Review of Joe Satriani: Live In San Francisco (2 Disc Set)

Introduction

Ok, my guess is that you are reading this because :-

a) you are a massive fan and want to know what the disc is like
b) you`ve never heard of this Satriani bloke and you`re wondering what it`s all about.

If the answer is (a) you`ll be pleased to know that the disc is great. If the answer is (b) then read on and find out more.

Ten years ago, I was in the same boat as those of you who answered (b). But then I met a guy named Ryan who was already a massive Satriani fan, and was desperate to convince everyone else of the merits of the man. His infernal ramblings obviously paid off as I bought "Ths Satch EP" (younger readers should ask their parents about EPs) and didn`t look back.

Satriani plays guitar, and he does it rather well. But that`s pretty much all he does, as he`s not renowned for his vocals. And that`s probably why many people don`t know his work. Who buys guitar-based instrumental music nowadays? Not many people.

But if you like guitar playing, and you don`t know Joe, you`re missing a lot!

Video

A bog standard full-frame concert transfer. It`s a 1.33:1 affair, and pretty much the norm for most concert footage. There are 4 guys on stage, playing instruments. There are some lights. And an early prototype of a chrome-dipped guitar. And that`s the lot really.

But it`s all about the sound, not the visuals, so you can forgive the fact that it`s not all that exciting to look at, unless you are fascinated by a man playing a guitar.

Audio

A choice of stereo and DD5.1 soundtracks. DD5.1 is the choice you should make if you are able, as it all sounds rather fantastic. If you like the man and his music you`ll be happy with what is on these two discs - a great selection of tracks all with that excellent live feel. Satriani always trys to avoid recreating the album sound when playing live, and this results in some excellent renditions of songs you`ve only ever heard on a CD before now.

My preference is for the slower and slightly more relaxed tracks such as Time and Love Thing. Watch out for the fantastic Bass Solo after Love Thing - it shows you what an unappreciated instrument the bass is. The bassist moves from classical to country stomp in one solo, a piece that seems reminiscent of a Bill Bailey stand up routine where he compares classical composers to cockney music.

Features

And there`s even some extras to add in too - first up you`ll find multi angle versions of three songs - nice to see the multi angle button getting another workout.

As well as that is a brief interview combined with backstage/soundcheck footage - this is interesting to watch although it`s not a very in depth insight. You`ll also find a discography which confirms just how long the man has been around, and how few of his albums you actually have.

Conclusion

An excellent DVD set for fans. Nice to see a nice long set list, even though it is split over 2 DVDs. It seems that this was for reasons of quality rather than just trying to screw money out of the poor over-abused-by-big-companies consumer. Good to see that someone as obscure (read "not marketable like some Westlife clone") as Satch is getting a DVD release too.

The sound is excellent, the visuals are perfectly servicable, and there`s even an attempt at some extras. All in all a very good set for fans and it might just tempt some non fans if you sit them down in front of it for long enough.