Flying in a Blue Dream | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 30, 1989 [1] | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 64:47 [2] | |||
Label | Relativity | |||
Producer | Joe Satriani, John Cuniberti | |||
Joe Satriani chronology | ||||
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Singles from Flying in a Blue Dream | ||||
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Flying in a Blue Dream is the third studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on October 30, 1989 through Relativity Records. [1] It is one of Satriani's most popular albums and his second highest-charting release to date, reaching No. 23 on the U.S. Billboard 200 [3] and remaining on that chart for 39 weeks, [4] as well as reaching the top 40 in three other countries. [5]
Four singles reached Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart: "One Big Rush" and "Big Bad Moon" both at No. 17, "Back To Shalla-Bal" at No. 31, and "I Believe" at No. 36. [6] Flying in a Blue Dream was certified Gold on January 25, 1990 [1] and received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1991 Grammy Awards, [7] Satriani's third such nomination.
In a 2014 interview with MusicRadar, Satriani described the writing and recording process for Flying in a Blue Dream as "A very stressful time" and that "It was just so difficult and insane, but there was also this enormous amount of creativity. I was so excited that I had fans! [Laughs]." [8] Comprising a varied and eclectic range of styles, the album contains more tracks (18) than any of his other albums; Time Machine (1993) has 28 tracks as a double album.
The title track has endured as one of Satriani's best-known songs and is a mainstay at his concerts, as well as "The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing". [9] The album is Satriani's first to feature vocals, on the songs "Can't Slow Down", "Strange", "I Believe", "Big Bad Moon", "The Phone Call" and "Ride". It also marks the first time Satriani plays the Deering six-string banjo-style guitar ("The Feeling" is performed entirely using that instrument) and harmonica, the latter of which features prominently on "Headless", "Big Bad Moon" and "Ride".
"Headless" is a remake of "The Headless Horseman" from Not of This Earth (1986), but with added distorted vocals and harmonica along with a 'squawky' guitar tone making chicken-like sounds. "Day at the Beach (New Rays from an Ancient Sun)" and "The Forgotten (Part One)" are performed using a two-handed tapping technique.
"The Bells of Lal (Part One)" was featured in the 1996 film Sling Blade , during the scene where Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton) is sharpening a lawnmower blade to kill the menacing Doyle Hargraves (Dwight Yoakam).
Music videos for the ballad "I Believe" and hard rocker [10] "Big Bad Moon" were included on The Satch Tapes, which was first released on VHS cassette in 1993 and reissued on DVD on November 18, 2003; [11] it also includes excerpts from an MTV performance of "The Feeling". "One Big Rush" was featured in the 1989 film Say Anything...
"Back to Shalla-Bal" refers to Shalla-Bal from the Marvel Comics universe; it is the second reference Satriani has made to the Silver Surfer character, who was first featured on the cover art of Surfing with the Alien (1987). The track was later used as the menu music to the 1996 Sony PlayStation video game Formula 1 , which also featured "Summer Song" from The Extremist (1992).
Flying in a Blue Dream has been reissued several times. The first was on May 27, 1997 through Epic Records [ citation needed ] and again on June 16, 2008 as part of the Original Album Classics box set. [12] The most recent reissue was part of The Complete Studio Recordings , released on April 22, 2014 through Legacy Recordings; this is a box set compilation containing remastered editions of every Satriani studio album from 1986 to 2013. [8]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
Phil Carter at AllMusic gave Flying in a Blue Dream 4.5 stars out of five, calling it "An hour-long disc filled with musical explorations and compositions that defy belief" and "unquestionably Joe Satriani at his absolute best." Satriani's first attempts at singing were highlighted and described as "[not] extraordinary, but it fits extremely well with the music he creates". Carter concluded by saying that the album is "Soaring, powerful, and triumphant" and "deserves a place in everyone's collection." [10]
All tracks are written by Joe Satriani
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Flying in a Blue Dream" | 5:23 |
2. | "The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing" | 5:09 |
3. | "Can't Slow Down" | 4:49 |
4. | "Headless" | 1:30 |
5. | "Strange" | 5:02 |
6. | "I Believe" | 5:54 |
7. | "One Big Rush" | 3:25 |
8. | "Big Bad Moon" | 5:15 |
9. | "The Feeling" | 0:50 |
10. | "The Phone Call" | 3:01 |
11. | "Day at the Beach (New Rays from an Ancient Sun)" | 2:03 |
12. | "Back to Shalla-Bal" | 3:14 |
13. | "Ride" | 4:56 |
14. | "The Forgotten (Part One)" | 1:12 |
15. | "The Forgotten (Part Two)" | 5:08 |
16. | "The Bells of Lal (Part One)" | 1:19 |
17. | "The Bells of Lal (Part Two)" | 4:07 |
18. | "Into the Light" | 2:30 |
Total length: | 64:47 |
Chart (1989–1990) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [13] | 21 |
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [14] | 25 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [15] | 76 |
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) [16] | 27 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [17] | 7 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [18] | 34 |
US Billboard 200 [19] | 23 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [20] | Gold | 35,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [21] | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [22] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Event | Title | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1991 Grammys | Flying in a Blue Dream | Best Rock Instrumental Performance | Nominated [7] |
Surfing with the Alien is the second studio album by American rock guitarist Joe Satriani. It was released on October 15, 1987, by Relativity Records. The album is one of Satriani's most successful to date and helped establish his reputation as a respected rock guitarist.
