A collection of unreleased demos from Joe Satriani's band from the 80s, The Squares, was released last month via Joe's Strange Beautiful Music label. Order the album here, and watch a video for the song "So Used Up", below.

"'So Used Up' is one of the more unusual and progressive Squares songs, with lyrics that are a bit darker than our usual upbeat message. I still find the guitar arrangement unique and intriguing, and it’s one of my favorites to play." - Joe Satriani

Joe Satriani has had a long and acclaimed solo career, his awards and accolades from fans and the industry alike are unending. Yet, through all of that, Satriani has often mentioned in interviews the musical trio that launched the next step in his musical career, his first band, the Squares, formed in Berkeley, CA in the late 70’s.

Until now, no recordings of the inception of the legendary Satriani sound was available.

"Unbelievable! I swear to God, I think this is great.. This could come out today!" - Sammy Hagar

“Joe's guitar playing on these tracks is perfectly arranged, raw and visceral, with impeccable intonation and tone, exquisite phrasing, and fierce chops… all with no whammy bar or wha-wha! This record is a jewel for all Satch lovers, and a peek into the past of one of our beloved guitar geniuses” - Steve Vai

"It’s great to hear Joe Satriani playing in an era when rock bands owned their own P.A. systems, played four sets a night, and snuck in their “originals” between Bad Company covers. The melodic vocals and well-written songs here make it worth a trip back to this era. It also becomes apparent very quickly that there is a star in the band, and he is playing the electric guitar. Super tight rhythms and killer solos abound!" - Paul Gilbert

A message at Satriani's official website states: "In Berkeley, CA, back in the late '70's my then brother in law Neil Sheehan and I decided to start a band. It would be a power pop trio with me on guitar and Neil managing and writing lyrics. We sought out a drummer and a frontman/bassist, and in December of '79 we found them playing on the local bay area scene. Our lead vocalist/bassist Andy Milton was from Cleveland, Ohio. He was 6ft. tall, good looking and had a voice like a modern day Elvis. Our drummer Jeff Campitelli was fresh out of high school. A local phenom who could groove like Charlie Watts but with a new ferocious energy that would help propel the band into the burgeoning New Wave music scene.

"We called ourselves "The Squares", or sometimes just "Squares". There were other bands with the same name but we were determined to get to home base first and claim the name. That never happened. We were part Van Halen and part Everly Brothers. A mix of heavy metal, rock 'n' roll, punk and new wave. We were hard to pin down and categorize, which is most likely why we never "made it."

"But as we were trying our best to get a record deal and become superstars we had a lot of good times, and we laid down some seriously good music. We were ahead of our time, which, in this case, is another way of saying we were out of step with what people were looking for back then.

"Ultimately, I left the band I started to pursue a solo career. It was gut wrenching to walk away from something I put all my heart and soul into, but, as it turned out it was the right thing to do.

"What remains are the original early '80's demos recorded and mixed by our then live sound engineer John Cuniberti. We've restored the original recordings, brought them into the digital world, and with loving hands and ears John has remixed the best of what we did in the studio. They sound better than ever. John was careful to preserve the band's original intent with regards to song arrangements, sound and vibe, and in some cases, extremely creative mix ideas.

"Turn it up and enjoy The Squares!"

Tracklisting:

"Give It Up"
"Everybody's Girl"
"B-Side Girl"
"I Need A Lot Of Love"
"Can't Take It Anymore"
"So Used Up"
"You Can Light The Way"
"Tonight"
"Never Let It Get You Down"
"Follow That Heart"
"I Love How You Love Me"

"Never Let It Get You Down":

"I Love How You Love Me":

Lineup:

Joe Satriani - guitar, vocals
Andy Milton - bass, vocals
Jeff Campitelli - drums, vocals