Customer Reviews

Flying in a Blue Dream

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Guitar wizard Joe Satriani sings? Yes, sir/madam! "Big Bad Moon" is one of six vocal selections and is regarded by many as one of his finest songs. It's an extremely hard rockin' blues number that never lets up. A classic. He also uses different styles for his songs. There are serious "I Believe," and humorous "The Phone Call." He's a decent singer, but obviously it's at guitar shredding that he really shines. Every song on this one is cool, but as far as I'm concerned, "The Forgotten (Parts 1&2) are worth the whole price alone. This two part number is unbelievable and is beautiful in a heavy, sad kind of way. This album has to be heard to be believed, so why don't you stop reading and buy it?

I have heard all of Satch's albums (minus 'Time machine') and for me this is probably the greatest album he has ever done. If you've heard 'Surfing with the alien', this album will be no different, but Satch has many more different, interesting songs here. Straight-ahead shred-rock ('Back to shalla-bal' and 'One big rush'), some funk ('Bells of lal part 2' and 'Strange'), a bit of folk/country ('The feeling' and 'Phone call') and a bit of 80s metal ('Big bad moon'). Don't worry, 'cause Satch still uses great guitaring and solos. For me Satch is great at making amazing solos, but also making them very musical, and not just a load of notes thrown together. He is very talented at composing songs, as well as being a great guitarist. He also includes his famous double handed tapping tecnique in the beautiful 'Day at the beach' and the not-so-good 'Headless', and the complex 'hand-holding-the-neck and hammer-on' tecnique in the fantastic 'Mystical potato head groove thing'.

But also, Satch does a bit of singing now. Some may not like the idea of that and I wasn't sure if i'd like it at first, but I found some of the vocal tracks to be just as enjoyable, from the punky 'Can't slow down' to the ballad of 'I believe' they are all great, but one of my favourites is the mid-tempo rocker 'Ride'. He also sings in 'Phone call', 'Big bad moon' and 'Strange'. Satch's voice isn't exactly fantastic, but it's not as bad as everyone says, his voice is suited to the songs (maybe with the exception of 'I believe', as he sometimes goes a bit flat in it). You can still sing the songs, no matter who sings them.

So, if you want to listen to Joe Satriani, i'd try 'Surfing with the alien' first, but this is also a good album to try as well and my favourite of Satriani. It just has a wide variety of songs and it's a great 70-minute listen. If you're a fan of guitar or just rock music in general, you will definately enjoy this album. This is Satch at is very best.

This CD really rocks. The title track is one of Joe's best songs he's ever done. Joe's guitar playing is bone chilling and beautiful. He even sings on a few songs such as I BELIEVE; which is a very good song. Joe plays all the instruments, except the drums. Nobody plays instrumental hard rock like Joe does. There isn't a bad song on this CD. Joe's guitar playing is worth the price of this recording.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review.
Wow! Where do I start with this one! My favourite early Satch album. Far more innovative, inventive and far more substance than it's very commercial predecessor.
Even the title is awesome.
The first track" Flying in a blue dream" is classic Satriani, with effortless ease he takes us up and down the fretboard. Great feedback moments in this song too.
Next track is " The mystical Potato head Groove thing " Wonderfully creative key changes, and the switch to different techniques is amazing.
"Can't slow Down" the first of his vocal tracks. Great rocking song, with a typical fast, clean solo. " Headless" is unusual, has a bit of harmonica in it. Great fast sound, and much better than " The Headless Horseman" from his first album.
" Strange" is very funky sounding, another vocal track with great funny lyrics Eg "My brain's about to crumble, spill out on the floor, sweep 'em up, Throw 'em away. Don't want' em anymore!!" Classic!
Great fast solos.
" I Believe" is I think Joes best vocal track ever. A Sad haunting song, with great guitar work. Lovely Echoing on the Guitar during the end solo.
" One Big Rush" is just that. Three minutes, 20 seconds of a fast paced Joe enjoying himself.
" Big Bad Moon" another quite famous vocal track is blues at it's best, with Joe really hammering the guitar on this one. Some great slide work, and tapping on this too.
" The Feeling" is a lovely country style banjo playing, beautiful melody.
" The phone call" I LOVE this! Another vocal, sdtandard blues song, with the vocals recorded over the phone line. Love the clever corny lyrics too. Brilliant blues guitar solo. Great stuff!
" Day at the beach" is a gentle tapping song utilising both of Joes hands. Lovely song.
" Back to Shall- Bal " is another fast rocker, with typical guitar- A bit at the start sounds like a chainsaw at the beginning. Hot fast guitar work in the middle.
" Ride" the last of the vocal tracks, Joe sings about his love affair with getting on his motorbike and riding, not caring about
what people think. Great rocking song.
The album just continues to get better with the next two tracks " The forgotten- parts 1 and 2 " Unreal, emotive, guitar work . Extremely emotional work. Great echo work, it's incredible how much feeling Joe got out of this. Very moving track part 2. Good tapping work on the first part too.
Part 2, would have to be one of my all time favourite songs by Joe. This is so good!
The bells of Lal parts 1 & 2 continue the brilliant album. Part 2 is essentially a jam within the scale as he employs nearly every technique, over the repetetive bass line and then some, we've got slides, hammer-ons,
pull-offs, tapping, distortion, slide, slack, feedback, bends, Whammy bar work, dampening, you name it's here, and more.
Strangly enough, I actually didn't like this when I first heard it, but it's really quite unreal now!!!
" Into the light" finishes of a truly classic album from Satch.
This song was dedicated to his father who died, and a beautiful, if all too short ballad, of more magical guitar work
This whole stuff is absolute dynamite playing, if this doesn't turn you on to Joes guitar playing, then nothing will.
For fans who are looking for more great Albums by Joe, Try " Crystal Planet", The Extremist" of " Engines of Creation"
All brilliant albums.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

