I am simply in awe of Satriani, being a guitar player. I spent many hundreds and hundreds of hours trying to figure out a lot of his music. I really do love all his albums, even his jazz-oriented self-titled cd; he just has his own sound and style that is imcomparable. I saw him and Vai and Petrucci on G3 2001, and I was in the 6th row. I don't think I played any guitar about a week afterwards!! I thought, "oh man, I've got a LONG way to go before I reach THIS level!!!" And to think I discovered Satriani by accident too - back in 1989/1990 when Cliffs of Dover was being played on the Radio (by Eric Johnson), for some reason, I thought it was Satriani, but this was before I knew any music by either of them. I went out and bought the newly-released Flying in a Blue Dream, thinking that song would be on there. But it wasn't, obviously... from that, I discovered the genius of Satch. I've got all his albums except for the most recent one, and I never get tired of him. And you're right, Skull, Satch plays with a TREMENDOUS amount of emotion and soul, and can rip on the guitar with amazingly fast licks while still NOT making it sound like one big shredfest. His more recent playing is a lot different from the Surfing With the Alien days, as his style has become so much more melodic (it always HAS been, but he's really evolved as a player). I'll continue to be a fan for a long, LONG time, and he'll be putting out albums for quite some time too, despite the fact that he's actually in his early FIFTIES right now..