Joe Satriani And The Luminous Flesh Giants

There were some pivotal figures in my musical adolescence that helped to completely rewire my brain, guitar-wise. When I was really young it was hearing Jimmy Page and “Black Dog” on my parents console stereo in the basement. Then, Joe Perry playing on “Back In The Saddle”. Quite a few songs on The White Album mesmerized me, too. “Dear Prudence”, “Happiness Is A Warm Gun”, and “Savoy Truffle” come to mind. And I think Hendrix’ “Third Stone From The Sun” lit my fuse when it came to both rock, jazz and psychedelia.

And those were all in the first 5 years of my life.

From the time I started playing guitar at 12 there had been a swath of 80s bands that did the same. Of course Van Halen was a huge one(yes, Van Halen started in the 70s but I didn’t really get into VH II until I was well into grade school.) Then bands like Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Ratt, and Dokken fueled the guitar love, but also the love of a really well written and performed song. The whole package, if you will. While I carry much nostalgia for that era of 80s hard rock(just watched that doc Nothin But A Good Time : The Uncensored Story of 80s Hair Metal) there’s little from that time I can really say has stood the test of time. But it did give us some great guitarists to glob onto. Lynch, DiMartini, Bratta, of course Eddie, Criss Oliva, and Mr. Steve Vai who went on to be an absolute guitar wizard.

There was one guy that got his start in a little known West Coast New Wave band called Squares that would be the one that become “my guy”. My Beck, Hendrix, Page, and Blackmore. When I discovered Joe Satriani’s Surfing With The Alien it was all she wrote. I felt this Bay area shredder by-way-of Long Island, New York was the ultimate guitarist. That pivotal 1987 instrumental guitar album paid tribute to classic rock n roll while pushing the instrument into the stratosphere. You had 12-bar blues on steroids, boogies, strutty jams, and almost obtuse, outsider vibes all in a neat, tight package.

Satch was my guy.

From that point I was grabbing everything he put out. Each record became bigger and bolder with each release. Flying In A Blue Dream, The Extremist, Time Machine; as well as the great Dreaming #11 EP and his debut Not Of This Earth. I didn’t quite get the latter when I was 15, but in adulthood I had a newfound love for that album.

Of all of Satriani’s 90s output, I think my favorite is 1995s self-titled album. I feel like this is one record that gets looked over. It’s Joe’s, IMO, most mature and down to earth album of that time. It was a huge departure from what came before, as it was a band assembled from some of the most talented studio players of the time. It was also produced by Glyn Johns, as opposed to Joe’s longtime producer and friend John Cuniberti(though he did do some engineering.) Joe Satriani was stripped of the studio varnish and sizzling production, and instead was a rawer, more lived-in sounding album that showed Joe’s love for the blues while still highlighting his wizardry on the fretboard.

The players on this record were a who’s who of musicians. The core lineup consisted of Satch, rhythm guitarist Andy Fairweather Low(Roger Waters, Eric Clapton), bassist Nathan East(Herbie Hancock, Eric Clapton, George Harrison), and drummer Manu Katché(Sting, Peter Gabriel, Jeff Beck). The Bissonette brothers Greg and Matt popped in for a track(“Look My Way”), as does Satch frequent collaborator Jeff Campitelli on drums. Of course all of this was oversaw by legendary producer Glyn Johns who is known for his work with Zeppelin, The Stones, and The Who.

Right out of the gate you knew this was going to be a different sort of Satch record. “Cool #9” is slinky, dark, and has an almost sinister vibe. Without all the bells and whistles, the production has a quieter feel to it. With Andy Fairweather Low’s funky rhythm Joe is open to lay down some subtle leads that bring us into an explosive chorus section. Everything is held down perfectly with the rhythm section of Manu Katché and Nathan East. It’s one of Joe’s grooviest tracks. “If” follows it up with some solid riffage and a great solo from the maestro himself.

“Luminous Flesh Giants” has a more straightforward rhythm with Ethan Johns(drums) and Eric Valentine(bass) taking up the rhythm mantle nicely. It’s a more “Satch-y” track altogether. “S.M.F.” gets down n dirty in one of the dirgiest blues tracks Joe has ever put to tape. Kind of a cross between early ZZ Top, Howlin’ Wolf, and the great Muddy Waters(in-particular his great comeback record Hard Again). Joe pulls out the blues harp on this one. Manu Katché pulls the track from a stock blues jam into something resembling a blues n fusion explosion. “Look My Way” has Joe singing some vocals that sound like he’s singing through some retro mic that is broadcasting from some long away place. Harp and slide guitar give it all an Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? feel.

I think what was so eye(and ear) opening for me on this record was that it kind of brought the surfing alien down to earth for a bit. The cosmic grooves and chromed-out guitar pyrotechnics were replaced with the feel of a band jamming together in one room. The hushed production gives it all a very intimate feel, as if the listener is sitting on a stool in the practice room watching these wizards conjure magic before our very eyes. Joe’s stripped down sound of a couple pedals and Marshall amp is a welcomed sonic treat, humanizing the man and his playing. Not that he needed to be humanized as Joe Satriani is one of the most humble guitar wizards out there. It was just nice to hear him at such a down-to-earth level. And to hear him playing with guys as revered in their careers as him was pretty amazing(not that Stu Hamm or Jeff Campitelli are slackers…far from it.)

From the beauty of “Home” to the fusion-meets-prog chaos of “Killer Bee Bop” to the Ry Cooder-esque folk blues of “Slow Down Blues” and the beauty of “(You’re) My World” Joe Satriani has it all and them some. It’s a 60 minute musical meal that you walk away from full and satisfied.

Joe would follow this up with the slick and chromed-out Crystal Planet, returning to the futuristic guitar wizardry he was known for. It’s a stunning follow-up, for sure. The closest Satch gets to the vibe of his self-titled again would be his excellent 2002 album Strange Beautiful Music, another personal favorite.

If you’ve never listened to this amazing record, fix that pronto. It’s really an absolute gem in the Joe discography. Below are my top 5 Satch records, cause why not?

5. Time Machine

4. Strange Beautiful Music

3. Joe Satriani

2. Flying In A Blue Dream

And of course number one is Surfing With The Alien