Guitarist Joe Satriani is renowned for his speed, execution and complex chops. But what ultimately makes his instrumental hard rock so enjoyable is its sense of fun and adventure: his calling-card jam, 1987's “Surfing With the Alien”, is a succession of Evel Knievel-worthy leaps and dives threaded through a rowdy rock 'n' roll beat; on the fist-pumping “Unstoppable Momentum”, his fretboard seems to shoot laser beams. On top of his furious shredding, Satriani is a firm believer in the importance of melody, a quality that burns bright on the graceful, pulsating ballad “Flying In a Blue Dream”.