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 A step forward, and he saves the best for last Jun 27, 2009
I reckon this album is a logical step back to rock after successful experiment with electronica 'Engines of Creation'. In my opinion the best from this album lays in the last three tracks, and although the opening has an exotic quality there is clearly a nod to the past on the first few songs. It is the last three, 'The Journey', 'The Traveler' and 'You Saved my Life', which have a very tight thematical link, the part of it that shows the breaking new ground Satch wants to explore: progressive rock. In fact, the composition is getting more and more complex and deep on each album, which speaks greatly about Satriani for the future.
The album drives you through a range of styles which has been widened by the years of experience, and although the first few tracks are intense, exotic and creative, and the last part of the album is my favourite, it's the middle zone that brings way down the stardards of quality and innovation of what really Joe has to say in this album.
Heavy metal pure fans could be dissapointed but sure there is heavy fuel for them on a few tracks, like 'Seven String' and 'New Last Jam' and the one I like better in it's style, 'Mind Storm'. 'Seven String' in my opinion is the darkest spot on the album, and it doesn't bring anything to me a song can bring, except technique.
Ballads as well grow in sensitiveness and feeling, specially 'Starry Night' and 'Yopu Saved my Life' which opens the way for my favourite all time Satriani Ballad, 'A Love Eternal'.
The best part of the album, the last three tracks in my opinion, is started with 'The Journey', a roller coaster of emotions droven into top quality guitar -suitable for studying-, and crowned by 'The Traveler', a perfectly structured song with dominancy on drums, and the only con I put on this song is he should repeat at the end the bursting screaming guitar chorus instead of the repetitive wha wha riff part.
I would say the last three songs of this album are a big theme on its own, and make me satisfied as a progressive rock follower. Satriani's talent is rich enough now for all kind of public, even difficult one to please as myself.
 title of album says it all. Feb 25, 2009
I picked this up new for $6.99 @ J&R, so nothing to complain about. Much better than most albums I've bought recently. Including Vai, who likes to insert too many weird noises and horrible vocals unto his songs.
Doesnt the word "Strange" imply anything? Not his best, but a good album.
 cant get sick of it Jan 29, 2009
When I get a new Satriani cd, I usually listen to it for a year and then decide if Im sick of it based on how predictable it is to me. I was not a fan of "engines" at all.
Strange beautiful music plays like a complete thought from beginning to end...it breathes and so its the only album i can play and never get tired of hearing.
My other favorites are Blue dream and Is there love in space-just to give you an example of my biases.
Strange beautiful music is my all time favorite album especially the "chords of life" track.
Nothing Strang Here! Sep 20, 2008
Satriani has always been my favorite among all the solo guitarist i.e., Steve Vai, Steve Morse, Gary Hoey, etc., etc. There's always been a certain passion that Satriani plays with. While Strange Beautiful Music may not be his most shredding of releases it has within it a detail that was lacking on other cd's. The recording itself is absolutely fantastic too. Very spacious sounding and a little warmer than other releases. It's great to see an artist take time to expand their horizons and be a little bit adventurous. This is truly one of Satch's best efforts.
Truly cinematic Nov 24, 2006
There are reviews here on Amazon that say something to the effect of, "This isn't a guitar album, it's a movie soundtrack," and "Buy a movie score, it's the same thing." And you know what? They're right. This is a cinematic soundtrack - a great one at that.
The best works of John Williams and other master film composers set the mood and enhance the emotion of the scene when they're playing in the background, and bring back memories of the scene when you hear them outside the theater. When I hear the Imperial March from "The Empire Strikes Back", it doesn't matter where I am, I expect a shadow to fall over me as a very large Star Destroyer moves by overhead.
Satriani has shown his ability to create moods with the guitar in the past, in songs like "Midnight" (from Surfing with the Alien), "Time" (from Crystal Planet), and "The Forgotten" (from Flying in a Blue Dream). But on Strange Beautiful Music, he does this in almost every track.
Never mind that his music isn't playing in the background of a scene. When you hear the tracks here scenes will be pulled into your head. "Starry Night" brings to my mind a scene where people are leaving their houses and looking up at the sky, while all the lights in town go out one by one, the better to see the stars with. In "Mountain Song" I'm up in a helicopter, watching a solitary vehicle travel down a winding mountain road. Scenes will vary from person to person of course, but the effect is always magical.
If you're looking for displays of mad guitar skill, you can still find them here - this is Satriani after all. But it's the songwriting, scene-pulling, mood-creating skill that you will come to enjoy most in this album. Buy this album, and watch a movie unfold in your head without any images, or words for that matter.
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