Joe Satriani - Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir

Praise for
STRANGE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC

"I have known Joe since I was 12 years old, and every time Joe puts his fingers on a guitar what comes out sounds like inspired music, even if its just a finger exercise. He created and branded a niche with his own voice and in so doing he wielded an entire genre, and he continues to do so with no excuses. He paved the way for many others!"

STEVE VAI

"Joe Satrianis my favorite guitar player."

SAMMY HAGAR

"Joe Satriani is in and surfs up, y'all! Its all about the wickedness of the wave and when the sand is shakin', you know Satch be earthquakin', makin' loud of his superbly satisfying signature sound. And when I say surf, think, 'The Silver Surfer' who stands out... shiny and showy... instant connectivity with Satch when his chome-plated silver 6-string thing is strap'd up, ready to slang, bang, and tang-the-tang. Ya' gotta dig on some Joe, now. A pleasantry in the purest with performance and power to please the most particularly picky of palettes. Jang on with Joe Satch, Brothers and Sisters. Surfs up."

BILLY F. GIBBONS

"After all the times I had been on stages with Joe, been on the side of stages watching and listening to Joe, and all the times I have been in the audience cheering for Joe, I continue to have no idea how Joe does what he does. How does he do it? In 52 years of playing with others in public, very few have given me the personal and professional support that Joe has. It is exceptionally rare that a player of this standard is also this generous."

ROBERT FRIPP

Copyright 2014 by Joe Satriani and Jake Brown

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any mannerwhatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotationsembodied in critical articles or reviews.

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First e-book edition: April 2014

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Satriani, Joe.
Strange beautiful music : a musical memoir / by Joe Satriani and Jake Brown.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-939529-64-0 (trade cloth : alk. paper)ISBN 978-1-939529-65-7(electronic) 1. Satriani, Joe. 2. Rock musiciansUnited StatesBiography. 3.GuitaristsUnited StatesBiography. I. Brown, Jake. II. Title.
ML419.S227A3 2014
782.42166092dc23
[B] 2014000811

Editing by Erin Kelley
Copyediting by James Fraleigh
Proofreading by Cape Cod Compositors, Inc. and Laura Cherkas
Cover design by Ty Nowicki
Cover photo by Chapman Baehler
Text design and composition by Silver Feather Design
Printed by Bang Printing

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I would like to dedicate this book to the visitor from outer space who saw fit one night so many years ago, out on a distant lonely road, to beam me up to his spaceship, teach me how to play electric guitar, and return me to Earth, just to see what would happen next. Seriously now... This book is dedicated to all my wonderful fans around the world.

JOE SATRIANI

This book is dedicated to my beautiful fiance, Carrie Brock (Brown by the time this book is in stores!), for being so patient with my creative process and so loving to me personally throughout the journey that was writing this book.

JAKE BROWN

Contents

Foreword

Queen used to work in Munich a lot, in a studio called Musicland, well known for its output of rock recordings. Our producer/engineer was called Mackwho notably made a song called "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" into a record in a matter of hours (with a little help from Freddie and us boys). One day Mack phoned me up and said, "I'm working with a young lad called Joe Satriani, who is an admirer of your playing. He wants me to send you the material we're working on so you can hear it." Just a young lad. Well, that first Satriani album arrived in the form of a cassette tape, and its now one of my most treasured possessions. The content, as you all know, was spectacular, and the Man Who Surfed with the Alien has never looked back since.

A few years later, I was the musical director of a one-night stand in a set of shows in Seville, Spain, called Guitar Legends. Ours was the Rock Night. It was an amazing opportunity to put a set of brilliant guitarists together on one stageincluding Steve Vai, Joe Walsh, Nuno Bettencourt, and, of course, Joe. I asked Paul Rodgers to come and galvanize us alla smart choice, as it worked out; no matter how technically adept a guitarist is, I have never met one who didn't rate playing "All Right Now" with Paul as one of the great moments of his life! We all turned up for early rehearsals, so we were actually able to work together to make some unique collaborations. Joe was already a mighty star by that time, but he and his band jumped at the offer of going on first. I remember wondering if I was mad allowing this to happen, but I was backstage watching a TV monitor when Joe hit the stage smack on the dot of showtime, live on Spanish national TV It was one of the most spine-chilling moments I can ever remember. It was as if the TV screen caught fire.

I'm proud to say that Joe became a great friend and we have played together a few times over the years. Hes one of the most modest men I have ever met, and always makes me feel like I'm special, but I never get over the feeling of awe standing next to him on a stage. Joe has refined his own style of playing to a point where hes forever up there in the stratosphere of excellence that is reached by very few musicians. His technique is flawless, dazzling, and peppered with so many special bits of magic that few can even try to emulate. But over and above his technical skills, Joe has a burning passion in his playing that clinches his mastery and makes him one of the great guitar heroes of all time.

Among all the fireworks, Joe never lost his earthy edge. One of my great delights recently was playing the debut Chickenfoot album for the first time. I just couldn't stop smiling all the way through especially in "Sexy Little Thing"; hearing Joe get back to ground level and lay down a riff as part of a great big hard-rock band outing was, to me, the greatest joy. I keep it in my car as the best pick-me-up I know for when I feel down. Yeeeeouch!

BRIAN MAY

June 2013

CHAPTER 1 * *

The Hendrix Experience

Jimi Hendrix was my biggest influence growing up, and on September 18, 1970, the day that Jimi died, I was crushed, for reasons I can't fully explain. Its impossible to go back in my mind to that moment as a teenager. Even now I can't quite say what happened in my head, but I know that because he died, I decided to become a guitar player. That moment of decision was immediate and profound. It changed my life and everything about me.

That same day, I quit the football team and announced to my coach that I was going to become a musician. At home that night, I told my family I had decided what I was going to do with my life: be a