Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA The Bananas - Summoning Tsunami | This is a splendid set of very powerful surf music that's only lacking in the original recording where the drums tracks are not as discrete as they could be, which is all that keeps this from being 5 stars. Excellent original dangerous writing and playing. Great stuff! |
Picks: Non Fiction, Jamie Blond, Indians Attack, Bosaneros, Road Trip, Aladdin's New Cadillac, Wavemaster, Nightstalker, Al Araf, Shorty On Board, Surfer's Tragedy, Nitrus, Memorio Of Marlon Brando, The Wedge - Malaguena, CRNA, Doggy Twist, Fatamorgana
Track by Track Review
Surf (Instrumental)
Duel lead guitars in different textures open with a threatening double picked run, then "Non Fiction" becomes a strong and dangerous surf instro. Dark and mean, like a stormy outsider coming to get you.
Surf (Instrumental)
Dedicated to a blond Mata Hari and hinting of the "James Bond theme" just ever so slightly, "Jamie Blond" is a total surf double picked instro with a strong and interesting melody, a dark side, and a long ride on a dark wall. Excellent!
Surf (Instrumental)
Tribal and dangerous, moody and slow paced, "Indians Attack" is loaded with drama and thunder. Tom toms, moody bass, and a relentless rhythm pattern run under a lonely lead guitar. About half way through, it suddenly doubles its pace and gets more aggressive. It drops back to a mid tempo grumble before it comes to an end. Fine lead guitar work.
Surf (Instrumental)
Think bossa nova and spies and long curl on the horizon. A splendid melody in a somewhat Mediterranean vein is well laid out in splashy double picked guitar lines. Excellent arranging here.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Road Trip" is a slow shimmer of a song, with a tropical sunny coastline in mind. Perhaps near K-38, or maybe points south, it clearly is for traveling. Regular reverb crashes accent the shoreline with mock waves breaking on a pristine beach. Optimistic and cool.
Surf (Instrumental)
The reverb tank crashes and crashes as "Aladdin's New Cadillac" begins. Middle eastern themes, surf moods, and drama. This is a fine track with a sense of danger and mystery, like a caravan of dark riders looming just ahead.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is a playful track with a melody that's fanciful and surfy. Optimistic and lighthearted, but aware of the power of the curl. Splendid writing and playing.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Nightstalker" is a totally cool idea that's surprisingly fresh. Why no one has done something like this before is beyond me. The two guitars follow each other half way down the verse line, creating a very intriguing sound. One is dry, one is extremely wet and damped. It's a splendid affect!
Surf (Instrumental)
Cymbals crash and the bass runs moodily along side long gentle surf chords, all under a circular surf lead that's haunting and dangerous. The tribal drums add a sense of remoteness. Perhaps slightly Middle Eastern sounding, "Al Araf" is another very original song.
Surf (Instrumental)
Softly islandic guitar notes flow from the lead in gentle anticipation of the extremely playful song that evolves. Popped percussion, fanciful rhythms, and an almost childlike innocence drip from this tropical masterpiece. Simple fun, and very unusual.
Surf (Instrumental)
Slow vibrato and damped springs cracking... The intro is hauntingly cool. The spring action is as if the lead guitar is in the starting blocks and is just too impatient to sit still. very cool. All that's just the beginning. Once inside, the song runs on an inventive and optimistic melody played with flying glissandos and reverb crashes galore. Very cool.
Surf (Instrumental)
Dick Dale's often covered "Nitrus" is done in a different way. The two dueling guitars shred with different textures and tone. It's less the power flail and more the dark water death threat. Quite interesting.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Memorio Of Marlon Brando" is a cover of "The Godfather." With several changes in tempo and mood, it's quite fun and very well arranged. The slow verses ooze profound sadness, while the fast verses romp with joy.
Surf (Instrumental)
Fire down below! The Bananas rage through both Dick Dale's "The Wedge" and Ernesto Lacuona's "Malaguena" with equal flair. It's not a merger, but rather a movement from one to the other through ample reverb crashes. Very cool!
Surf (Instrumental)
"CRNA" is a cover that I don't recognize, though it's a little like something from the Sandals perhaps. It's a very pretty song with a gentle sound and romantic edge. There are some intensely stinging guitar lines that give it a lot of power.
"CRNA" is dedicated to Bitch Boys guitarist Robi Biloderic's girlfriend, who is called "CRNA" because of her dark hair. CRNA is an abbreviation of original title "Zbog jedne divne crne zene," which in translation means something like "All because of that beautiful black-haired woman". The band says that "this song was/is very popular in all the former Yugoslavia countries. But please note that the melody played by lead guitar in our cover is sung in the original song (originally this is not a surf song, but a romantic pop-rock ballad)."
Surf (Instrumental)
Another cover of an unknown original, "Doggy Twist" is playful and fun, with flying guitar lines and a forward feeling. It's not unlike "I'm A Believer" in effect, but that's not the song at all.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is a moody piece in a demented spaghetti western vein. Scary and full bodied, with grumbling bass and second guitar, and a stinging whammified lead. "Fatamorgana" is an excellent number with a big sound and intense power. It's mid tempo madness on a longboard.