I’ll never forget the first time I heard Joe Satriani. I was 9 years old when the Surfing with the Alien (1987) album cover caught my eye. My only prior awareness of Satriani was from seeing him grace the cover of guitar magazines and my dad mentioning him as “one of the greatest guitarists ever”. I went out on a limb and used my weekly allowance to buy the CD. Despite being such a young age, I was well aware of the mastery of Hendrix, Van Halen, and Rhoads. But I had never heard anything like this. It legitimately terrified me that a human being could play something as insane as the tapping on “Surfing with the Alien”. I was hooked. After listening to Surfing at least 50 times, it was on to Flying in a Blue Dream (1989) and The Extremist (1992). From there, I explored the rest of his vast catalog.
Being a Satriani diehard for as long as I have, I divide his career into two eras. The first era focused on flashy displays of shred sagacity which captivated critics and guitarists alike. The second era focuses less on his shred skills and more on his ability to create atmosphere and mood through dreamlike playing and crisp production. This latter era has lasted roughly 20 years and continues with Shapeshifting.
Throughout the course of Shapeshifting, there are few styles left untouched. It opens with the ice cool title track which showcases the rhythm section of bassist Chris Chaney and drummer Kenny Aronoff. Satch has a knack for picking virtuosic rhythm sections that don’t just back him, but compliment him. Shapeshifting is no exception. Together, the trio explores funky reggae (“Here the Blue River”), interstellar country (“Perfect Dust”), and even combines the worlds of Malian folk and surf rock (“Ali Farka, Dick Dale, an Alien, and Me”).
Shapeshifting may contain more easy listening songs than any Satriani album to date. “All for Love” carries on his tradition of at least one tender love ballad per release. His ability to write instrumentals more romantic than songs with lyrics is as impressive as his guitar playing itself. This soft side is also displayed on the melancholic tones of “Teardrops”, “Falling Stars”, and “Waiting”. For as many genres traversed on a Satriani album, there are just as many emotions evoked in the listener.
No matter how far Satch strays from his shredding roots, he always returns for at least a song or two. On Shapeshifting, he pays homage to his early years with my favorite track, “Ninety Eighty”. Heavy riffs and squealing solos set to a thundering beat: It was this formula that made Satch a mainstay of rock radio in the late 80s and early 90s. “Ninety Eighty” proves he is still the master of his craft. I hope it becomes a staple of his live set for years to come.
Shapeshifting is what I expected of Satch at this stage in his career, but that’s not to undersell it. Satch holds a rare distinction as one of the few artists to have never released a bad album. Not one. Even my beloved Priest put out some downright duds in the 90s, but not Satch. He continues to surf the hidden musical universe of his fretboard; each release enriches the ears, minds, and hearts of music lovers, here and beyond.
6 out of 10
Label: Legacy
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Steve Vai, Vinnie Moore, Eric Johnson