Satriani Sues Coldplay

[Knuckledragger]

Larry La Londe? Charlie Hunter? Alex Skolnick?

Alex Skolnick from Testament, that's it. He's actually a really cool cat. Sometime in the early 90s, he got sick of metal and re-invented himself as a jazz guitarist. He played Amherst College a number of years ago, in a room where I used to do sound. Unfortunately, I was not the soundman that night and I missed the show. I'd liked to have seen him.

[Dusty Chalk]

Joe Satriani is only awesome if you think that the american auto industry deserves being rewarded for failure.

Incorrect.

[Sherwood]

Joe Satriani does have one thing going for him, here. Unlike Steve Vai, he didn't release a custom guitar dubbed the "DNA" with his own blood mixed into the paint.

[aardvark baguette]

For me, he uses too many notes. Al DiMeola can do the same thing, but the songs have space in them too, to my ears.

Surfing with the Alien is the only album of his I have, so this is all based on that album. Maybe he has other albums more akin to my liking, but I doubt it.

He is the type of guitarist that exists to entertain guitarists. Lots of overly technical noodling.

[Dusty Chalk]

I disagree completely. Of the "shredders", he is probably the most evocative.

Sure, he's still a shredder -- sometimes it's fun to hear someone really capable do what they're capable of doing. Music doesn't always have to evoke a specific emotion, or be melodramatic. Sometimes it's fun to play music for the sake of playing music, and that's what he does for me.

I'm not a guitarist.

[catscratch]

Eh, Surfing with the Alien was basically Satch showing off. I didn't find anything interesting musically on it either. But, he's done better musically since then. Crystal Planet has some very nice rock tunes on it. I'm not too sure about the whole singing bit since I've yet to hear it.

Malmsteen is a wanker. But I wouldn't put Satriani in the same category. Some of his music is just instrumental masturbation, but not all. He has some good material.

[atothex]

Damn, what's with all the Satriani hate in here? Shred isn't for everyone, but he's definitely one of the better shredders out there, musically. His groove is way better than, say, Bumblefoot.

[Sherwood]

When bumblefoot sues someone who is musically relevant, call me.

[Dusty Chalk]

Damn, what's with all the Satriani hate in here? Shred isn't for everyone, but he's definitely one of the better shredders out there, musically. His groove is way better than, say, Bumblefoot.

Snobs, the lot of them.

[Dusty Chalk]

See?

[Knuckledragger]

[simple Satriani 'shop goes here]

[deepak]

Damn, what's with all the Satriani hate in here?

satriani makes me go zzzzzz....

This.

[Sherwood]

What's with all the Satriani defense everywhere?

The guy is a wanker. I don't care if he's a pioneer in his field, his field sounds like someone handed a guitar and a distortion pedal to a babbage adding machine. Technical virtuosity aside, I find his actual musical ideas to be so simple that they are laughable. I think this is the general feeling on this and other equipment-related sites.

If you are dead set on listening to a musician who practices every waking moment, listen to some Coltrane.

[deepak]

If you are dead set on listening to a musician who practices every waking moment, listen to some Coltrane.

And another, a musician that is still alive- Robert Fripp

[hungrych]

I dunno, it does seem pretty snobbish to decide that a musician somehow has no musical value purely because you don't like his style...

[Knuckledragger]

[Dusty Chalk]

Technical virtuosity aside, I find his actual musical ideas to be so simple that they are laughable.

Thank you -- at least you aren't making the classic mistake of technical virtuosity <> musical ability.

I think this is the general feeling on this and other equipment-related sites.

But then you go and say this -- implying that just because it's the majority opinion, it should somehow influence mine.

[Sherwood]

But then you go and say this -- implying that just because it's the majority opinion, it should somehow influence mine.

I was very careful not to give you the impression that our opinion matters in regards to yours -- it certainly doesn't. I was simply trying to answer the question posited -- why all the Satriani hate? My impression is that my feelings mirror the feelings of many on these forums, ergo we all be hatin'.

[Dusty Chalk]

If you are dead set on listening to a musician who practices every waking moment, listen to some Coltrane.

Sounds like you're trying to influence to me.

Yes, you were pretty careful. BUT NOT CAREFUL ENOUGH!

And yes, I see now that you were trying to answer the original question -- I didn't read it that way the first time.

[Sherwood]

Yes, you were pretty careful. BUT NOT CAREFUL ENOUGH!

That's what she said. Now she's pregnant.

[JBLoudG20]

I dunno, it does seem pretty snobbish to decide that a musician somehow has no musical value purely because you don't like his style...

x2 And I don;t even like him.

[grawk]

It seemed more like what was going on was people were saying he has no value musically AND they don't like his style. A lot like Daft Punk.

[Pars]

it's not snobbery, it's simple taste.

Or lack thereof...

I've never listened to Satriani (other than the thing he is suing Coldplay over). As for shredders (is that the term?), do bands such as Dragonforce (IIRC) fit more or less under this category?

[Sherwood]

I dunno, it does seem pretty snobbish to decide that a musician somehow has no musical value purely because you don't like his style...

I'm not sure who this was directed at, but I don't see anyone here doing that. I don't think he has musical value because I don't think he has musical value. His appeal is purely as a technician, not as an artist. I don't enjoy baroque choral music, either, but I'm not claiming it has no musical value.

That's just my take. I spent 3 years in a band with a huge Satriani fanatic, and I think I gave him as good a shot as he is likely to get. He and Vai and Johnson and Malmsteen are not my thing. I'd rather have buckethead.

[hungrych]

His appeal is purely as a technician, not as an artist.

And you know this how? Do you really know that Joe Satriani does not consider himself an artist?

FWIW: Many people would say the same thing about John Coltrane's "sheets of sound" period.