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Joe Satriani


Jacob M.

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Yesterday and today I've been listening to Joe Satriani. I've come to the conclusion that guitar soloists are lame. No matter how good a guitarist is I just can't listen to somebody that plays like he does. There's no vocals on most of his work and the jazzy feel just doesn't sit well with me. The music stays pretty much the same throughout. I don't hear any hooks, shredding, or anything that I would think would be on a guitar record. Other guitar soloist work I've heard seems to hover around the same concept Satriani emplores. The only one I've heard so far that I remember some what liking is Jeff Scheetz-Woodpecker Stomp.

 

Is it just me? I just can't see why people like Satriani. Are there any soloists who actually play guitar like it's meant to be heard?

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I really like STEVE FISTER - AGE OF GREAT DREAMS and both the G3's but you are right , they can be boring if the guitarist has an over inflated ego problem :drink:

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Depends what mood you're in, I guess. I LOVE Satriani's "The Extremist" & it's all the better for not having vocals on it. Andy Timmons' 2nd album is very good too. Am not fussed about Steve Vai's stuff though - there isn't a lot of song structure in there...

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I like Some of Satriani's stuff, The Extremist & Flying In A Blue Dream particularly, but of all the 'Solo' guitar players out there, Steve Vai is the man. I think both of these two have released pretty varied records between them ,especially Vai's stuff, as for the No Hooks or Shredding comment ????Don't really understand that at all!!!These are meant as mostly 'Instrumental' releases, hence why no vocals. My advice would be to try some of Vai's records and see if you still feel the same.

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Depends what mood you're in, I guess.  I LOVE Satriani's "The Extremist" & it's all the better for not having vocals on it.  Andy Timmons' 2nd album is very good too.  Am not fussed about Steve Vai's stuff though - there isn't a lot of song structure in there...

 

:agree: Thought I was the only one, I think Vai's got a lot of talent but the writing just doesn't suck me in.

 

On the other hand I really enjoy Jake E. Lee's solo stuff, Malmsteen's first Rising Force release, Doug Aldrich solo (what I've heard, I really should pick some up... <_< ) and even some Satriani. I think it's all in what you like. As Grandma loves to say "That's why they have chocolate and vanilla". :)

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I like Some of Satriani's stuff, The Extremist & Flying In A Blue Dream particularly, but of all the 'Solo' guitar players out there, Steve Vai is the man. I think both of these two have released pretty varied records between them ,especially Vai's stuff, as for the No Hooks or Shredding comment ????Don't really understand that at all!!!These are meant as mostly 'Instrumental' releases, hence why no vocals. My advice would be to try some of Vai's records and see if you still feel the same.

 

 

 

 

Trying out some of Vai's records would push anyone more away from 'Solo' guitar records. Don't get me wrong, I think Steve Vai is the best (better than Satch, his maestro IMHO) but some of his stuffs are too weird even to musicians who buy these kind of records. I loved him more when he played with Alcatrazz and Dave Lee Roth. BUT!!! I think this kind of music is made directly for guitarists who are looking for inspirations and people who can make their heads spin. They're not for everyone. Better try Eric Johnson. His records (the ones that I've heard) have good "SONGS" (songs as we know them, w/vocals) in 'em and also have a good dose of instrumentals.

 

Satch's earlier records have some instrumentals that are SINGABLE because he uses a composition technique that can put strong melodies on any song. But lately, he has gotten too weird, too. He now belongs to those batch of guitarists who made playing guitar a sport.

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I understand why guitar solo albums don't have any vocals. It's just that they are so sorely lacking in every other way without the vocals to back them up. When I listen to a guitar solo album I'm expecting to hear some Vinnie Vincent, Tim Kelly, or Brent Woods esque shredding. The stuff I'm hearing isn't anything like that.

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I understand why guitar solo albums don't have any vocals. It's just that they are so sorely lacking in every other way without the vocals to back them up. When I listen to a guitar solo album I'm expecting to hear some Vinnie Vincent, Tim Kelly, or Brent Woods esque shredding. The stuff I'm hearing isn't anything like that.

 

Not that those guys are horrible players or anything, but I don't know if they'd qualify as shredders, although I'm sure I would find some disagreement about VV around here... <_< . Most of the instrumentalists out there are putting together songs not to highlight their technical ability, but to showcase an instrumental melody in place of where there would normally be vocals. To just blaze away at maximum intensity with no dynamics tends to lessen the impact of the player's ability. There's no point of reference and it ends up sounding all the same.

