Joe Satriani Drops New Song “Nineteen Eighty,” Announces 17th (!) Album

I’m far from an expert on Joe Satriani’s catalogue, but my first thought when listening to his new single, “Nineteen Eighty,” was that’s it’s got a real retro vibe to it. I quickly second-guessed that assessment a short time later, deciding the track’s title swayed me through the power of suggestion.

But it turns out I was onto something! Here’s the motivation behind the song, as relayed via press release:

“The retro feeling sounds of first single, ‘Nineteen Eighty,’ finds Satriani spiritually revisiting the time period when he was working with his first band, the Squares. The future guitar hero the world came to know less than a decade later, would have to wait. He recalls that in those early days, they ‘dialed back the guitar solos and histrionics to try to create a cooler new wave vibe.’ Decades removed from those goals, he was free to go forward and attempt to recapture what was on his mind in 1980.”

Neat! It’s a fun tune with a swingin’ mid-paced groove, deftly constructed guitar melodies featuring Satriani’s trademark finesse, and a slammin’ band behind it all. Speaking of the band, that’s legendary drummer Kenny Aronoff (Cinderella, Chickenfoot, John Fogerty), bassist Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction) and keyboardist Eric Caudieux.

Satriani will embark on a 42-date U.K. and European tour this spring (dates and tickets here) with U.S. dates to be announced soon. Aronoff will join the touring band on drums while Bryan Beller (Dethklok) will handle the bass and Rai Thistlethwayte (Thirsty Merc) will step in on keyboards.

Shapeshifting, Satriani’s 17th album, comes out April 10 via Sony Music / Legacy Recordings; pre-order here.