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Joe Satriani: Satriani Live!
Joe Satriani Satriani Live
Genres: Music Video & Concerts
NR     2006

This two-disc offering from hard rock guitarist Joe Satriani encompasses a two-hour concert, a 45-minute documentary with plenty of additional live footage, and various other bonus material that includes still more playing...  more »

     
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Movie Details

Genres: Music Video & Concerts
Sub-Genres: Pop, Rock & Roll
Studio: Red Int / Red Ink
Format: DVD - Color
DVD Release Date: 10/31/2006
Original Release Date: 01/01/2006
Theatrical Release Date: 01/01/2006
Release Year: 2006
Screens: Color
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 4
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Languages: English

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Movie Reviews

Great Joe, Horrific Camerawork
Michael Developer | NY | 10/23/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)

"3.5 Stars: I saw this on HDNET and decided to buy the DVD because it features excellent sound. But let's call it like it is. I feel that I should quit my job and go into musical camerawork and direction. Let's start with that portion. Satch is all instrumental so the parts where he's soloing intensely instead of playing the singnature riffs would probably be the single most important times to focus on Joe's playing. Only someone brain dead would pan to the crowd, go behind the band, take distant shots when this is occurring - but that is exactly what happens, especially during Surfing With The Alien, perhaps the signature song of this incredible artist. Pathetic. At least the sound quality is excellent. But Joe does discuss the fact that HD cameras are there and the effect of them - perhaps this is what gives much of the performance a "technical feel" or maybe it's just Eric Johnson's band backing him or a combo of the two. Songs are rushed a little and don't have the trademark rhythmic feel like on the albums. Always With Me Always With You didn't have that smooth, breathless beauty that it is on the album and too jazzed up for a live concert sound. The crowd seemed to enjoy the performance but weren't exactly overwhelmed, like the entire performance - with the exception of the last two songs which highlighted the performance - Crowd Chant and Summer Song. Those two really felt like Joe had finally settled down with the band and just belted it out and had fun instead of worrying about playing for the cameras, which you can see at times and aren't too subtle. This is why taking pieces of different shows is the best way to create a live DVD, you can't take the best parts of the concerts and splice them together. I don't think I've ever seen a show where I didn't think that this guy is the most incredibly talented soloist I have ever seen but this DVD only gets you part of the way there, thanks to inadequate planning, production, and camerawork."
Satriani Live, Cameramen Schizoid!
Peter M. Roche | 11/07/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)

"This Satriani live video event is less glitzy than "Live in San Francisco" from 2000. The Anaheim stage is sparse, not as many lights, and Joe and the guys just get down to business, which in this case involves performing most of the material from the 2006 album "Super Colossal," with only five older tunes thrown in for variety (Blue Dream, Cool #9, Summer Song, Potato Head, Extremist). The technique is stellar as always--you can count on that from Joe. But they must have used between eight and twelve cameras to film this concert, because they jump cut between them constantly. You don't stay with a single camera angle for any longer than three seconds, so it gets annoying. I'd have filmed a more "guitar fan" friendly video with just a single hand-held DVD cam. The whole idea should be to make Joe and his fingers the main attraction. Joe is certainly the focal point here, but the trouble is one second you're looking at him from overhead, the next you're looking at him from a distance, the next you're looking at him several feet away from the left...you get the idea. You're not gonna pick up a lot of Joe's guitar technique by studying this. It's just too jumpy, which is an insult to fans of instrumental rock, who by definition have shown over the years that we're not ADHD kids hooked on stutter-shot MTV production values. For God's sake, next time just take a camera--ONE camera--and train it on Joe for a while without moving. The sound is good here, but you'll get dizzy watching it. The clamshell DVD case should come with dramamine tablets! Good bonus features, though. A lot of content on this two DVD set for the price."
Satch stretches out!
Mariusar | NYC, NY | 11/07/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Previous reviews make the point about the subpar camera work quite clear - 'nuff said.

I've been a Satch fanantic for 20 years now[!!]. I have everything he's ever done and while I especially love his work in the late '80's with Stu Hamm and Rod Morgenstern [what I call Joe's "Golden Age" - check out the live B-side of the "Dreaming #11" EP], I love everything Joe puts out. But I must admit that this new double-DVD set is really exceptional, primarily because IMHO we finally get to see and hear Joe stretch out musically.

While "Live In SF" was fantastic, at times I felt it was a bit too clean and polished, almost antisceptic-feeling, and that the song renditions were, for the most part, too-perfect perfomances of the studio tracks. Not a whole lot of musical improvisation overall. But this new LIVE! DVD really caught Joe and company extending themselves, especially on some of the older stuff.

I also feel the same as others did about having too many versions of Satch-standards like "Flying...", "Always...", and "Summer Song", but on this DVD, all the oldies have been stretched out Joe breathes new life on everything. Go and listen to "Circles", the extended ending improv on "Always...", the swinging, jazzy feel of "Cool#9", the exceptionally moody intro to "Flying..." - all the old stuff simply rocks and feels so incredibly fresh because Joe's pushed things around, changed things up and flexes those fingers.

