Joe Satriani
Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock

Here is an album that will undoubtedly please the many fans who already adore Satriani but will most likely raise some eyebrows.

Over the past few years, and more precisely since the release of "Strange Beautiful Music" in 2002, Satriani has made a clearly defined stylistic choice: songs with a relatively simple structure, devoid of particular arrangements; a pursuit of an increasingly intimate and personal sound; music intended as fun, passion, and sheer playing pleasure. That's why I strongly discourage this album to fans of shred or those who love extreme virtuosity: you won't find it here. Nor will you find particularly original, daring, or innovative artistic choices. This album highlights the playful and amused side of a Satriani who hones his taste with songs featuring sounds that are always very warm, with pastel colors softened by splashes of electric acid, which are never out of place.

By now, a very bluesy atmosphere permeates all of Joe's musical production, even if the incursions into funk and rock are very frequent (and welcome). The best moments of the album, in my opinion, are "I Just Wanna Rock", a straightforward and direct piece that winks at Angus Young’s riffs and inevitably makes you tap your foot from the first listen; "Revelations", a classic Satriani track with kaleidoscopic and hypnotic colors (what a touch, what a wonderful touch!); "Come On Baby", splendid for the light and intimate way Satch makes his Ibanez JS sound; "Diddle-Y-A-Doo-Dat", a crafty and well-calibrated piece. The only sour note: perhaps one or two surf songs would certainly have given more balance to the whole, but in a period like this, where everyone stuffs albums with pointless pieces just to reach the fabled 70-minute mark, better a few songs less and a bit more quality.

A very enjoyable album, therefore, far from Satriani's masterpieces but perfectly consistent with what the man who, in the mid-'80s, marked a turning point in the world of electric guitar has become today: a happy man, who loves his music immensely and manages to convey to those who know how to listen all the joy, energy, and positivity that accompany him. Perhaps only now, having reached full artistic maturity, can Satch rightfully claim a place in the very exclusive Olympus of guitar heroes. And those who have had the good fortune to attend a Satriani concert know what I'm talking about.

Joe makes his guitar sing "I Just Wanna Rock": considering what's being dealt out these days, how can you blame him?

P.S.
Those who purchase the limited edition of the CD can also enjoy a nice extra DVD with live tracks recorded between San Francisco, NY, and Los Angeles on the occasion of the (!!) 20th anniversary celebrations of Surfing, and other various material from the album recordings. It's definitely worth it because it's top-quality material (especially for fans), and above all, it's quite inexpensive (16.99 on play.com, who will even ship it to your home for free!).