Throwback Thursday: Flying in a Blue Dream, by Joe Satriani

In 1989 guitar wizard extraordinaire Joe Satriani released his third album Flying in a Blue Dream, which was a BIG follow-up to his industry crashing guitar oriented record Surfing With the Alien that had been released two years prior. What Satch had managed to do in the previous album was far surpassed this time around from a creative standpoint. His fans seemed to think so too, as it is one of his best selling albums to date.

Flying in a Blue Dream is primarily a guitar focused album, but unlike his previous records there are a few songs that actually contain vocals. However, the guitar really is still the focal point as Satch continues to make all kinds of fireworks on the fret board, making the listener feel like they are being blasted into space or some times in a rather pensive emotional state. The guy really knows how to play to your emotions without even having to sing a single word.

Flying in a Blue Dream is one of the best choices Satch could have made for a title track. It kicks off the album and really does make you envision soaring through a clear sky created in the world of your head whilst fast asleep. The melody gives you that sense of anticipation of being about to lift off and then that feeling of release when you are gently floating off into the clouds to do as you please in your dreams. It's a peculiar song in that it's both intense and yet soothing at the same time in that way.

I Believe is one of the tracks on the album that has vocals. While there is nothing spectacular about Satch's voice it does have this semi-raspy yet soothing quality to it that makes him very relaxing to listen to. This song is mostly chords and nothing that fancy, but naturally when the guitar solo kicks in it SCREAMS Joe Satriani all over the damn place. He tears it up melodically and warmly the way he would any other song. It's a nice song for sure.

Flying in a Blue Dream definitely shows Satch being more experimental this time around. There are countless other tracks that are also worthy of mentioning, but because I don't want to spend all day writing and you don't want to spend all day reading I'll let you just go find out for yourself. Even the shorter guitar only tracks are worth checking out. The whole album is an experience that really does take you through a wide range of thoughts and emotions. Even if guitar music isn't exactly your big shindig it's still worth looking into.

Flying in a Blue Dream, by Joe Satriani receives 5 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Flying in a Blue Dream
2. The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing
3. Can't Slow Down
4. Headless
5. Strange
6. I Believe
7. One Big Rush
8. Big Bad Moon
9. The Feeling
10. The Phone Call
11. Day At the Beach (New Rays From an Ancient Sun)
12. Back to Shalla-Bal
13. Ride
14. The Forgotten (Part 1)
15. The Forgotten (Part 2)
16. The Bells of Lal (Part 1)
17. The Bells of Lal (Part 2)
18. Into the Light

Buy the album on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Flying-Blue-Dream-Joe-Satriani/dp/B00701QUOC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457687591&sr=8-1&keywords=Flying+in+a+Blue+Dream