what are you listening to?

BlazeES

Veteran and General Yakker
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Unstoppable is one of several Satch albums I haven't heard. How is it Tony? I mainly have older Satch. Not Of This Earth, Alien, Flying In A Blue Dream and few early 90's CD's and Tapes. I really should dig more into his newer library.
It's solidly good Ben but not what I would call a *great* Satriani production compared to his other albums. I'll explain why.

My personal favorite Satriani discs are the ones that are noticeably cohesive throughout. Not equal to a "concept album" per se
but clearly connected in style and flow, and that have sort of a concept feel to them.
It seems to me that there are three types of Satriani productions; the connected, complete package ones,
the experimental ones and the hodge podgy, thrown-together ones - to meet a contractual obligation or simply because that's just
the way things came together. Creative funk perhaps? That last category's fault is shared between the artist, the engineer and the producer.
I'd call 'Momentum' an experimental one - where Joe brought in new support musicians to back him up and he tries some new styles.

The three albums you mention I would definitely call *connected* ones, bordering on the conceptual. This latest album is experimental
but lacks the flowing connectedness -is that a word? That said, there are some really excellent songs and some fantastic layering of sound throughout,
due in no small part to the new bassist and drummer. I'd give it a B+ because there are about 5 songs that pull the grade up because they are solid A+ material.

Personally, I've been waiting for a 'Blue Dream', 'Extremist', 'Crystal Planet', 'Engines of Creation' or 'Love in Space' type release for years.
These five are not the only *connected* releases IMHO, but those that represent my all-time favorite, "complete deal" efforts.

The cool thing with Satriani music is that with his last 4 albums, you can actually assemble a mix-tape of serious tracks to make your own *connected* experience.
 
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