Painting on guitars, another G3-tour and much more!

I´m Amir from the German music magazine www.metal-heads.de – we are based in the Ruhr area, that you might know or have heard of with venues like the Zeche in Bochum, the Turock in Essen or Westfallenhalle in Dortmund. I don’t know, if you ever played there, as I only remember seeing you perform in Düsseldorf or Cologne.

First of all, I have to tell you, that I´m proud to be able to ask you some questions about your new album and some other things. Not only myself, but for sure also our readers are interested to hear, what you have to say. So let´s get it started right away. 

MH: First of all, I´d like to know, from where or what you come up with this creativity, that makes it possible to release so many (we are talking about 19 (!!) studioalbums here!) albums on such a high level?

JS…Thank you! Everyday life provides so much material to write about, it’s hard to find the time to turn it all into music. I’ve trained myself to always follow a creative impulse and document it. I will write down or record any idea, no matter how big or small. This method keeps me busy day in and day out. Then, I take a few days every month to review all the ideas and expand upon them. I highly recommend this approach to staying productive.

Joe Satriani-Interview

MH: Also it would be interesting, how or at which point of the writing (or recording) process you have other musicinas involved in the creating of the material?

JS…Sometimes I finish the songs down to every last note and arrangement idea. If I feel I need some other input I will ask for it. On the new album my producer Eric Caudieux wrote a few extra parts for 3 of the 14 tracks on the album. His contributions were essential and very much welcomed. In the band CHICKENFOOT it was a similar situation, sometimes the whole band would write a song, sometimes just me and Sammy.

MH: Can you play any other instruments besides the guitar? And/or do you use digital methods to include other instruments in your songs, when composing? 

No drums, please…

JS…I’m a good bass player, and a simple keyboardist. I can play blues harp all day long! But I still suck on the drums, Ha! I like using software synths to help me complete a composition or even use as a suggestion to the „real“ keyboardist in the band. In this case we have Rai Thistlethwayte who is an amazing keyboardist. He plays all the keyboard solos on the new album.

MH: As a great guitar player, that you are, you inspire other people. But is there an inspiration by other guitarists, that you would like to mention? 

JS…I’m still inspired by the players I listened to when I was a kid: Hendrix, Page, Iommi, Townsend, Beck, Harrison, Richards, etc… real old school rock stuff, Ha! New players like Tosin Abassi, Jason Richardson, Stephan Taranto, Yo Onityan, Yas Nomura, @fernplants, etc… These players are amazing. I like watching their IG posts. I’ll never be able to do what they do but it inspires me to keep trying anyway!

MH: Let´s talk about influences in general! I guess, when someone writes songs, there is always a musical input from somewhere? What are your musical influences these days and especially during the time, writing the new material? 

JS…I listen to the sound in my head and try to match it up to the imagined movie my mind creates around the initial inspiration. I know it sounds crazy but that’s how I get from a story like „The Elephants of Mars“ to actually wrtiting and recording the song. Almost always, the story comes first, then the music. I’m influenced by everything I’ve ever heard that I feel was a successful telling of a story through music. So, any style is ok with me, as long as it works. Beethoven to Beck, Miles Davis to Metallica, it’s all good.

MH: I´m sure, you heard of that „mega guitar“ called „The hydra“, that Steve Vai has had himself developed. Could you imagine to let yourself custom build something special like that, too? And what features would you like to have included? 

Steve Vai is a genius!

JS…Steve is a genius in his own right, and in his own world! That’s not my thing at all. I’m still fascinated by melody, harmony and rhythm. They are the most important elements of music for me. Making a few notes reach out and grab your heart is what I’m most interested in.

MH: As it´s a really special thing and involves many great musicians (not only on the guitar), I like the G3-concept a lot. Is there any chance to have you tour Europe again with G3 in the coming one or two years? 

JS…I hope so. I have spoken with Steve and Eric a few times recently and they are down with the idea. So, maybe next year it will happen!

MH: As you have performed with a long list of great musicians already, are there still some names on the list, that you would like to play with in the studio and/or on stage? And why would you especially pick these musicians?

JS…Jimmy Page is first on my list. He is such an accomplished musician, composer, producer and performer, I think we could make a lot of great music together.

Playing with Jimmy Page, another G3-tour and painting

MH: As I heard, you are also interested in other forms of art like painting. Please let us know more about it. Are you a collector? Or do you create art yourself?

JS…I am currently commissioned to finish a few hundred paintings for the Wentworth Gallery here in the US (https://www.wentworthgallery.com/index.html) I love painting on canvas, and guitars too. Painting and music go hand in hand for me, so, I always find myself doing both almost everyday.

MH: In how far are you interested in cars? What car do you drive and what car would you like to own, if it was available/affordable?

JS…I’m not interested in cars. The future has let me down in this department. I always thought that by now we would have gone all electric, or, even gravity defying cars. But, we are still stuck with the same technology as the early 1900’s! Driving is fun but it’s still dangerous and bad for the environment.

MH: A look in the future – if you are thinking about it, when would yo see the point to stop making and performing music?

