Blogcritics Comments on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Comment by Dino on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 17:51:43 EST

Joe is one of the most influental rock guitarists of all time. Today he is probably the most respectable guitar player on the world. That is not happend over night, and that is not luck. For all those hwo think that Joe doesn't wright good compositions, they should listen songs like: Flying in a blue dream, Love Thing, Crushing Day, Ceremony or all others. In every Joes song there is something, and if you love to listen instrumental rock Joe is your perfect solution. But I understand that music is matter of taste. Everyone listens what he likes. But my point is that you sholdn't spit on GUiTAR HERO that saved instrumental rock. I mean Steve Vai has told that Joe is the best guitarist in the world.

Comment by Soldierani on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 08:19:06 EDT

I have been listening to Satch for well over a decade now and this guy had been a big influence in my musical taste over the years while playing guitar. I had the chance to go see him in Atlanta back in 1999, and was impressed by his perfection. I haven't actually heard this album, but I will say that he will never put out another Summer Song, Flying in a Blue Dream, so why don't ya'll just get over it already? Those kind of songs only come around every once in a lifetime, and they are classics in the world of intrumental rock. I am honestly impressed that Satch still puts out new material under such a big label, but he may only sell 100,000 copies or so of his material in it's first year would be my guess. Nevertheless, at least he still has the itch to write new songs, and something memorable comes out, then thats one more song to add to his already ridicuously huge library. I want to see him release some new material beside Petrucci in the studio with him writing new material, I know they would come up with something great together.

Comment by lach on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:17:29 EDT

Thanks for the review Josh. I've personally felt that ever since "Time Machine" Satriani has given up being creative and has just pumped out the tunes. I was particularly dissapointed with "Crystal Planet" and just gave up after that. So when I went to see him at G3 I was looking forward to hearing a new song or two. And what did I get? The title track off "Super Colossal".. and boy was it boring. Sounded just like everything else. Which is such a pity, because Joe's first 4 albums were so creative and enjoyable. You've just hammered the final nail into the coffin and I'm glad to see my suspicions confirmed. Now if you want to hear some great guitarists, check out: - Guthrie Govan ("Erotic Cakes" album) - Greg Howe ("Parallax" album) - Ron Jarzombek (Spastic Ink) - Brett Garsed (anything) and prepare yourself!

Comment by Josh Hathaway on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Tue, 6 May 2008 14:40:46 EDT

Fiendish plans aside, Mr. Saleski, I've been revisiting this record today and I'm still in roughly the same place I was when I initially wrote the review.

Comment by Mark Saleski on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:48:47 EDT

(...heh...my evil plans always succeed...heh...)

Comment by Tom Johnson on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:38:21 EDT

Glen, and Mark especially, will be glad to know I have rectified the glaring omissions in my collection by adding Jeff Beck's Wired and with the Jan Hammer Group Live as of about a half hour ago. In the case of Wired, the only one I've gotten to hear any of, so far, Amazon's 30 second samples do not do it justice. It is BADASS. That is a term I rarely use because it just sounds and looks silly coming out of me. But it has to issue forth this time because that is the only way to talk about this one. Josh, you owe it to yourself to go pick this up immediately. I think you will love it.

Comment by Josh Hathaway on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:28:02 EDT

"Guitar Shop" (the opening track) has production that reminds me a lot of Robert Plant's "Heaven Knows" from around that same period. It's really cracking me up. I didn't get to hear the full album last night because Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms" got stuck in my head and would not release until I listened to that song a few times. Man, there's another guitarist worthy of praising- Mark Knopfler. He's got great taste as a player. Anyway, I've started the album over and I'm listening to it again this morning.

Comment by Mark Saleski on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:08:57 EDT

yep. i've seen a bunch of features on Beck in guitar/musician mags and it seems like there's always a picture of him standing next to some hot rod he's been working on.

Comment by Glen Boyd on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:41:38 EDT

I think the title "Guitar Shop" is more of a humorous play on Beck's reputation as something of a gear head when it comes to cars, not just guitars. You know, the bit about him being the "guitar mechanic" and all that... -Glen

Comment by Tom Johnson on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:24:29 EDT

Give it some time, Josh. It is an amazing album. I find myself gravitating to the quieter stuff more often - "Behind the Veil," "Where Were You," and "Two Rivers" are gorgeous, and the rest of the album has a fun sense of humor about it. It may have a bit of a dated sound to it, but what doesn't? Put yourself back in 1989 and it really doesn't sound "of its time" at all. I still marvel at Tony Hymas' keyboard sounds - totally weird, even for then, and his "bass" lines are killer. I always found something funny in that the title track was a humorous play on all those radio ads that guitar and car stereo shops would air on radio stations - local ones here back then actually backed theirs with "Stand On It" (along with Eric Johnson's "Righteous." That's another dude who's playing never gets old.)

