Surfing with the Alien (song)
Encyclopedia
"Surfing with the Alien" is the first song in Satriani's second album
.
The song refers to the comic book character Silver Surfer
. The song was considered the 30th greatest guitar solo ever by Guitar World
Magazine readers and is one of his faster shred guitar
style tracks. It also is Downloadable Content from the Guitar Virtuoso Track Pack for the popular game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
, and a downloadable single for the Rock Band
series.
Joe Satriani
made the melody one morning he went to record. He plugged a wah-wah pedal
and a Tubedriver into his 100-watt Marshall
and he decided to use an Eventide
949s. Then they recorded the song and the solo in about half hour. But the Eventide broke down and they couldn't recreate the original effect. They decided to leave the original version and make another one.
The Song was also the theme song for the Nintendo 64 game NASCAR 99
.
The song is in the key of G and progresses back and forth to C. However in the guitar solo, Satriani experiments with different keys and modes include C sharp Phrygian dominant, D sharp Phrygian and F before returning to G.
Surfing with the Alien
Surfing with the Alien is the second album by instrumental rock guitarist Joe Satriani, released in 1987. Surfing with the Alien contributed greatly to establishing Satriani's reputation as a respected rock guitarist....
.
The song refers to the comic book character Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
. The song was considered the 30th greatest guitar solo ever by Guitar World
Guitar World
Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
Magazine readers and is one of his faster shred guitar
Shred guitar
Shred guitar or shredding is lead electric guitar playing that relies heavily on fast guitar solos. While some critics argue that shred guitar is associated with "... sweep-picked arpeggios, diminished and harmonic minor scales, finger-tapping and ... whammy-bar abuse", several guitar...
style tracks. It also is Downloadable Content from the Guitar Virtuoso Track Pack for the popular game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
, and a downloadable single for the Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
series.
Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
made the melody one morning he went to record. He plugged a wah-wah pedal
Wah-wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
and a Tubedriver into his 100-watt Marshall
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
and he decided to use an Eventide
Eventide, Inc
Eventide is an audio & broadcast, communications, and avionics company in the United States whose audio division manufactures digital audio processors and DSP software, and guitar effects...
949s. Then they recorded the song and the solo in about half hour. But the Eventide broke down and they couldn't recreate the original effect. They decided to leave the original version and make another one.
The Song was also the theme song for the Nintendo 64 game NASCAR 99
NASCAR 99
NASCAR 99 is a racing simulator video game game developed and published by EA Sports and co-developed by Stormfront Studios. It was released for Nintendo 64 on September 11, 1998, and for the PlayStation on September 30, 1998. NASCAR 99 is the second game in the EA Sports NASCAR series of video...
.
The song is in the key of G and progresses back and forth to C. However in the guitar solo, Satriani experiments with different keys and modes include C sharp Phrygian dominant, D sharp Phrygian and F before returning to G.
Chart positions
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Surfing With the Alien" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
37 |