If you have any respect for guitar playing, you need to listen to Joe Satriani and Steve Vai’s new album
Both with successful multi-decade careers under their belts, today’s a big day for Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, as it marks the first time the pair have ever released a collaborative full-length album.
Yep, The Sea of Emotion has officially arrived via earMUSIC, and brings a cornucopia of six-string virtuosity and dizzying leads from two of the most prominent shredders in the game, so if you’re in any way guitar-inclined, you need to add this to your weekend listening list.
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Of course, one reason it’s so surprising this album took the pair so long is how far back their professional relationship actually goes. In fact, Vai was once a student of Satriani, and began receiving lessons from him all the way back in 1973 when he was just 13 years old, and Satch was only 17.
Now 66 and 70 respectively, it’s been decades since their paths first crossed, and they’ve worked together on numerous occasions on various solo projects and on the famous G3 tours – which featured Satch and a rotating lineup of virtuoso guitarists – but it’s taken over 50 years for them to commit to a full album together.
And the opportunity arose following the most recent G3 reunion tour in early 2024, when both realised they had a gap in their forthcoming schedules. Initially, the pair had the idea to record a single track, but after Satch sent Vai two song ideas, they committed to a full album instead.
“We’ve been planning this since 1973!” Vai jokes. “Just unconsciously.”
“The biggest surprise was that we write in completely different ways,” Satriani adds. “And that’s what made the project so fun and interesting.”
The album features a selection of originals, plus a reimagining of Dancing, a song by Italian singer and pianist Paolo Conte.
Perhaps most notably, the LP’s closing track, the final part of an epic trilogy, The Sea of Emotion, opens with a vintage reel-to-reel recording from one of Steve Vai’s early lessons with Joe Satriani, bringing their professional relationship full circle.
“It illustrates just how far we’ve come,” Satriani says.“We’re these two kids who haven’t found our sound yet, but we’ve got enthusiasm. We’re chasing something, and we’re determined.”
“It’s a beautiful coming together of me and my friend in a very intimate musical way,” says Vai. “That was the reason we did the record.”
Produced with keyboardist Eric Caudieux, the album also features contributions from drummers Gregg Bissonette, Jeremy Colson, Kenny Aronoff, Matt Chamberlain and Mike Mangini, plus bassists Billy Sheehan, Bryan Beller, Philip Bynoe, Matt Bissonette, Marco Mendoza and Henrik Linder.
SATCHVAI’s new album, The Sea of Emotion, is out now. Listen below:
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