Comment by Glen Boyd on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 23:42:43 EDT

Wired, Josh, Wired. -Glen

Comment by Mark Saleski on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 22:58:49 EDT

isn't "Where Were You" the song with much of the melody played with the whammy bar? if so, really fantastic. oh, and even though i really like the old "Live with the Jan Hammer Group" record, there's also a more modern live album: Live at BB King's. i don't own it but have heard a bunch. you've got to hear his instrumental version of "A Day In The Life".

Comment by Josh Hathaway on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 22:27:22 EDT

The playing on "Savoy" is amazing, though, so I definitely see the point you're making. I'm going to listen to the disc while I noodle around the office tonight.

Comment by Josh Hathaway on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 22:26:01 EDT

There's something very slick and '80s about the sound on this. I'm going to have to spend some time with it. The sound of it is a little offputting- very thin and treble-y to my ears right now.

Comment by Tom Johnson on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 22:23:41 EDT

All right, all right. I have resolved to fill out my Beck collection very soon, after listening to Guitar Shop on the way home today. Listening to Amazon clips, this stuff sounds very different than the Beck I know - I've only heard his output from the 90s, when he was experimenting with electronic stuff. This might take a little getting used to . . .

Comment by Josh Hathaway on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 22:16:18 EDT

All right, fellas, I lowered myself and went into SatanBestBuy and bought a copy of Guitar Shop, which I am now about to listen to.

Comment by Mark Saleski on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 19:58:40 EDT

Tom Johnson needs to own Wired. gawd man, he covers "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" on that one.

Comment by Glen Boyd on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 18:57:03 EDT

And that goes for you too TJ... -Glen

Comment by Glen Boyd on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 18:56:04 EDT

Wired is a great place to start with Beck because of all the interplay between him and Jan Hammer. I'd rate Blow by Blow a close second. And Guitar Shop aint half bad either. Get your ass down to Satan Best Buy or wherever they have CDs in that God forsaken place you live, and pick up some Beck, Josh. -Glen

Comment by Tom Johnson on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 18:13:36 EDT

Yes - you HAVE TO get Guitar Shop. My mention of it being my only Beck album was meant to imply that it is so full of good stuff that I simply needed no more, not that I found very little interest in Jeff Beck. It is a really, really, really good album, and I have found over time that my appreciation of Beck's subtleties has grown immensely. As has been mentioned, he isn't out and out soloing - lots of textures, lots of great shapes and riffs, but it doesn't feel showy to me at all. It's a fun album, and the playing is beautiful, but it doesn't stand out and scream "Look at me!" like Satch and Vai do. I would be surprised if you don't like it, however. If "Where Were You" doesn't make you wet your pants, in a proverbial way, at least, I'd be stunned. If you can't find it locally, it can be had dirt cheap on Amazon. Guys, it's okay to drool over Beck's bassist, she's really not as young as she looks. She's like 23 or something, believe it or not. And, Duane, I concur, Vai is doing some very interesting things lately. His music has grown tremendously while Joe's has basically stayed the same. I stopped listening to Vai a long time ago and then recently picked up a couple of more recent efforts and was stunned - very, very different, more like Zappa's orchestral work. I like where he is headed.

Comment by Josh Hathaway on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 17:03:41 EDT

I'll go home and queue to that song before TheWifeToWhomI'mMarried and I go out for dinner and errand running (said errands I hope will include the purchase of Guitar Shop).

Comment by Mark Saleski on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 16:21:55 EDT

cool! so you have "Big Block" then...oh man, so good.

Comment by Josh Hathaway on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 16:20:04 EDT

I have that DVD and have yet to sit down and watch it. It's a long story. I'll check this out directly, as well.

Comment by Mark Saleski on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 15:23:27 EDT

yep, i've seen that Crossroads vid. it perfectly displays why the Guitar Shop record is so cool. and that Wilkenfeld...how does a person get to be so good so young?

Comment by Josh Hathaway on Music Review: Joe Satriani - Professor Satchafunkilus and The Musterion Of Rock

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 14:45:49 EDT

Don't worry, Duane, no one in this particular thread is going to jump you with a silly "you think you can do it better?" barb. That's a waste of time. You make fair points, sir, whether they're universally agreed with or not. I know plenty of people who place Vai ahead of Satriani. I think they are both so technically gifted it gets silly trying to dissect which is "better." They're both impossibly good, period. As composers, Vai might be a bit more adventurous but is less melodic. I love Vai and respect him immensely. I like that he wants to be challenging but, like Tom, I find myself sometimes paying more attention to his technique and chops because the songs aren't particularly engaging on a melodic/hook level. Satriani writes memorable songs that employ great playing. I don't always feel that way about Vai. I'm going to have to buy a Jeff Beck record tonight if I can find one in this godforsaken town. I appreciate the further cajoling and recommendations from the three of you. I also appreciate everyone's comments and the discussion here. Sometimes I think it's impossible for people to have differing opinions and a civil discussion simultaneously. This has been refreshing.