Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA  | This 4th volume came after the first three, and it departed from the strictly lo-fi content to include a few tracks with better sound. It also differs because none of it ended up on the 2 volume CD release. |
Picks: Zoot Suit, The Hooked Claw, Silver Surfer, No More Callos Por Favor, Radar Reef, Kamikaze, Blue Tremolo, Go Gunn Go, Terrible Headache, Beeftub, Detonation, The Tingler, El Guano, Breath Presley Breath, Ace Of Spades, Wrong Planet, Lifeguard Follow That Board, The Death Of Jolly Jumper, Taboo, Colonel Mustard
Track by Track Review
Zoot Suit
Garage Trash Rock (Instrumental)
Jeesh! I didn't think it could sound worse, but this is like a cassette next door to the show. All noise, no style. A brash cover of the High Numbers' "Zoot Suit" is aggressive and likely a ball live, but it just wears thin on record.
Garage Surf (Instrumental)
A slow tortured Link Wray-like tune with sorta almost but not quite a melody line and ominous tones.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Silver Surfer" is a pretty cool instro with a tribal beat and nifty melody line. Aside from the murky mono, the song rips with great glissandos and lots of energy.
Surf Rock (Instrumental)
A double picked melody that's not very surfable plays over a non-surf bass line, kind of like a rock band trying to play surf but not really knowing what it is. Vibrato helps, and it's pretty cool. Nice track, though not a high frequency is to be heard.
Surf (Instrumental)
A summery and adventurous melody gives "Radar Reef" a sense of a journey to the curl. Quite a fun track, with a very playful melody that tells of the open road with board in back.
Kamikaze 
Surf (Instrumental)
The siren wails throughout this simple R&B riffer. Heavy energy and pumpin' drums, screaming guitar in the beak, and a relentless jam feeling.
Psychedelic Surf (Instrumental)
One of my favorite hybrid bands plays a tortured and plodding experiment in mental disease. Surf and psych coexist splendidly in this pulsing mind warper. Wonderful.
Rock (Instrumental)
One might expect a nod to "Peter Gunn" here, but alas there's not even a hint. "Go Gunn Go" is a relentless rockabilly beat behind a double picked and hard driven number. The breaks are bizarre timing wise, but there's something compelling about this little ditty.
Rock (Instrumental)
Sorta surf, but more chumpy rhythms and aggression with a thumpy bass that syncs with the kick drum. This must be a made up band, with an unlikely name like Incredible Not Of This Earth and his Famous Booboos.
Beeftub Surf (Instrumental)
"Beeftub" is a dreadful slow Link Wray wannabe that's only about Links style. Not very interesting.
Surf (Instrumental)
Sampled introduction about the big bang. "Detonation" is a rhythmic minimally melodic tune with tribal toms. Big guitar flash in a rock kind of way.
The Tingler Frat (Instrumental)
"The Tingler" is a highly annoying instro perpetually punctuated with screams so you won't notice that there's nothing going on musically.
Surf (Instrumental)
Ringing almost folk-rock chords, Godfather guitar, and a sadly mysterious mood. "El Guano" doesn't really go anywhere, but it's short enough to be appealing.
Rock (Instrumental)
A siren fades away as the song begins. The guitar employs stinging whammy warbles. A rock instro with too few changes, but intense guitar.
Ace Of Spades Rock (Instrumental)
Another cover of Link Wray's "Ace Of Spades." Nothing special here.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is simply a spectacular track, very surf oriented, beautifully played, and very rhythmically infectious. haunting wave images and summer daze freely flow from this monster of understated power.
Lifeguard Follow That Board Surf (Instrumental)
Heavy surf with dark edgy guitar distortion and thunder from the drums. "Lifeguard Follow That Board" is interesting and very heavy. Big fuzz, gritty glissandoes, and lots of spunk.
The Death Of Jolly Jumper Surf (Instrumental)
"The Death Of Jolly Jumper" gradually rises from the quiet. The guitar provides rhythm for the sax melody lines. This is a spiffy number that's entertaining and interesting. Great rhythm. It's almost like a minor Eliminators tune.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Taboo" is awash in watery whammy and tribal drums. Moody and thick, with a sense of distant trouble. I don't know if the Wrong Notes are also the Fabulous Wrong Notes, but I can imagine.
Colonel Mustard Surf (Instrumental)
"Colonel Mustard" sports a very Euro melody and guitar style, and the song is cut in minimal fidelity. The rhythm gallops with enthusiasm.