G3: Live in Concert is a live album and DVD by the G3 project, led by Joe Satriani. It was released in 1997 by Epic Records. This lineup of G3 includes Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai. In 2005, a DVD of this concert was also released.
Crystal Planet is the seventh studio album by the guitarist Joe Satriani, released on March 3, 1998, by Epic Records. It was his first album to be released on Epic, whereas his previous six albums were released by Relativity Records. Crystal Planet reached No. 50 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for eight weeks, as well as reaching the top 100 in five other countries. "Ceremony" was released as a single, reaching No. 28 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and featuring Satriani's first recorded use of a seven-string guitar, namely the Ibanez Universe. "A Train of Angels" was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1999 Grammy Awards, Satriani's ninth such nomination.
The Extremist is the fourth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on July 21, 1992, through Relativity Records. The album is one of Satriani's most popular releases and his highest-charting to date, reaching No. 22 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remaining on that chart for 28 weeks, as well as reaching the top 50 in six other countries. Three singles reached Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart: "Summer Song" at No. 5, "Friends" at No. 12 and "Cryin'" at No. 24. The Extremist was certified Gold on December 22, 1992. and received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1993 Grammy Awards, Satriani's fourth such nomination.
Time Machine is the fifth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on October 13, 1993, through Relativity Records and reissued in 1998 through Epic Records. It is a double-disc album: the first disc contains a selection of new tracks, outtakes and unreleased studio recordings, while the second disc is composed of live recordings from 1988 and 1992.
Is There Love in Space? is the tenth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on April 13, 2004, through Epic Records. The album reached No. 80 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for two weeks, as well as reaching the top 100 in three other countries.
Joe Satriani is the sixth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released in October 1995 through Relativity Records. This was his last album for Relativity, as he would switch record labels to Epic for his next eleven albums. Joe Satriani reached No. 51 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for seven weeks, as well as reaching the top 100 in four other countries. "(You're) My World" was released as a single, reaching No. 30 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and receiving a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1997 Grammy Awards, Satriani's seventh such nomination.
Not of This Earth is the debut studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on December 18, 1986, through Relativity Records.
Strange Beautiful Music is the ninth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on June 25, 2002, through Epic Records; a Super Audio CD edition was released on September 10. The album reached No. 140 on the United States Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for a week, as well as reaching the top 100 in four other countries.
Engines of Creation is the eighth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on March 14, 2000, through Epic Records. The album reached No. 90 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for three weeks, as well as reaching the top 100 in three other countries. "Until We Say Goodbye" was released as a single and received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 2001 Grammy Awards, Satriani's tenth such nomination.
Dreaming #11 is the second EP by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on November 1, 1988 through Relativity Records and reissued on May 27, 1997 through Epic Records. The EP reached No. 42 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for 26 weeks. Its sole studio track, "The Crush of Love", reached No. 6 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1990 Grammy Awards; this being Satriani's second such nomination. The remaining three tracks were recorded live as part of the King Biscuit Flower Hour during the Surfing with the Alien (1987) tour. The title track, absent on the EP, would later be released on Satriani's 1993 compilation album Time Machine. Dreaming #11 was certified Gold on August 15, 1991.
Super Colossal is the eleventh studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on March 14, 2006, through Epic Records. The album reached No. 86 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for two weeks, as well as reaching the top 100 in three other countries. Super Colossal was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 2007 Grammy Awards, Satriani's thirteenth such nomination.
Live in San Francisco is a 2001 live album by instrumental rock solo artist Joe Satriani. Also available on DVD, including non-performance bonus footage.
Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock is the twelfth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on April 1, 2008, through Epic Records. The album reached No. 89 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for two weeks, as well as reaching the top 100 in four other countries.
Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards is the thirteenth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on October 5, 2010 through Epic Records.
Satchurated: Live in Montreal is a live album and concert film by American guitarist Joe Satriani. The film was released in both 2D and 3D formats to theatres worldwide during March 2012, before the DVD/Blu-ray, as well as an audio version on CD, was released in April 2012. It is the first 3D concert film to be mixed in Dolby 7.1 surround sound. It was recorded at the Metropolis Theatre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on December 12, 2010 during Satriani's Wormhole Tour and the film was directed by award-winning film-makers Pierre and François Lamoureux.
Unstoppable Momentum is the fourteenth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on May 7, 2013 through Epic Records. The album reached No. 42 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for three weeks, as well as reaching the top 100 in nine other countries.
Shockwave Supernova is the fifteenth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on July 24, 2015 through Sony Music Entertainment. It features bassist Bryan Beller and drummer Marco Minnemann of The Aristocrats, as well as progressive rock multi-instrumentalist Mike Keneally.
What Happens Next is the sixteenth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on January 12, 2018, through Sony Music.
Shapeshifting is the seventeenth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on April 10, 2020, through Sony Music. Satriani co-produced the album with Jim Scott, with it featuring a "wide variety of styles". The album was preceded by the lead single "Nineteen Eighty". This is Satriani's last album to be released through Sony Music, as he had switched labels to earMUSIC for his next album, The Elephants of Mars (2022).