Flying in a Blue Dream

Flying in a Blue Dream
Studio album by Joe Satriani
Released	Original: October 30, 1989 Re-Issue: May 27, 1997
Recorded	December 1988-August 1989 at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA; Hyde Street Studios; Different Fur; Coast Recorders; Alpha & Omega Recording, San Francisco, CA
Genre	Instrumental Rock
Length	64:39
Label	Original: Relativity Records Re-Issue: Epic Records
Producer	Joe Satriani, John Cuniberti
Professional reviews
Allmusic link
Joe Satriani chronology
Dreaming #11 (1988) Flying in a Blue Dream (1989) The Extremist (1992)

Flying in a Blue Dream is a 1989 album by instrumental rock solo artist Joe Satriani. It is his third studio album (Dreaming #11 is a mostly live EP).

Album information

Tracks 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 13 also contain lead and background vocals by Satriani himself. Flying in a Blue Dream marks Joe's first record to feature himself playing harmonica and banjo but is noted for Satriani's use of echoing harmonics throughout much the album including the track "Flying in a Blue Dream" itself.

Track 4 contains simulated vocals played on the guitar. The Satch Tapes, which was first issued on VHS cassette in 1993 and later on DVD in 2003 includes two music videos from the album, "I Believe" and "Big Bad Moon" as well as excerpts from an MTV performance where he played "The Feeling" on banjo with Johnathan Mover playing percussion. The song "One Big Rush" is also featured in the 1989 John Cusack movie Say Anything.

The intro heard on the title track was not planned, but was recorded nonetheless by producer John Cuniberti while recording Joe's guitar parts for the song. Apparently, Joe's amplifier was picking up a frequency from a radio or TV station and John Cuniberti simply said "I'm recording this." and proceeded. Among the recorded speech is a young boy's voice saying "sometimes they act like they still like each other, and sometimes they don't." The same excerpt is still used today when Satriani performs the song live in concert. Satriani himself admitted in a FAQ that he does not know what is being said at the beginning of the song "Flying In A Blue Dream"

Satriani commented in a guitar magazine interview that he frequently had dreams as a child that he was flying over a blue, crystallized world and that this is where the song partially got its title from.

The track "Back to Shalla-Bal" refers to Marvel Comics' The Silver Surfer returning home with hopes of restoring his relationship with Shalla-Bal, the empress of Zenn-La. This is a reference to the cover of his album Surfing with the Alien, which used The Silver Surfer as cover art.

Satriani's father died during the recording of this album. The track,"Into The Light", was composed in his memory. Satriani's parents were very supportive of his artistic goals, as were his sisters, Joan and Carol, who have both designed artwork for several of Joe's guitars.

Re-release

Along with Satriani's releases up to his 1995 self-titled album, Flying in a Blue Dream was re-issued in 1997 on Epic Records. The Relativity Records version is now out of print.

This album is included in Joe Satriani Original Album Classics box set, released by Epic Records in 2008.

Track listing

All songs by Joe Satriani.

1. "Flying in a Blue Dream" – 5:28
2. "The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing" – 5:05
3. "Can't Slow Down" – 4:46
4. "Headless" – 1:28
5. "Strange" – 4:55
6. "I Believe" – 5:50
7. "One Big Rush" – 3:20
8. "Big Bad Moon" – 5:13
9. "The Feeling" – 0:52
10. "The Phone Call" – 3:00
11. "Day at the Beach (New Rays from an Ancient Sun)" – 2:03
12. "Back to Shalla-Bal" – 3:15
13. "Ride" – 4:58
14. "The Forgotten (Part One)" – 1:10
15. "The Forgotten (Part Two)" – 5:10
16. "The Bells of Lal (Part One)" – 1:19
17. "The Bells of Lal (Part Two)" – 4:08
18. "Into the Light" – 2:25

Personnel

• David Bett – Art Direction
• Mick Brigden – Art Direction
• Jeff Campitelli – Percussion, Drums, Programming, Drums (Electric)
• John Cuniberti – Percussion, Sitar, Producer, Engineer
• Ken Friedman – Photography
• Bernie Grundman – Mastering
• Stuart Hamm – Bass
• Stephen Hart – Assistant Engineer
• Jeff Katz – Photography
• Matt Kelly – Assistant Engineer
• Daniel Levitin – Sound Consultant
• David Luke – Assistant Engineer
• David Lune – Assistant Engineer
• Chad Munsey – Assistant Engineer
• Stuart Namm
• Simon Phillips – Drums
• Dave Plank – Assistant Engineer
• Michael Rosen – Assistant Engineer
• Joe Satriani – Banjo, Bass, Guitar, Harmonica, Percussion, Arranger, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals, Producer
• Pete Scaturro – Programming, Design
• Michael Semanick – Assistant Engineer
• Tom Size – Assistant Engineer
• Bob Smith – Percussion, Drums, Programming, Drums (Electric)
• Matt Wallace – Assistant Engineer
• Neil Zlozower – Photography

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)