Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Collection: The Jack Nitzsche Story - Hearing is Believing: 1962 - 1979
 | Jack Nitzsche was a studio creature. In our world, he's best know for his single "The Lonely Surfer." This collection is made up of tracks he played on, not just tracks in his name. It's interesting to see the breadth of his work. Only two common instros here amid a wealth of pop magic and rarities. |
Picks: Jack Nitzsche - The Lonely Surfer, Rumble
Track by Track Review
Jack Nitzsche - The Lonely Surfer MOR Surf (Instrumental)
"The Lonely Surfer" is an enigma, hardly legit surf band fare, yet definitely a genre classic. It only charted at 39 on Billboard, but it is among the more recognizable and sophisticated surf standards. It's haunting moody and dramatic. The French horns are surreal, giving it a major pompous feel that somehow transcends the dismissibility of other similar works, like the "Surfers Stomp" Marketts sessions. Amazing.
Orchestral Thug Rock (Instrumental)
This has to be the most bizarre version of Link Wray's signature song that I've ever heard! Orchestrally presented with bass trombone or big brass section leading the melody. The guitar in the break is kind of strange too. Imagine David Rose ("The Stripper") attempting this and you might get a sense of how strange it is. It's a complete washout from a rock instro or surf point of view, but so absurd that it bears at least one listening just for the strangitude of it!