Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock

[GuitarBizarre]

After listening to a few of the podcasts and sound samples, I must say I'm distinctly underwhelmed by this album. I would rate songs like memories and brother john as masterpieces and true showpieces of satches style at the time.

Most if not all of his recent stuff though, including this album, have just left me thinking of satch as some kind of rock dinosaur who happens to play a bit better than the rest but ultimately sounds much the same as any of them, or worse!

[Splish]

I picked up the album today and am listening to it as I write.. Good stuff from what I've heard so far. I think it's better than his last effort (Super Colossal) to be honest.

[lydian7]

I continue to believe that any fan who makes a blanket statement like "He rocks" or "Everything he does is brillant" is either easily pleased or delusional. [/color]

I'd really love to think that everything the guy releases is amazing. I've been a massive fan of his since I was 12 so it has a major emotional attachment to me as I grew up with it.

Unfortunately, to my mind Engines of Creation was the last original album he has put out. Strange Beautiful Music had its moments, but cannot be called original. The rest...err...yeah!

Big Bad Bill and RM, I completely agree with you on this one. I've followed Satch's career since the days when I was a budding teenage guitar hero back in '94. From Not of this Earth to Engines of Creation I've listened intently to every soulful note he's squeezed from his guitar and every perfectly structured melody and song structure he has composed. Sadly, not anymore.

Engines, to me, although a very interesting album and a very promising direction for Satch (i.e. embracing electronic technology and its musical culture and trying to blend it seemlessly with what he does) I felt it was an inconsistent album with a couple of class acts but also quite a few lackluster efforts. Strange Beautiful Music was the beginning of the end of a beautiful career for Satch, to my ears at least.

I think Satch's biggest problem, and this is just speaking from an objective fan and musician's point of view, I feel he worries too much about paying his bills and catering for a demographic that he believes mostly listens to his music. I think if he were to take the leap of faith and produce something he truly believes in (and I'd be perfectly happy to see him go down the 'Joe Satriani' route with a couple of class jazz cats like Manu Katche and develop that style of improv') he would be astonished to see how many fans who grew up with him have matured musically, and who still believe in him.

I don't like this new album. I had high hopes, but yet again Satch has failed to deliver.

[Big Bad Bill]

Engines, to me, although a very interesting album and a very promising direction for Satch (i.e. embracing electronic technology and its musical culture and trying to blend it seemlessly with what he does) I felt it was an inconsistent album with a couple of class acts but also quite a few lackluster efforts.

But the point is he was trying to push the envelop with this 'Engines...' and there were some great tracks on that album. When he played it live it sounded great with a rock band behind him!

Strange Beautiful Music was the beginning of the end of a beautiful career for Satch, to my ears at least.

This was more of a 'curate's egg'-ie good in places, but I agree it was the first sign of the decay's presence. Super Colossal has realy tarnished his reputation in my opinion-it was a real dog (no offence to any dog reading this).

I think Satch's biggest problem, and this is just speaking from an objective fan and musician's point of view, I feel he worries too much about paying his bills and catering for a demographic that he believes mostly listens to his music.

Do you think its that straight forward, lydian7? I find it hard to believe that any artist would prostitute themselves in this way which leads me to think he's more likely to have just run out of ideas or inspiration.

I think if he were to take the leap of faith and produce something he truly believes in (and I'd be perfectly happy to see him go down the 'Joe Satriani' route with a couple of class jazz cats like Manu Katche and develop that style of improv') he would be astonished to see how many fans who grew up with him have matured musically, and who still believe in him.

Perhaps its time for a Satch/Vai collaboration. I think only with Steve pushing him musically, can Satch find the impetus and drive to make something outstanding again. It seems that disciple has surpassed the master....

I don't like this new album. I had high hopes, but yet again Satch has failed to deliver.

I was expecting it to arrive today but it hasn't-I'll pass judgement when I've heard it for a few days.

[lydian7]

I think Satch's biggest problem, and this is just speaking from an objective fan and musician's point of view, I feel he worries too much about paying his bills and catering for a demographic that he believes mostly listens to his music.