Just keep going…

JS…I’m just going to keep going until it doesn’t feel right. I don’t see the composing or painting slowing down or stopping. The playing and performing is always fun but the traveling can get you down. However, I do love spending time in new parts of the world. It’s just getting there that can be difficult.

MH: Now we slowly come to an end. It´s a tradition for us to leave the last words to our interview partners. Do you have a final message for our readers out there? About yourself, music in general or the new album…whatever…

JS…I’m so grateful that I have fans around the world that are still interested in my new music. Not a day goes by where I don’t feel filled with gratitude about my good fortune as a musician. So my message to my fellow Metal Heads is, „THANK YOU!!!“

MH: Thanx for your time and hope to see you on stage some time in the future! Maybe even in another G3-setting. And of course, at some point, I´d be interested to hear album number 20…

JS…Me too Amir. Cheers!

Leute, glaubt es oder nicht, aber Joe Satriani haut in wenigen Tagen am 08.04.2022 bereits sein 19. Studioalbum raus. Das ist eine wirklich beachtliche Leistung. Einerseits in dieser schnelllebigen Zeit überhaupt so lange erfolgreich zu sein und andererseits die Kreativität zu besitzen, seine Fans immer wieder mit neuem Material zu begeistern. Wir wollen euch die Songs des neuen Releases heute mal näher vorstellen. Beginnen wir doch – Überraschung – ganz vorne, mit dem Opener. Diese Nummer hatten wir euch bereits vorab hier präsentiert. Wie ich finde, ein starker Einstieg in das Album.

Dann der Titeltrack. Dieser kommt dann recht elektronisch und verzerrt daher. Interessante Beats und dazu die recht melancholisch wirkende Gitarre von Mr. Satriani. Etwas speziell, aber gefällt mir irgendwie trotzdem. Auch wenn es mittendrin eine kurze Durststrecke gibt. Es folgt „Faceless“. Mit Pianoklängen und einem warmen Gitarrensound. Hier haben wir den passenden Visualizer für euch zu dem Song:

Joe Satriani – „The elephants of Mars“ (VÖ: 08.04.2022)

Schon mit der nächsten Nummer beweist uns der Gute Satch, dass er sich in den verschiedensten Stilen bewegen kann, ohne aufzufallen. Hier schlägt er mal einen eher bluesigen Weg ein. Ein feiner Groove dank gradliniger Drums mit melodischen Gitarrenpassagen. Emotionales Fingerspiel. Wow! „Tension and release“ rückt dann den Bass mehr in den Fokus, die Gitarre heult leicht auf, aber die tiefen Töne dominieren schon recht deutlich bei diesem Stück. Auch hier wieder eine feine Melodie. Beim 6. Track des Albums finde ich die Gitarrenparts teils nervig, sie wirken unruhig. Der Bassist slappt dazu und phasenweise bekommt das Ganze einen etwas melancholischen Sound. „Doors of perception“ hat vom Sound her einen etwas orientalischen Touch. Man fühlt sich ein bisschen wie in einer Zeltstadt in der Wüste unter de, Sternenhimmel. Harmonisch und melodisch. Prima!

Etwas sentimental und auf jeden Fall bedächtig geht es mit dem nächsten Stück weiter. Bassläufe, dazu Pianoklänge. Darüber legt sich die Gitarre und setzt die entsprechenden Akzente. Fein gemacht. „Pumpin‘“ empfängt uns dann mit flotten Beats und einem amtlichen Groove. Hier bekommt ihr den Visualizer dazu.

Beim zehnten Song geht es etwas „schräg“ los. Crazy der Einstieg. Dann wird es aber bald „normaler“ mit einer tollen Melodie. Auch das Schlagzeugspiel gefällt mir hier sehr gut. Das bringt Power rein. Dann später der Wechsel zum Ufftata einer Blaskapelle. Was soll das? Später rockt es noch einmal und dann ist Schluss. Wilde Fahrt…“Night scene“ ist mir ein bisschen zu einfallslos. Sorry. Der Part der Gitarre ist ja noch ok, aber das Drumming ist lame. Insgesamt zu durchschnittlich. Track 12 hat was von einem Soundtrack zu einem spannenden Film. Mitreißend und kraftvoll. Das Gegenteil ist dann „22 Memory lane“ mit einem seichten Einstieg und emotionalem Spiel auf dem Griffbrett. Sehr gut gelungen! Zum Abschluss geht es dann noch einmal bedächtig los. Eher bluesig imponiert diese Nummer. Eine eher traurige Stimmung entsteht…trotzdem ein starker Song!

Das Fazit zum neuen Satriani-Album bei metal-heads.de

Wie lautet nun das Fazit zum aktuellen Studio-Release von Joe Satriani? So richtige Schwachstellen vermag man eigentlich nicht zu benennen. Das Material zeichnet sich durch eine ausgeprägte Vielseitigkeit aus. Man fragt sich manchmal, wie alle diese Songs den Weg auf einen und denselben Longplayer gefunden haben. Auf jeden Fall ein Pflichtkauf für alle Fans der renommierten Gitarristen und generell ein Antesten auch für andere Gitarristen und Nicht-Musiker wert. Es ist schon bemerkenswert, welche Stimmungen hier rein instrumental geschaffen werden.