JOE SATRIANI - review added 7th October 2010
Live Album Review: Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards (Instrumental) (2010)
For fans of: Guitar Virtuosity... and not too much hair
Guitar god Joe Satriani last featured on these pages as part of the 2009 debut Chickenfoot supergroup album. Here, however, he is back on his own (albeit with a few guests playing back-up) with his 14th solo release.
The strangely named "Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards" follows the even more strangely named "Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock". If rumours are correct, this could be some of his finest work for years...if not quite up there with his finest releases like 1987's "Surfing With The Alien".
I'm not a massive follower of Joe Satriani's solo LPs, but there is an aura about the man, and the legend of his skill can lead to expectations set way higher than they should be. Such is the hype surrounding the guy, I came to "Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards" expecting something to make Yngwie Malmsteen's finest work sound like a child with an elastic band wrapped around a shoe box. The reality couldn't be any more different (well it could, but let's not split hairs).
The majority of this album really isn't that impressive at all. It is, however, exceedingly nice to listen to. Really, really nice. Thing is, I honestly thought it would blow me away, but there is very little that's anywhere near the explosive. Songs like 'Midnight' from the aforementioned "Surfing..." may not be at the very pinnacle of fret-fingerwork, but they still impress. The music on "Black Swans..." is beautiful, often very filmscore-like and atmospheric, but I doubt it'll leave anyone open-mouthed in envy. Compare this to another guitar instrumental album we reviewed recently - Constantine's "Shredcore" - and from a technical standpoint this is several rungs lower down the ladder...and that's a surprise.
Favourite moments here include the mostly brilliant 'Pyrrhic Victoria', mainly because large chunks of it sound like the theme tune from The Neverending Story, the Asian-inspired 'The Golden Room' with it's bhangra beats and curry-restaurant vibe, and the last track (which does manage to up the technical game) 'God Is Crying'. Apart from that the album is filled with a lot of cleverly orchestrated background music. Don't get me wrong, nothing here is anywhere close to bad, but it isn't the superb I was so hotly anticipating.
Yes, this is a lovely - if vaguely uninspiring - album to listen to, but I wanted to come away knowing why Joe is thought of the way he is: as the best. On this evidence, nothing has been proved either way. Hmmm.
Check out... Track 3, then the Neverending Story theme tune...
Track List:
01. Premonition
02. Dream Song
03. Pyrrhic Victoria
04. Light Years Away
05. Solitude
06. Littleworth Lane
07. The Golden Room
08. Two Sides to Every Story
09. Wormhole Wizards
10. Wind In The Trees
11. God Is Crying
Label: Epic Records
Artist's website(s): Joe Satriani | MySpace | Facebook
