Satriani is professor of rock

May 13 2008 by David Whetstone, The Journal

Guitar hero and wordsmith Joe Satriani talks to Robert Macpherson ahead of tonight’s North East gig.

WITH an album title like Professor Satchafunkilis and the Musterion of Rock, you wouldn’t expect Joe Satriani to be entirely of this world.

For more than two decades the renowned guitar maestro has wowed audiences with his technical ability and distinctive brand of instrumental rock.

Behind the dazzling solos is an artist to whom music means more than a collection of notes on a page – it tells an eccentric story of fantasy worlds and alter-egos.

“The album’s definitely got a funny name but as time goes on I believe there is a meaning to it,” he grins.

“The song Professor Satchafunkilis is about one of my musical alter-egos. I grew up playing a lot of funk, listening to James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone. There’s always been something funky about some songs on my solo records.

“However, using just that as the album title would be incredibly misleading. It’s too eclectic to pick just one song to represent the album.”

“There’s rock and funk, there’s serious music and music simply for fun. Some are tightly-arranged pieces and others feature five-minute jams with no structure at all.”

The rock ‘professor’ is keen to tell the story behind the origins of the word musterion and how it has been reinterpreted by each generation to mean anything from simple mystery to divine intervention. It’s an expression of the sheer range of genres Satriani embraces.

“I stumbled upon the controversy of the word and thought, this is great. Here is a word that people have used to mean different things over the ages. Why shouldn’t a guitarist use it to mean something completely different?”

This dedication to adding layers of meaning to his music offers an insight into Satriani’s mind and writing process.

“Most of my songs are written with the stories and the titles first. I write about things I’ve seen or that have happened in my life. My songs are reactions to this crazy world or events that I tend to make up in my own fantasy world.”

Like many musicians, Satriani is prisoner to the whims of inspiration and often doesn’t know where his next masterpiece will appear.

“I hope and pray for inspiration but have really little control over it. When it comes I chase after it and hold on to its tail as long as I can.

“There’s nothing worse than a solely professional attitude because that doesn’t really work. You need to be inspired.

“I keep writing until people call me saying, ‘Where’s that album?’ I then realise it’s time to look at the pile of demos and try to whittle it down to 16 or 20 songs before getting my band together to give their honest opinions.

“After all, some songs you do are great, but they’re just for you. It doesn’t mean they have to be released on the general public!”

Satriani’s ability as a lead guitarist has never been in question. ‘Satch’ is a regular in top guitarist lists. However, doesn’t it bother him that the technical praise overshadows his reputation as a songwriter?

“I’ve always had that issue,” he admits, “but that would be complaining. Being old and bald, I thank my lucky stars to get any attention at all!”

If his nine-date UK tour is anything to go by, there are greater forces than luck at work.

Whether alone or part of his constantly rotating guitar trio, G3, Satriani is a big hit with guitar enthusiasts and rock fans alike.

“We get great audiences who know the melodies, which to me is the most important thing. I spend about five minutes on the solo but I spend months on the melodies.”

His eyes light up at the thought of crossing the channel to the UK leg of his seven-week world tour.

“I’m an Italian American who grew up in New York so this country is about as exotic as Tahiti,” he says.

“I walk around wide-eyed and I love the accents and the subtle distinctions between each of the cities. Every town is so different. Two and a half hours travelling on the tour bus and you’ve got to rethink the English language.”

With his album title still stuck in my throat, he’s not the only one with some rethinking to do.

Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock is out now on SonyBMG. Satriani’s plays Newcastle City Hall tonight, tel: 0871 424-4444.

Musterion ... here is a word that people have used to mean different things over the ages