First of all, I just need to say that Joe Satriani is one of, if not the best rock guitarist out there. Nobody else can play guitar phrases like he can, and nobody writes intrumentals like he does. The album has so many great songs, including one which everyone overlooks. The last masterpiece at the tail end of the cd called Into The Light is my favorite song on the cd. The first time I heard it, the song gave me chills. There is an element of power and awe that is screaming from the mood of the song, and its too bad that its only a little over 2 minutes long. I listen to this song at least three times before I take it out of my cd player.
Joe Satriani is probably one of the most talented musicians in rock music, and with only the likes of Eddie Van Halen and Eric Johnson rivaling him, I firmly believe he is the best. Nobody else can write an instrumental with a much power and outward feeling as Satch can. Buy this album, and own a masterpiece.

Cheers!

My favourite Joe Satriani album, not least for the way in which the track ordering enables the music to segue so seamlessly through a variety of moods and colours and back again to a satisfactorily rounded conclusion.

From the opening rock numbers, to the more introspective middle section with a series of vignettes (Day at the Beach being a personal favourite) including a couple of bass cameos from Stu Hamm, and an epic conclusion, Flying in a Blue Dream was an important album of its time (I can still recall the catalytic effect the release made back in late '89, setting up Steve Vai's Passion & Warfare release just a few months later), and one which still sounds fresh today.

The point about Satch's vocals made in other reviews is taken, but I am a bit surprised by some of the "don't start here" recommendations. Personally, I think the wide range of styles (most prominently showcased in the latter half of the recording) make this Satriani's most listenable outing to a general audience.

This has to be one of the best albums, EVER. Written by the best Guitarist to ever live. I have heard just about every professional guitarist out there, and none of them (Aside from Steve Vai) are anywhere near this man in raw talent, song writing, creativity, and all out world-class-brink-of-insanity speed. You simply won't find a better guitarist. Satch, once again, takes the art of all out whaling to another level. This album contains a non-stop play list that continues to amaze even the most expirenced guitar players each time they listen to it. My aboslute favorite song is Mysticle Potato Head Groove Thing. That title alone makes the album worth buying. Also, the solo in Can't Slow Down never loses points on the insanity scale, it's unbelieveable that a human can play that fast. A definate must have for the guitarist and non-guitarist alike.

... there comes a guitar player who truly drops jaws and burns ears with his music. Satriani is truly a guitar hero. His differend styles and approaches on guitar are greatly displayed on this record. And if someone tells you that he Joe can't sing - just listen I believe. His voice is perfect match to his guitarwork.

Guitar god Satriani's 1989 release "Flying in a Blue Dream" is just outstanding.
He just rocks from the beginning to the end of the disc.
From the opening number, the title track "Flying in a Blue Dream" to the final track "Into the Light" this is a well-balanced recording.
This is his first venture into singing. "Can't Slow Down", "Big Bad Moon" and the hit "I Believe" are all Satriani on vocals and he doesn't do too bad of a job.
I missed this disc when it first came out and I just picked it up at the local music store and I'm glad I did.
Check this classic out.

This album is raw Satch at his best. It contains an eclectic mix of blues, rock anthems with a jazz feel and one of the best rock ballads you'll ever hear ('The Forgotten').

Mr. Satriani's creativity is unleashed here - you will not find any pretentious rip off 'sound alike' crap that seems to suit some of the other reviewers taste.