Do you think its that straight forward, lydian7? I find it hard to believe that any artist would prostitute themselves in this way which leads me to think he's more likely to have just run out of ideas or inspiration.

Maybe you're right.

The only real track to grab my attention from this new album was the last track, Andelusia. It starts out quite promisingly with some tasteful nylon acoustic lines and spanish inflections, but after a few seconds it decends in to a silly distorted mess, much like the rest of the album.

[al]

stop over analysing things people

[Big Bad Bill]

stop over analysing things people

In order to keep the truth obscured? Why?

[Bono]

I've had the chance to listen to the album a couple of times...is it a disappointment? Yes. Is it terrible? Far from it.

I for one like SBM (particularly the first half of the album), and whilst it is nowhere near as good as his other stuff, I still thought it was pretty rocking. After ITLIS and Super Collosal, my opinions of Satch had changed somewhat, as it sounded like he was just jamming along to the band. With the new album, that vibe is still there, but it's almost as though he's breaking out of this shell he's fallen into. Still, in my opinion, he's still the best live player out there.

[Stephen Brown]

As long as Satch is doing what he want's I'm happy. I have yet to hear the album but it always takes a couple of months to really appreciate the meaning of the work. + I always feel satch make albums that are ahead of time.

[al]

stop over analysing things people

In order to keep the truth obscured? Why?

cause theres no need all the time to look at the technical and fancy side of things, they're only 30 second clips!

jus listen and enjoy them

[Big Bad Bill]

Well on my first listen, the album is pretty standard for Satch of late. Off starts what sounds like a backing track (which becomes repetitive after a while and you yearn for some harmonic changes) and then he starts on a jam, although the jamming is a lot more structured than the rambling, tediousness of the last album and is a lot less blues-based, which I prefer. What this album highlights is how Satch and Vai's musical approach differs: Steve's music has so many changes in the harmony as well as the lead-there's always something different going on which keeps the listener interested and engaged, whereas Satch just chugs along in the same 'groove' which causes me to switch off after a while. A saving grace is that the album is mercifully short.

As lydian7 wrote, its not an absolute pig like 'Super Colossal' but it isn't brilliant. Gone is the innovation of 'Surfing....' the experimentation of 'Flying....' and the mellifluousness of 'The Extremist'. I for one will not be buying the next release from Satch.....such a shame.

[Instrumentalrockrocks]

I think that the whole point of Satch's last album that it is yet another album without the soulfull playing we used to like so much...

The thing is that he released 4 albums in 4 years...

I would rather see ONE album in 4 years with the best Satch you can get

Another point I'd like to mention is his live shows

Not only the studio music he makes sounds a bit unsoulfull but also his live acts...

take SATRIANI LIVE!

Everytime he ends the song the ending part is about as long as the song itself... (and that over and over again) it is more than I can handle
If you compare it to Live in San Fransisco I think Satriani LIVE! doesn't even come close

Live in SF may be a very thight way of rehearshall but it eventually led to the best sounding Satch you can get (live)

another point: as much as I like the Peavey JSX I think his Marshall sound was waaaay better...

Last but not least I'd like to see Stuart Hamm back on bass guitar
(though I don't think that is gonna happen)
He ads more to mr Satriani's music
You can hear that on the album Crystal Planet and on the live sets back in 2000...

most of all I want the LIVE IN SAN FRANSISCO-SATCH back!!!


Shred On

[Big Bad Bill]

Some very good points there, Instrumentalrockrocks. Perhaps a useful exercise would be to list the recent tracks that have been good and see if we can spot a thread amongst it.

[al]

Just got my Cd there from amazon, on the day of release pretty cool


Its a great album, the bass isnt the best, and i tihnk it was nicer on the last and previous cd's the drums guitars and instruments are cool, nice sounds and grooves off of the songs, id love to see Stu do it though


Wait til u hear the full songs to judge em, u were all way to picky :p its 100 times better than the little clips, like I said jus listen and enjoy it

[Big Bad Bill]

Wait til u hear the full songs to judge em, u were all way to picky :p its 100 times better than the little clips, like I said jus listen and enjoy it

My critique was based on the actual album-I received it today.