7 Days of Satriani: Updates on the 20th Anniversary Surfing With the Alien
I have new information to update yesterday’s story about the 20th Anniversary Edition of Surfing With the Alien. Yesterday’s main question centered on the mastering of the record and I think I’ve pieced the story together.
The album was originally released by Relativity Records in 1987. The Relativity CD was mastered by Bernie Grundman.
Sony then somehow – probably through a merger or other acquisition – got the rights to distribute Joe’s albums while releasing his current ones. The back of the copy of Surfing I have with the Epic/Sony label indicates a copyright of 1997 and 1999. If I had to venture a guess, the 1997 Sony version is identical to the 1987 version, save for the label stamp. The 1999 version, the one I have, is part of the Joe Satriani Remastered series (Not of This Earth, Surfing, Flying in a Blue Dream, and The Extremist). These albums were all remastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound.
That brings us to the release of the 20th Anniversary Edition. According to this trailer, longtime collaborator and engineer for those original Surfing sessions John Cuniberti was brought in to remaster the album for this release. This means the album will be making (at least) its third sonic imprint on disc.
That trailer — which you really must watch — mentions that in addition to the Montreux show, the DVD will feature the videos to the album’s songs. I was still under a mandatory, parentally-imposed MTV embargo at the time the album was released. I’ve never seen the videos. That’s a nice little bonus.
Also, they show a glimpse of the book that accompanies the new set. Joe has written some extensive liner notes with track-by-track commentary.
Add it all up and it looks like Joe and the folks at SonyLegacy have really done a fabulous job with this release. A lot of albums claim to be deluxe editions. This one seems to deserve that title and I can’t wait to have it.
Filed under: Tags: Joe Satriani, Seven Days of Satriani
You’re not alone - I don’ t think I saw the Satch videos either, and I actually watched MTV a lot back then. So maybe you didn’t miss anything (except for MTV’s game show, Remote Control, probably the best thing the channel ever did. That really needs to be out on DVD, not only because it was hilarious but also to see the young Kari Wuhrer that many of us tuned in initially to check out. It was a good time to be a teenage boy.)