The Extremist
The Extremist is the fourth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on July 21, 1992 through Relativity Records[1] 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[8] and remaining on that chart for 28 weeks,[9] as well as reaching the top 50 in six other countries.[10] Three singles reached Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart: "Summer Song" at No. 5, "Friends" at No. 12 and "Cryin'" at No. 24.[8] The Extremist was certified Gold on December 22, 1992.[1] and received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1993 Grammy Awards;[11] this being Satriani's fourth such nomination.
Overview
"Rubina's Blue Sky Happiness" is dedicated to Satriani's wife Rubina, and is the second song named after her. "Summer Song" has endured as one of Satriani's best-known songs and is a mainstay at his concerts; it was used by Sony in a commercial for the Walkman[12] and was later included on the soundtrack to two of Sony's console video games: Formula 1 (1996) for the PlayStation and Gran Turismo 4 (2004) for the PlayStation 2. Two B-sides from The Extremist's recording sessions, "Crazy" and "Banana Mango II", together with the outtakes "Thinking of You", "Speed of Light" and "Baroque", were later released on Satriani's 1993 double compilation album Time Machine.[2]
Reissues
The Extremist has been reissued several times. The first was in 1997 through Epic Records[13] and again on June 16, 2008 as part of the Original Album Classics box set.[14] 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.[15]
Critical reception
Phil Carter at AllMusic gave The Extremist four stars out of five, saying that the album lives up to its name. "Summer Song", "Friends", "Motorcycle Driver", and the title track were noted as highlights.[16]
Track listing
All music composed by Joe Satriani.
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| 1. | "Friends" (arrangement: Satriani, Andy Johns) | 3:29 |
| 2. | "The Extremist" | 3:43 |
| 3. | "War" | 5:48 |
| 4. | "Cryin'" | 5:43 |
| 5. | "Rubina's Blue Sky Happiness" | 6:11 |
| 6. | "Summer Song" | 5:00 |
| 7. | "Tears in the Rain" | 1:18 |
| 8. | "Why" | 4:45 |
| 9. | "Motorcycle Driver" | 4:58 |
| 10. | "New Blues" | 6:58 |
| Total length: | 47:53 |
Personnel
- Joe Satriani – guitar, Dobro, keyboard, synthesizer, banjo, mandolin, bass (tracks 8, 10), harmonica, arrangement, mixing, production
- Phil Ashley – keyboard (track 6), synthesized strings, synthesized trumpet, squeezebox
- Gregg Bissonette – drums (tracks 1–6, 8, 9)
- Bongo Bob – drums (track 8), percussion (track 8)
- Simon Phillips – drums (tracks 5, 10), tambourine
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion (tracks 2–4, 6, 8, 9)
- Jeff Campitelli – cymbals (track 10)
- Andy Johns – organ (tracks 2, 9), arrangement (track 1), engineering (tracks 1–9), mixing, production (tracks 1–9)
- Brett Tuggle – organ (track 4)
- Matt Bissonette – bass (tracks 1–6, 9)
- Doug Wimbish – bass (track 5), spoken vocals
- John Cuniberti – engineering (tracks 5, 6, 8, 10), production (tracks 5, 6, 8, 10)
- Bart Stevens – engineering assistance
- Dan Bosworth – engineering assistance
- Michael Semanick – engineering assistance
- David Plank – engineering assistance
- Michael Reiter – engineering assistance
- Julie Last – engineering assistance
- Bernie Grundman – mastering
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Certifications
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Singles
Awards
References
External links
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[16]