Strange Beautiful Music

A Musical Memoir

By: Joe Satriani, Jake Brown

Narrated by: Todd McLaren

Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Oft-hailed as the Jimi Hendrix of his generation, living guitar legend Joe Satriani has long transcended stylistic boundaries with a sound that raises the bar like a new horizon for the broader genre of instrumental guitar rock. Joe's six-string secrets have astounded listeners around the world for nearly 30 years.

In Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir, Satriani and coauthor, music biographer Jake Brown, take fans on their first authorized tour of the story behind his climb to stardom and the creative odyssey involved in writing and recording a storied catalog of classics, including "Surfing with the Alien", "Summer Song", "Satch Boogie", "Always With Me, Always With You", "The Extremist", "Flying in a Blue Dream", "Crowd Chant", and more.

Featuring exclusive, firsthand interviews with Satriani, Strange Beautiful Music offers a unique look inside the studio with Joe, giving fans a chance to get up close and personal like never before. With insider details about his collaboration with multi-platinum supergroup Chickenfoot, exclusive interviews with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, commentary from fellow guitar legends such as Steve Vai, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Primus' Larry LaLonde, and legendary music producers, including Glynn Johns and the late Andy Johns, this memoir offers a rare inside look for die-hard Satriani fans, guitar enthusiasts, and anyone who loves to rock.

Strange Beautiful Music features music performed by the author. Included throughout the audiobook are samples of some of Satriani's most memorable songs.

©2014 Joe Satriani and Jake Brown (P)2014 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Joe has refined his own style of playing to a point where he's forever up there in the stratosphere of excellence that is reached by very few musicians." (Brian May)

Inspiring

Bands I loved, I found out, were taught by Satch. Hearing his music inspired me to play guitar as well as want took know more about music and its creation. This book gives you his history, writing and recording style. Musical philosophy and insight. His Co creators and friends give great details about him, his gear and his creative process. I'll be listening to it again and again. I'm so happy this is available!

Narrator needs to learn proper music pronunciations

Narrator and producer should learn music pronunciations. Barre chords pronounced "Bar-Ray" is cringeworthy. Lots of great guitar tech info. Nice resource for music producers and guitar gearheads.

So much fun! And probably the BEST narrator ever!

Where does Strange Beautiful Music rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Among the best. As a massive Satriani fan, it's so satisfying to know the most obscure and intimate details about Joe's music-making. If you're a Satch or even a guitar fan, do not miss this book. Invaluable!

What did you like best about this story?

So many interesting stories and details about his music and most importantly, his **vision** about music. Joe's vision is the guiding light of his genius.

What does Todd McLaren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Todd McLaren is probably THE BEST narrator I've ever come across! I bought this because I'm a huge Satch fan, and to my utter delight, the narrator turned out to be SPECTACULAR! His diction, cadence, tone, everything is flawless.

Fascinating point: the way Todd reads quotes from other people (e.g. Joe's bandmates and friends). Todd changes his voice for each quote, and you know you're listening to a quote, as opposed to being confused by the sudden change of context or style. What an amazing narrator. After this, I started purchasing audiobooks just because Todd narrated them.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The stories of how the songs Cryin' and Littleworth Lane came to be :(

Very good

I was hoping for more details about his day-to-day life . The narration going back-and-forth from different guys and different voices was not enjoyable.
I wish he would've read it himself.

Great Book!

If you love the guitar and are a fan of his music. This is the book!

Do you love Joe?

If yes then get this book, I would highly recommend to any musicians or fans, truly gives one a peek into his drive, virtuosity and soul!

Satch Is The Man!!!

I'm a huge Satriani fan...and to finally hear his story, is just amazing. From the day he quit the football team, cause he heard that, Hendrix, had died...to his constant pursuit of practicing hours on end. And eventually rising to "Virtuoso" status. Satriani has remained humble, and true to his fans. And a down to earth nice guy, who always has a smile on his face.

Heard Gilbert Gottfried's book - This is WORSE.

Would you try another book from Joe Satriani and Jake Brown and/or Todd McLaren?

These keyboard-mashing dorks should be banned from ever doing anything together, again - It's the worst collaboration since prostates and age first decided to damage cell DNA.

What was most disappointing about Joe Satriani and Jake Brown ’s story?

Satriani writes about his music the way Patrick Bateman would. It reads like someone ghost-wrote it to satisfy their daughter's kidnappers, and Satriani comes off as only trying to convince himself of the validity of his artistic accomplishments as each consistently topping the last one as a "breakthrough" and gift to humanity. His compliments to himself use only the most hyperbolic of fart-sniffery, and I hope his head falls off.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

McLaren reminds me of someone trying out different voices at a McDonald's drive-thru. He makes every real person in the book (several of whom I know personally, and many of whom I've heard speak) sound like a clinically-depressed infomercial pitch-man with Down syndrome and a cleft palette. He's also totally ignorant in the subjects he's reading out loud; and mispronounces such basic terms as "Barre" and even the author's name within the first few minutes. It never gets better - I'm convinced someone told him this was a radio play intended to help terminally-ill children sleep.

What character would you cut from Strange Beautiful Music?

Joe Satriani. It turns out the guy writes with a small man's complex in EVERY medium.

Any additional comments?

I'm a fan of Joe Satriani's music, and I consider him my number-one influence when composing music for racing videogames on the Sega Saturn - No one does that better than him, and no one can rehash it over and over for thirty years better than him. Sometimes I suspect he consciously releases the same album for thirty years in a row just to see when critics will finally stop referring to him as "ahead of his time." Or maybe they're referring to his skull.