Joe Satriani - Cool #9

This is a live performance by guitarist Joe Satriani playing the song "Cool #9" live. The performance is from the "Satriani: Live" DVD. It also features bassist Dave LaRue laying down the funky bass and doing a little solo too.
The song is the opening track to the album titled "Joe Satriani" from 1995. That album showcased a more laid back attitude and a bluesier sound than all of Satriani's previous recordings. "Cool #9" is also a laid back funk blues kind of thing, but Satriani still plays in that ultra technical style through parts of it.
It's a great funky little instrumental by a great guitarist.

Enjoy ; )

Joe Satriani - The Extremist

This is a live performance by rock and instrumental guitarist Joe Satriani playing his own composition "The Extremist" live.
The song is from the album also titled "The Extremist" released in 1992 and re-released in 1997.
Perhaps the most famous track from the record is "Summer Song" which got the most radio play on rock stations and was used in a lot of different commercials.
I really like this song though. I love the simple feel it has, it isn't very flashy, for a Satriani song that is. I also love the extra layer the harmonica adds, gives the song a distinctive sound and makes it stand out. A great little instrumental by Satriani.

Enjoy ; )

Joe Satriani - Satch Boogie

This is a live performance by guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani playing his famous instrumental song "Satch Boogie".
The song is off Satriani's album "Surfing with the Alien" released in 1987. It was released as a single the following year.
The solo is one of the most famous solos ever. It features fast tapping, hammer-ons and pull-offs. What I really love about this song is that it's essentially a fast boogie, but with Satriani's own guitar style and techniques on it. In that sense the structure of it is influenced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck and other players who have done fast boogies over time. It takes from those influences and adds to them as well and that is what makes this instrumental piece so good.

Enjoy ; )

Spın̈al Tap & Albert Lee - Break Like the Wind

This is a live performance by semi-fictional metal band Spın̈al Tap and Albert Lee playing the song "Break Like the Wind" live at the Royal Albert Hall in 1992.
The song is of Spın̈al Tap's album of the same title released in 1992.
As said, the band is semi-fictional. It's the band from the famous mockumentary (even though Christopher Guest hates that term) "This Is Spın̈al Tap". It's a legendary comedy that mocks rock 'n' roll and throws allusions to a lot of different rock and metal acts. It's one of the best and most quotable films of all time.
The album featured many guest artists, and on the album version of Break Like the Wind it breaks down at the end, and a bunch of guitarists join in: Jeff Beck, Steve Lukather, Joe Satriani and Slash.
On this live version they have Albert Lee who of course can't play like all of these guitarists. I think he does a very good job however, and it's a fun and enjoyable performance.

Enjoy ; )

Joe Satriani - Summer Song

This is a live performance by guitarist Joe Satriani. He plays his 1992 song "Summer Song" live, the performance in this video is from 2006. The song was released on the album "The Extremist" which got quite a lot of radio play and helped Satriani getting his solo career of the ground.
It's a great up-tempo rock song with a happy vibe that just brings good vibrations to the air particles it's moving. It really is a hard rock/rock 'n' roll song in the style of Satriani. He uses a wide combo of licks and techniques, but they aren't all difficult techniques and if you listen carefully you'll hear that he even throws in a Chuck Berry riff at one point.
I also love the ending where Satriani literally sustains a note where it pretty much seems like he could sustain it forever, if he wanted to. As Nigel Tufnel would say; "The sustain, listen to it.[...]you can just hold it and you can go have a bite, you'll still be hearing that one". Spinal Tap joke, gotta love that film!!
This is a great song, and an awesome performance.

Enjoy ; )

Steve Vai - Bad Horsie

This is a hard rock instrumental by guitarist Steve Vai. Steve is known for his technical abilities on guitar, he started out playing as one of Joe Satriani's students, and today they are both among some of the best. Steve plays with a lot of intricate techniques and with a very high skill level and difficulty to his playing. He does however also draw from a number of artists who wouldn't fall into that category like Hendrix for instance, so Steve's playing is a nice mix of technical skill level and playing with emotion. He's innovative, and has made his own line of revolutionary guitars and is just a master of the trade that is guitar playing.

The song "Bad Horsie" is the opening track on Vai's EP named "Alien Love Secrets" that came out in 1995. The song "Bad Horsie" is derived from a riff Vai contributed to the film "Crossroads" where he played the devil. The song is played tuned down to what would be Drop C tuning, a very low tuning (CGCFAD). It's a great song, and it has one hell of a groove, love it!
(As a little fun thing, I've added the guitar duel from Crossroads, you can definitely recognize the intro, it's a little silly, but great 80's retro fun)


Enjoy ; )

The Shadows - Sleepwalk

This is a live performance from the band "The Shadows". They play the classic song "Sleepwalk" which has become one of Hank Marvin's standard songs in his live sets.
The song was originally recorded and released by the brothers Santo & Johnny. It was originally a steel guitar based song, with the melody played on a steel guitar with a slide.
The song has been covered by numerous artists including; The Ventures, Chet Atkins, Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani and Brian Setzer who won a Grammy for his arrangement of the song in 1998.
Because of the songs mellow and unique melody it has been featured in several films and television shows such as; the films; La Bamba, Sleepwalkers, Twelve Monkeys and the television series Heroes.
It's a nice song with a good melody. And Hank plays it beautifully and uses the whammy bar with perfection. A great performance.

Enjoy ; )

(Below is a performance by the Ventures who come closest to how the original recording sounded)


Hope you enjoy that as well : D