 

It's kinda like an exotic dancer, they don't pop out on stage naked right off the bat. They take it slow and build up the intensity... not that I would know about strip clubs, but that's what others have told me... :angel:

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  • 2 months later...

I just love Satch! What makes him so good imo is that he doesn't shred away like some masturbating mad man, but he actually writes songs. A lot of instrumentalists just solo away and it goes nowhere, while this is just well written stuff. Same goes for Vai, although you really have to get used to his stuff. Listening to him live is easier, he puts really weird things on his albums (check out The Audience is Listening from Passion & Warfare. All the stupid talking, it's hardly a song... then grab the newest G3 dvd and watch him do it live without the crap, it's a great song!)

 

You do have to like instrumental music, I know some people who think Satch is a good player, but are just bored cause there's no lyrics.

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  • 1 year later...

Bump..

I have all of Satch's stuff and love it..same for Blues Saraceno, Greg Howe, Buckethead...

and the Mighty Jeff Beck..I love instrumental music and have a lot of it...but I'm a guitar

player so it really appeals to me...

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I could never get into all-instrumental albums. I like to sing along and ya can't do that if there's no vocals!

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Funny that this thread resurfaces now... just last night I was listening to my favorite all-instrumental release by my favorite all-instrumental performer...

 

Michael Fath - "Shake"

 

Also, in my opinion, the most underrated of all guitarists.

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Funny that this thread resurfaces now... just last night I was listening to my favorite all-instrumental release by my favorite all-instrumental performer...

 

Michael Fath - "Shake"

 

Also, in my opinion, the most underrated of all guitarists.

That's a Great One..used to have it on Cassette...I miss that tape...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Satch has no hooks?????? Christ, The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing leaves 2 or 3 solid hooks emblazoned in your brain after a couple of listens... Give me a brilliant instrumentalist anytime over something with incredibly awful lyrics (ie. - Keel or Fist)...

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I love Joe's work and wish there was more of it. Heck with the singer. He doesn't need one. Love some of Vai's, Steven's, and Hoey's as well. They don't need a singer. I like to hear them with or without a singer. If people can endure and love a guitar solo without singing, they can enjoy a song without it. Steve Stevens has exceptinally long solos which I love and could have handled an entire songs worth. I could have handled Dann Huff making an entire guitar track out of "I'm A Believer" or the intro to "Self-Control" he (along with Paul Jackson, Jr.) did for Laura Brannigan. The singing was good, but I'd rather have heard that guitar riff all the way through.

 

As far as Joe's work, if you had vocals added to Surfing With the Alien, Back to Shalla-Bal, Motorcycle Driver, and some others - they would have been destroyed. I don't care if Steve Perry or Tony Harnell sung them.

 

If you ever visit my house, you better be able to endure guitar music. It's Merry Axemas or Ho Ho Hoey going now, and Joe Satriani all the time. I wanted "Surfing With the Alien" for a ringtone, but my carrier no longer has it. I watch the video on You Tube all the time as well - awesome! I watch G3, Yngwie, Le Tekro, Angelo, Setzer - you name it, doing instrumental only songs. The axe rules in my book. :guitbannana:

 

I'm not claiming I don't love great vocals, but guitar only tracks are designed different than vocal tracks. One is self- sufficient, while the other relies on a combination of sounds. There are lots of boring guitar tracks, but there are a ton of boring songs with vocals too. You just have to hit the next arrow on your cd player.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 9 months later...

I love going back to Al DiMeola and listening to "land of the MidnightSun" and "Elegant Gypsy" Those albums are absolute classics in the guitar instrumentalist genre ! 'Casino is good,too ; his latter stuff does not appeal to me as much. ilove "Not of this Earth" and "Surfing" by Satch... couldve done without his vocal phase. if you want to get into this style music, check out :

 

Vinnie Moore - Minds Eye

Yngwie - obviously

Tony McAlpine - Maximum Security

Greg Howe

Chastain - through the Fire (Ithink thats the name)

Michael Fath - I have "Flick of the Wrist' maybe some of his other stuff is better?

Joe Bonamassa - he has vocals , but I really like him

Jeff Beck - any or all

Eric Johnson

Gary Moore - his '70s and early "80s work (I would not put him up against the first 3 guys in a speed contest, but I have always dug him !)

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