7 Days of Satriani: Countdown to Surfing With the Alien, 20th Anniversary Edition
Let’s hope I do a more thorough job with the “7 Days of Satriani” than I did with “Garbage Week and a Couple of Days.
Joe Satriani’s landmark Surfing With the Alien is turning 20 this year and to mark the occasion, a 20th Anniversary Edition of the record is being released August 8. I’m going to spend the next 7 days reflecting on that album’s impact on me and some of my favorite moments in Satriani’s illustrious career.
The 20th Anniversary edition looks interesting as far as deluxe editions go. It’s a 1CD/1DVD package, the CD being the album in remastered form. Surfing was released in a remastered form a few years back, I’m not sure if the CD in the 20th set represents another re-mastering or if it is the same version commercially available now.
Fans who have the initial pressing of the CD will want an upgraded version. I have a copy of that initial pressing as well as the remaster currently available in stores and that remaster is an improvement.
I’m curious to find out if the 20th CD is different than the two versions I presently own. I don’t know that it needs a second remastering, but the package is more valuable to me as a purchaser if that has happened.
The real attraction in this set, the thing that will get the hardcore motivated to buy another copy of Surfing is the included DVD. A 1988 performance by Satriani and his band of Stuart Hamm and Jonathan Mover performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival has been unearthed and is seeing light of day for the first time. He has released a few live CDs and DVDs in his career but there is not likely a bounty of vintage video footage from that Surfing With the Alien tour.
DVD Tracklist [I will fight you if you have to ask about the tracklisting for the album itself]
01. Ice 9
02. Memories
03. Midnight
04. Rubina
05. Circles
06. Lords of Karma
07. S.T.U.
08. Echo
09. Hordes of Locusts
10. Always With Me, Always With You
11. Satch Boogie
Recorded July 14, 1988 at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
It’s going to be a real treat to behold. One of the reasons to release a package like this is not only appreciate the music and Satriani’s sorcery, but to acknowledge the passing of time and staying power of Surfing With the Alien. The accompanying DVD will allow us all, if only for a few minutes, to travel 20 years back in time.
Filed under: Joe Satriani, Seven Days of Satriani
What fun! Thanks for making it a special thing.
Oh we’re most definitely going to have some fun with this, Sir Mary! I’ve just put up the first of today’s articles on the subject and have another one primed for later this afternoon.
I used to have some of this album on my other computer. But I had to rebuild my library with the lap top, and I can’t find any Satch.
But I do remember Satch Boogie and Echo - I think.
“Echo” is one of my favorites.
You need to buy one of these fancy schmancy anniversary packages.
so glad to hear there is something worthwhile to look forward to. definitely getting the new release. mostly because the original cd is about worn out.
Like I said, this will be my third copy of Surfing but I’m really looking forward to it. This is one of the best albums of the ’80s. Granted, that’s like being the most civilized monkey in the zoo but I love this record.