Great Metal Albums of 1989: Joe Satriani- Flying in a Blue Dream

As we all know, people, things and ideas can change over the years and that is what has happened to me in the past few days. For over two and a half decades, my favourite Joe Satriani album has always been, “Surfing With the Alien” but now after listening to his 1989 offering, “Flying in a Blue Dream,” that one now occupies that spot. Why is that? Well, stick around and I’ll explain.

The most noticeable major change between the two albums is that on “FIABD,” he add vocals. However, unlike some guitarists who go out and find a singer to sing on their album, Joe provides his own vocals, which he does reasonably well. It would be completely unfair to compare him to some of the great singers who have appeared on 80smetalman but Joe’s vocals are good enough. His best vocal performance in my not so humble opinion comes on the track “Ride.” This one dispels any question whether Joe’s work can be classed as heavy metal. This is a heavy metal tune in all its glory. It’s also one of the more standout tracks on the album.

Of course, one must not forget that Joe Satriani is first and foremost an amazing guitarist and he shreds throughout the album, even on the ones where he sings. “Can’t Slow Down” is the first example of this. The track already mentioned is another. Going back to the compare/contrast with “Surfing With the Alien,” on that one, he comes out swinging on the opening title cut and his guitar work grabs you by the throat and makes you listen. On the opening title cut on “FIABD,” he starts slow and builds up throughout the song by the end, it’s a total shred fest . That is followed by the what I consider his best shredding track, “The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing.” Trust me, this is more than just a ridiculous sounding title, it is a powerful example of Joe’s guitar capabilities.

Joe ventures more into uncharted territory on “Flying in a Blue Dream.” He really goes way out on the minute and a half, “Headless.” Maybe that’s an appropriate name for that track. Then he goes funky on “Strange” and it sounds really cool. He shows he’s definitely not a one trick pony although his shredding, even on this one, is top notch. That’s another great thing about this album, while Joe is totally unafraid to venture into uncharted territories, he still reminds everyone that he’s still an amazing guitarist.

A final contrast between this album and its predecessor is at the end. “Surfing With the Alien” kind of just fades out over the last few tracks. The second half is not as good as the first. However, it’s not the case with “Flying in a Blue Dream.” From “Back to Shalla- Bal” to the penultimate, “The Bells of Lal (Part Two),” Joe consistently continues to wow. He doesn’t let up in the shredding and still provides a surprise or two. It’s only when you get to the closer, “Into the Light,” that you know the album is finishing and you go into that light one contented camper.

Track Listing:

1. Flying in a Blue Dream
2. The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing
3. Can’t Slow Down
4. Headless
5. Strange
6. I Believe
7. One Big Rush
8. Big Bad Moon
9. The Feeling
10. The Phone Call
11. Day at the Beach (New Rays From Ancient Sun)
12. Back to Shalla- Bal
13. Ride
14. The Forgotten (Part One)
15. The Forgotten (Part Two)
16. The Bells of Lal (Part One)
17. The Bells of Lal (Part Two)
18. Into the Light

Joe Satriani

Joe Satriani- guitar, vocals, bass, banjo, keyboards, percussion, harmonica

John Cuniberti- sitar, percussion

Jeff Campitelli- drums, percussion

Bongo Bob Smith- drums, percussion

Stuart Hamm- bass

Saying Joe Satriani progressed on “Flying in a Blue Dream” is a massive understatement. Not only did he progressed, he took his talents to an entirely new dimension and we, the listeners, benefitted greatly from it.

Next post: TNT- Intuition

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