Customer Reviews

Surfing with the Alien Legacy Edition (CD + DVD)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The remastered audio CD is very nice, and to me there are some very notable improvements (not that any were really needed) such as Hill of the Skull. But the DVD is what I think makes the purchase a great value. The DVD shows Joe in a raw and hungry stage of his great carreer, and serves as a record that he has always been at the top of the instrumental guitar world. The audio is also very good, which kind of surprised me since the show was taped so long ago, and it seems like so many DVD's being released with shows from the 70's and 80's seem to be lacking in that department.

To me there are times when Joe seems to miss on certain whammy techniques and some of the more complex soloing paterns in this video, which is probably a combination of being very tired and the songs being pretty new, but what I think is important about that is that when you compare some of the songs to the versions on the SF live DVD you can see how far Joe has come as a performer, and how he has mastered those techniques. Don't get me wrong about what I'm saying, Joe absolutely destroys in the set offered here, and it is truly a shame that the set had to be shaved down, but I am grateful that Joe has released this very fine show. I highly recomend this to any fan of guitar driven music.

Even 20 years ago the exremely fluid,melodic,original guitar stylings of this legend were already in full bloom. It's so strange to see Satriani with a full head of hair and no shades, but at the same time takes you back on a nostalgic trip to when we first heard and saw this great guitar player. The sound on the remastered CD is much crisper and spacious and hearing it again in this remastered format will be a sonic treat. The DVD from the 1988 Montreaux Jazz Festival is alone worth the price of this package. Excellent footage and excellent sound coupled with superb perfomances make this a must have in your collection. Get it!

A guitar album which was both groundbreaking and unprecedented (and has since become legendary), "Surfing With The Alien" is an absolute classic. With this 20th anniversary remastered release, not much is changed- it still sounds fantastic, but oddly enough, I actually prefer the original production. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the remastered production seems a bit dry or sterile compared to the original release....

The real treat here for Satch fans is the addition of a bonus DVD with a fantastic early European gig in which a virtually unknown guitarists and band pull of a fantastic virtuoso performance despite a million setbacks (being "bumped" from a 12:00 time slot to 4:00 a.m., having to cut half of their set-list, jet-lag and fatigue- the accompanying notes from Satriani are both amusing and interesting to read) as well as videos for a couple of classic songs and a hilarious commentary from Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel. The real treat for long time fans such as myself is seeing Joe in all his funky late-eighties neo-Hendrix glory (weird outfits, hair, and all) and wielding his old self-decorated Ibanez guitars that he used to cut his first three albums....a fun and nostalgic experience. The only reason I knocked a star off is because I prefer the "old" mix of "Surfing"....other than that it's an excellent reissue....I may be nitpicking; can I give it 4 and a half stars?

Remastered and re-released to mark its 20th anniversary, this guitar shredding landmark also comes packaged with a previously unreleased DVD of Joe live at Montreux in 1988, in the days when he still had hair and the crowds did not necessarily greet him as a visiting god.
With the benefit of hindsight, Surfing's enduring highlights are not the chugging, bombastic rockers like "Crushing Day" and "Lords Of Karma", but the neo-classical tapping of "Midnight" and the lilting balladic brilliance of "Always With Me", Always With You".
It is perhaps ironic that this latter theme remains Satriani's greatest composition, for it is also one of the few works of this guitar genius mere mortals stand any chance of being able to play.

Truth
Sloe Gin

Wow, what a great cd! The excitement is great, music is great, feelings are great. While Joe Satriani takes guitar playing to another level, we listen to this music in wonder of how he performs with such emotion felt without even hearing singing. I guess his guitar does it for him which is awesome. This is definately one of the best albums I have heard, and this remastered version is sweet! The DVD is well worth the price too. A great set for someone looking for something different and just plain old excitement. I won't bother listing single tracks cause I love all of them. Ill just list all of them.


Track List:
"Surfing with the Alien" - 4:25
"Ice 9" - 3:59
"Crushing Day" - 5:14
"Always with Me, Always with You" - 3:22
"Satch Boogie" - 3:13
"Hill of the Skull" - 1:48
"Circles" - 3:28
"Lords of Karma" - 4:48
"Midnight" - 1:42
"Echo" - 5:37

I bought this disc for the DVD and it did not disappoint. Watch the concert and then read the liner notes - you will be blown away. I got to see the same band tour in support of "Flying in a Blue Dream" two years after this performance was filmed and it was incredible. Stu Hamm is in the same league as Joe on his instrument. I haven't listened to the remastered CD yet, but for me it is just a bonus. If you're a "Satch" fan, grab this package b/f it's gone!

This disc sounds so much better than much of the the piss poor , over compressed "music" that recording engineers spit out today.

Love this CD. I don't know if I have looked at the DVD yet, but it was a good package.

Joe Satriani is one of my favorite artists. I think this album has been his best. It is several years old but it seems fresh every time I listen.

I love this CD so much that I've given it away and bought another one. Spreading the 'sound' as it were. Joe is my hero and his music really makes my spirit soar. When I listen I'm in another world. The BEST!