As for the Super Colossal heavy set-list. Overall, I very much like the new studio CD [though for me too, Crystal Planet is still one of my favorites], but yes, I too would have preferred to have a better mix of tracks from throughout the Satch catalog. You can't please everyone! But again Joe's performance on the new stuff here just makes me laugh...he is just so damn good it is scary. Every tune from the studio CD is simply phenomenal on this live set, especially the ripping "One Robot's Dream", "Cool New Way" and "Redshift Riders" [a track I only like on the studio version, but just love here]. Oh and I do like the fact that he left the few guitar-ooopsies on "Redshift" on the final mix - it proves Joe to be human after all!

I've been lucky enough to see Joe play live 30+ times over the last couple of decades. I even got a chance to meet and talk with him and the boys [everything you hear and read about Joe is absolutely true - he is completely missing the all the "I'm a rockstar" and "Yes, I am a guitar-god" genes]. And every time I see him play live, I come away knowing I've just seen a guy doing something he absolutely loves. Joe truly is a master of the instrument.

Buy this DVD. Buy the CD. Watch and listen carefully. I really think you will hear stuff here from Joe that hasn't been captured live before.
"
Taking it to the next level...
The Camera Eye | Bowie, Maryland USA | 11/08/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"** Copy of review of the CD version of this DVD **

I've been a Satriani fan since his first album, and especially after the release of Surfing with the Alien. My one gripe was how static and simple the support parts in his compositions were, specifically, the drums and bass. More recently I've gained a greater appreciation of why this was so. First to highlight his incomparable ability to write an amazing guitar melody, and second (and more obviously) to highlight his amazing technical virtuosity. Nevertheless, this lacking in the support areas has been addressed continually over the years, for example, with the frequent use of the unbelievable Stuart Hamm on bass.

This live CD & DVD set is by far the most dramatic step forward in the area of support, and it is what makes this a definitive Satriani live CD/DVD. Specifically, the extended versions, the jam-outs (or jam-ins), which include some very interesting stretching on Joe's part also, highlight the dynamic nature of this big step.

In recent years, Joe has used the reliable backing of bassist Matt Bissonette & Satriani stalwart drummer Jeff Campitelli. And while Bissonette is a decent and very reliable musician, he is not by any means a mind-boggling technical virtuoso, as is the aforementioned Stuart Hamm. Likewise, Campitelli had never really pressed any buttons for me as a drummer, as my leanings in that area tend to be toward the likes of guys such as Neil Peart, Vinnie Colaiuta, Terry Bozzio, etal. I have been to many G3 shows, and the energy level always seemed to be higher when Steve Vai was out with his amazing band (particularly with the likes of Billy Sheehan on bass in recent years, and Tony MacAlpine on Second Lead Guitar and Keyboards). Satriani was always reliable and perfect, but the energy never quite seemed to go through the roof, like in Vai's band.

Another G3 repeat offender, John Petrucci, guitar player for the current greatest band in the world, Dream theater, last toured with G3 with Dave LaRue on Bass and Dream Theater cohort Mike Portnoy on drums. It was much of the same thing - high energy. What would you expect from 2/3rd's of your members being Dream Theater guys?

I bring this up because now Dave LaRue is touring with Satriani and is the bass player on this live outing. And he is the one difference in the lineup. I have been familiar with LaRue's phenomenal abilities as a bass player for many years, having seen him play in the Steve Morse Band, the Dixie Dregs, as well as a previous G3 tour that Petrucci performed on as well. LaRue is not only a virtuoso who can stand toe to toe with any other bass player, but he is also a team player. When the required playing is to sit back and support & do the great support job Bissonette had done in recent years, he does it and he does it well. However, when it's time to stretch...

Then there'e Jeff Campitelli. Always has been a GOOD drummer. Well, we're hearing some stretching from him on this recording as well. This recording proves his abilities as an excellent drummer. His performance in the jam sections with LaRue and Satriani is superb.

Next there's rhythm guitarist Galen Henson. He fills in the spaces accurately, doesn't make mistakes and never gets in the way. A perfect shadow for all the holes that are hard for one guitarist, even Joe Satriani, to fill up.

And then Joe. Always amazing. But now that he's freed himself up a bit to stretch out and to play off of the other musicians more, and not always just in front of/on top of, however you want to say it, he is truly shining on another level.

I am a big fan of Rush. And one of the many great things you always notice about Rush is how well they play as an ensemble. They are all virtuosos, and they are virtuosic together, as a unit. Similarly, this ethic is displayed by Satriani's band on this live outing also.

The most important thing about this is that the wealth of new tracks from Super Colossal (one of his best CD's in years) are well performed, and the older, tried and true mainstay tracks have almost all been given a new spin, making this an ideal live performance.

Finally, Satriani's guitar tone is ridiculously amazing. This should be used to sell the JS model Ibanez & to sell whatever amp setup he is using.

Highlights: "Cool #9," "Circles" & "Always with me, Always with you." Especially the jamming: The jam-in on Cool #9 & the jam-outs on the other two tunes. For the newer songs, "One Robots Dream."

This is what I've always wanted to see Joe do, to stretch out. And now that he has done so, he's exceeded my expectations, which I did not think possible, because they were very high.

** End of Copy of CD Review **

** Final Note: I found Satriani's mentioning of the HD recording picking up "every little flaw" to be VERY amusing. Other than having shaved himself bald to disguise the onset of male pattern baldness, does Satriani look as though he's aged even one year in the last 20 years? I think not!"