Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA
Duane Eddy - Have Twangy Guitar, Will Travel / $1,000,000 Worth Of Twangdotdotdot
artworkNearly every song here was written by session producer Lee Hazelwood and Duane Eddy. Most feature the sax of Steve Douglas and the guitar of Al Casey. Motown must have saved $50 bucks by leasing the mono masters.
Picks: Lonesome Road, I Almost Lost My Mind, Rebel-Rouser, Three-Thirty Blues, Cannonball, The Lonely One, Detour, Stalkin', Ramrod, Anytime, Moovin' 'N' Groovin', Forty Miles Of Bad Road, The Quiet Three, Because They're Young, Some Kinda Earthquake, Kommotion, First Love, First Tears, The Battle, Theme From Dixie, Drivin' Home, Up and Down, Pepe, Lost Friend, Prisoner's Song, Bonnie Came Back, Bobbie, John Henry, Cripple Creek, Theme From Moon Children, Ring of Fire, Big Liza, Gidget Goes Hawaiian

Track by Track Review


Lonesome Road dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

This old classic is breathed new rock 'n' roll life by virtue of the vibrato guitar and saucy sax within. The performance borders on sterile, but has just enough jazz club honesty to keep it afloat. This is the arrangement that the Chantays borrowed, though they gave it more shimmer.

I Almost Lost My Mind dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Ivory Joe Hunter's R&B piano classic comes across like a smoky backroom card game. The shimmer of the vibrato is pretty cool.

Rebel-Rouser dotdotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

"Rebel-Rouser" set the formula for Duane Eddy's enduring success. It is a rousing instro with whoops and hollers, and a richly infectious sound. The melody is strong, and the guitar is dead center.

Three-Thirty Blues dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Slow plinky blues, with stinking "King Bee" twang. It's pretty cool, yet not really inspired.

Cannonball dotdotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Another rebel track with excellent vibrato lead guitar playing a simple riff born of that low-E twang, spicy sax, and rebel yells. Can you spell par-tee?

The Lonely One dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

With a vibrato intro about as throbbing as Ike & Tina Turner's "It's Gonna Work Out Fine," this mid tempo tune is set apart with bongos and a male chorus ion lieu of the sax. It shimmers alright, and is pretty darn spiffy.

Detour dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Paul Westmoreland's classic galloping cowboy beat behind a splendid throbbing vibrato guitar telling tales of horses and gorgeous gingham. Saucy sax and extra twang.

Stalkin' dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

A slow tortured stroll, modeled somewhat on the hit "Midnight Stroll," features really nasty sax and throbbing haunted guitar. Egad, this is mean, like a cleaned up Link Wray thing for a late night back alley cruise.

Ramrod dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

An often covered rockin' jamster designed for party time. Not much melody, just energy and fun. Incidentally, Duane Eddy was on tour while this was recorded. It's Al Casey's guitar on the record (he wrote it too).

Anytime dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Herbert Lawson's slow tune is delicately picked out with the vibrato turned to seven. Melodic and pretty, but not particularly memorable.

Moovin' 'N' Groovin' dotdotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Another frequently covered tune, this sports the original often borrowed effect of whammy dips, like in the beginning of each verse of "Church Key." It's also the basis for "Beat '65." If not for the catchy hook, it would be just another riff rocker, but that separates the men from the boys, doesn't it.

Forty Miles Of Bad Road dotdotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

A classic Al Casey / Duane Eddy Southern Rock tale of driving the pickup down a dusty road that bucks like a bronco. The cool guitar and screamin' sax, and the frequent rebel yells made this a monster AM hit.

The Quiet Three dotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

MOR country twang, with strings and fluffy production. Every morsel of edge has been stripped away, replaced with elevator grease.

Because They're Young dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Another hit for the big guitar twangster. This one sports too many strings for my taste, but it is a splendid melody and was quite a hit. The liners say it "vaguely resembles the theme from Jeopardy." It was actually the theme from a 1960 film of the same name. Don Costa and friends wrote this pre-Al Caiola sounding film theme. Despite the syrupy strings, this has a magnetism that can suck you in. I can't say I've seen the film, but I can visualize this under the credits easily enough.

Some Kinda Earthquake dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

This is a rhythm dominated country tune with no melody, just a riff and a sax here and there. Smooth and fun.

Kommotion dotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Vibrato guitar backed by useless strings. A country blues of little interest.

First Love, First Tears dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Teenage gushy mushy with chorus and plinky prom piano. Pretty, but dismissible.

The Battle dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

"The Battle Hymn Of The Republic" as you might expect is juiced up like a rebel version of "Manhattan Spiritual." Somehow, the point is missed. It's formulaic, derived from "Forty Miles Of Bad Road" arrangement wise, but ruined with a chorus.

Theme From Dixie dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Naturally, "Theme From Dixie" would follow. Like "The Battle," it is lessened by a chorus singing "Away" and a female wailing. Otherwise, it's pure Southern Rock. Oh yeah, it's replete with obligatory rebel yells.

Drivin' Home dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Plinky piano, cruisin' low-E guitar, saucy sax, and a chorus that should be shot. I mean, singing "bow bow bow" and "boom boom boom."

Up and Down dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Al Casey and Lee Hazelwood teamed up writing this, and it has a nastier sound than the others from the "$1,000,000" sessions. A nasty R&B number, with groovy low-E guitar riffs. Mostly a jam, it works well in part due to the guitar tone and the unusual drums cadence.

Pepe dotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Guitar Lite from the film of the same name. It might as well be an after dinner mint. Concocted rock.

Lost Friend dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

"Lost Friend" is a very slow sad tune, sorta soft and squishy MOR. Pretty, but nothing more than a backdrop with a chorus.

Prisoner's Song dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Traditional picking, from the banjo opener to the Buck Owens beat. Acoustic guitar and light weight energy. The flute drops it from just pretty to the MOR bargain basement.

Bonnie Came Back dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

"My Bonny Lies Over The Sea" and she should stay there. The energy is solid, the playing pristine, the sax mean, the drums excellent, and still, it's just a cover of "My Bonny Lies Over The Sea."

Bobbie dotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Sorta country, sorta soft rock, sorta MOR, sorta forgettable.

John Henry dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Duane Eddy is credited as writer, but this is an ancient folk tune. The acoustic treatment is a nice change, and well done at that, with banjo and tasty finger work. The flute kills it, but otherwise it's pretty cool.

Cripple Creek dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

The best version ever of this tune was cut by Mason Proffit. This is a tasty banjo and flute duo, backed by guitar, bass and drums. Pretty fun, though pretty tame.

Theme From Moon Children dotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Big screen theme sludge, strings, and a guitar somewhere in there. tasty drums, and a lumbering edgie sorta weirdness.

Ring of Fire dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

June Carter's magnificent tune written for her husband Johnny Cash, and played down by Duane Eddy and friends, and then dumbed down by that awful chorus. It might as well be Lawrence Welk.

Big Liza dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Plunky country hop, guitar riff, cool bits, raspy sax, and that chorus. Party at your house, but not mine.

Gidget Goes Hawaiian dotdotdot
Twang (Instrumental)

Alright, the little lady that started the Beach Movie craze gets immortalized without any reservations. Without the chorus, this would be just lame. It does, however, lend itself to a Blue Hawaiians or King Of Hawaii treatment.