepeatable magic in the history of the Italian-American artist. For those who want to know how Joe played live in the '80s, they should listen to the transformed versions of "Ice 9", "Memories", and "Hordes of locusts". Tasteful improvisations, a connection with the rhythm section (Stuart Hamm on bass and Jonathan Mover on drums), elegance in touch, and unexpected twists. The soul is there, the technique too. How does he do it? With the right measure that our musician has always (or at least in the past) had. Indeed, Satriani's style is an adjustment of direct and well-calibrated blows, never over the top and, for this reason, highly enjoyable and accessible to anyone.

Everything is also present in the studio unreleased track "The Crush of Love", a precious gem of the entire work. A disarming mastery of simplicity dominates the 4 minutes of the track, which continues the style of the previous "Surfing..." and invites to dance with its infectious pop melodies, in Joe Satriani's perfectly established style. As the title suggests, dream...