JOE SATRIANI Surfing With The Alien (1987)

1987. No vocals, no apologies, and a guitar tone that made a generation of kids quit school to practice scales.

Surfing With The Alien is the record that turned instrumental rock from a footnote into a genre, and Satriani into a name that gets said with a certain reverence in guitar shops from Melbourne to Michigan. The riffs on Satch Boogie alone have caused more near-religious experiences than some actual religions. This remastered pressing pairs the original album with a second version stripped of its signature leads, which sounds like a gimmick until you realise it's genuinely useful, a backing track that exposes the architecture underneath, and a humbling reminder of exactly how much those guitar parts were holding everything together. Essential for anyone serious about their instrument, and a killer piece of vinyl for anyone who just wants to hear a master at work.

Remastered original album paired with an instrumental backing version on vinyl. 1987 recording. Reissue pressing.

Fans of: Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Allan Holdsworth