The guitarist Satriani temporarily replaced as Mick Jagger's foil when the Rolling Stones frontman embarked on his first solo tour in 1988. At that time, Satriani was riding the first peak in his long career, having just released the instrumental, highly experimental Surfing with the Alien and watching it ascend the pop charts to eventually sell over two million copies worldwide. In just a short time, he was a long way from Carle Place, Long Island, where as a local guitar hero he was visited by a younger schoolmate named Steve Vai, who showed up at his house with a five-dollar guitar in search of lessons.

Jam With Joe Satriani

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After an inspired period of mentoring-- Joe's student roster would soon include jazz upstart Charlie Hunter, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Primus' Larry LaLonde and many others-- Vai returned the favor by getting Satriani signed to his record label, beginning a whirlwind of global acclaim and a series of gold and platinum albums, including Flying In A Blue Dream, The Extremist, and Time Machine.

The years since have seen Satriani mount similar challenges and scale new heights: countless readers' poll awards from magazines, numerous Grammy nominations and sold-out cross-continental tours. His versatility attracted a recent but politely declined invitation to join legendary heavy metal pioneers Deep Purple, with whom he toured in the '90s as a replacement for Ritchie Blackmore.

Satriani also masterminded the phenomenal G3 tours, which brought to renewed worldwide attention the talents of guitar artists as varied as Steve Vai, Michael Schenker, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robert Fripp, Eric Johnson and many others. Featuring nothing but computer-generated rhythms, timbres and his six-string, Engines of Creation is in some respects a throwback to Satriani's first solo recording, a personal journey through music and sonic mayhem now combined with a raging artistic desire to harness the technology that's developed so radically over the intervening decade. It's a complex blend, but remains Satriani, pure and simple.

Not of This Earth/Surfing With the Alien/The Extremist [BOX SET]
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In this box set, there are three cds.
1) Not Of This Earth

There's not much to say about Satch's first proper album "Not Of This Earth", but it hinted at what was to come from Satch. Unfortunately, being his first album there was very little to model it on, and as a result, it is no longer very interesting in comparison to anything else he has done. Two tracks from "Not Of This Earth" are going to feature on the forthcoming "Electric Joe Satriani" anthology, but it is my opinion that this album should really be ignored. The track on the album that seems to still stay around for live performances and the like is "Rubina", although it is a very slow track, and requires the listeners to be very in touch with the emotion and guitar technique involved for it to have any real interest.

2) Surfing With The Alien

"Surfing With The Alien", or "Surfing" as it is often abbrieviated to is the real gem in the box set. It is Satch's second proper album, and is renowned for amazing tracks like "Satch Boogie" and the title track. Satriani seems to have got the perfect proportions of different moods on this album, and the track order really helps to make the album an amazing one ot listen to.
The album kicks off with its title track, which unlike the majority of "Not Of This Earth" really rocks. There is enough kick to it to keep even people who haven't a clue how to play the guitar interested, and the guitar skills will blow away anyone who does play guitar. Next up is "Ice 9" which starts of with some heavy chords, which will appeal to a lot of people, but may slightly disappoint those hoping for the guitar skills of the first track. Although, all is not lost as eventually the lead builds up, getting faster and faster until near the end where the beginning lead starts again, and Satch adds another layer of lead over it so much better that the original lead then seems like its the rhythm.
Track three, "Crushing Day" continues the trend in heavy fast paced tracks with more of a rock feel to them than the previous album, before a breather is given to the listeners with the serene, and thoughtful "Always With Me, Always With You" still maintaining the guitar skills and interest.
If you haven't yet melted in awe "Satch Boogie" picks up the pace again and finishes off any hope you might have of finding someone better able to play guitar than Satriani. Which is followed by the calm "Hill Of The Skull", which to be honest fits exactly what is needed after "Satch Boogie", a short slow one. "Hill Of The Skull" gives you a chance to catch your breathe, but doesn't waste much time, moving swiftly on to "Circles" and "Lords Of Karma", which are both pretty damn good, going fast and slow giving them a lot of variation and allowing more guitar wizardry. Before you are slowly brought back to reality with the final two tracks, slow and melodic so anyone can enjoy them.

3) The Extremist

"The Extremist", Satch's fourth album originally released in 1992, starts off with "Friends" and "The Extremist (Living On The Edge)" which are the reasonably paced fairly short tracks of the album. They rock, in a similar way to most of Surfing. However you then get "War" which although enjoyable, and in a similar heavy rock mood to the first two, psuhes it a bit with the length. By about half way through "War" you are likely to lose your concentration, and thus enjoy it less. Unfortunately "War" is then followed by two very long very realxed tracks, which test the concentration of those still listening. It is largely because of these three tracks in a row and largely due to the length of finisher "New Blues" that mean The Extremist is best for either a) background music (while doing work or reading, or b) for those people who are very keen on their guitar playing. After the long quarter of an hour or so in which "War", and the two following tracks stretch themselves out you are woken up again with "Summer Song" which is an amazing track equalling some of those on Surfing, such as "Crushing Day". Then "Tears In The Rain" is short and soft, beofore "Why" and "Motorcycle Driver" which are both great songs if it weren't for their awkward positioning on the album.

In summary the box set is very much worth getting. As any self respecting Guitarist, Music lover, or well anyone should have "Surfing With The Alien" and "The Extremist" in their CD collection. Even if "Not of This Earth" is largely dissapointing it is still cheaper to buy the set than two individually.

Joe Satriani - Live In San Francisco (DVD)
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DVD Special Features:

Multi Angles of 3 Songs
Backstage
Discography
Digitally Mastered
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
PCM Stereo
Interactive Menus
Instant Chapter Access To Songs

Disc One:
Time, Devil's Slide, The Crush Of Love, Satch Boogie, Borg Sex, Flying In A Blue Dream, Ice 9, Cool #9, Circles, Until We Say Goodbye, Ceremony, The Extremist, Summer Song

Disc Two:
House Full Of Bullets, One Big Rush, Raspberry Jam Delta-v, Crystal Planet, Love Thing, Bass Solo, The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing, Always With Me, Always With You, Big Bad Moon, Friends, Surfing With The Alien, Rubina

The Best Of Joe Satriani
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A step-by-step breakdown of the guitar styles and techniques of Joe Satriani, indisputably one of the best rock guitarists in the world. In the words of guitar heavyweight champion Steve Vai, He is my favourite rock and fusion type player. He has class and real musicality. He can take a pop bottle and make it sound great.
What is presented in this book is an extensive examination of Satriani's fretboard feats, from his single-note riffs and crunching power chords to his tapping tricks and split legato licks - even his trademark squeaks and extraterrestial sounds. All have been transcribed and fully annotated.
Each of the musical examples in the book can be heard on the accompanying CD which features all the original guitar parts performed at regular speed with a full rhythm section and, in the case of guitar solos, an additional track performed at half speed.