Surfing with the Alien

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Professional reviews
Surfing With the Alien

Studio album by Joe Satriani
Released	1987
Recorded	1986
Genre	Instrumental rock
Length	37:33
Label	Relativity Records Epic Records (re-release)
Producer(s)	Joe Satriani and John Cuniberti
All Music Guide link
Joe Satriani chronology
Not of This Earth (1986)	Surfing With the Alien (1987)	Dreaming #11 (1988)

Surfing With the Alien is the second album by instrumental rock solo artist Joe Satriani, released in 1987. Often regarded as one of the most important guitar albums of the 1980s, Surfing helped Satriani establish his reputation as a top virtuoso in the field of guitar playing.

The album contains fast and complex songs such as "Surfing with the Alien" and "Satch Boogie", plus the stranger-sounding "Crushing Day" and "Lords of Karma", in contrast to songs like "Always With Me, Always With You" and "Echo" that are very restrained, slow and melodic and make a change from the faster songs. Also notable is "Midnight", which utilises the odd technique of two-hand tapping at great speed for a sort of Latin-American effect. There are also Nashville tuned guitars (on "Echo") and key signature changes (on "Always With Me..." and "Echo") to vary the album. For fans of instrumental rock, the album has become essential.

The title and cover of the album reference the Marvel Comics character Silver Surfer.

[edit] Track listing

"Surfing With The Alien" – 4:25
"Ice 9" – 3:59
"Crushing Day" – 5:14
"Always With Me, Always With You" – 3:22
"Satch Boogie" – 3:13
"Hill Of The Skull" – 1:48
"Circles" – 3:28
"Lords Of Karma" – 4:48
"Midnight" – 1:42
"Echo" – 5:37

[edit] Charts

Surfing with the Alien is notable for being one of the first instrumental rock albums to appear in the Top 40 charts at all, although Flying in a Blue Dream beats its position in 1989.

Album - Billboard (North America)