Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA The Intoxicators - July 6th, 10 PM at the American Legion Hall
 | This is a set of songs in the frat rock instro vein with some pretty fun moments. The crowd noise sounds dubbed, but I can't tell for sure. The ambiance of the audio sounds very much like the same room their other home recordings were cut in. Track mark editing interrupts flow significantly. Many of these songs go on for way too long. |
Picks: Caravan, Ungawa, Dark Eyes, Blue Spy Theme, Come With Me To The Casbah, Church Key, Pink Panther Theme, Night Train, Music To Watch Girls By, Windy, Whammy In Lew Minor, Dante's (Disco) Inferno
Track by Track Review
Frat Rock (Instrumental)
This is a highly rhythmic cover of Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington's slithery "Caravan." This song is always a pleasure, and in this arrangement, it takes on a fresh sound that makes it seem very sweaty-rock-club tribal. The intense wah-wah lines are pretty fun. At 7 minutes, it's quite a workout.
Frat Rock (Instrumental)
Tribal, rhythmic, pulsing, runway-centric. "Ungawa" throbs with vibrato and a driving rhythm. Is this the Surfaholics' "Ungowa?"
Frat Rock (Instrumental)
With lots of Russian flavor, the Intoxicators redress this Ukrainian folk song from the 1800's with a growing speed and sense of flair. This is really a cool track. I can imagine it being quite a favorite live.
Blue Spy Theme Frat Rock (Instrumental)
Like you might imagine, a little bluesy jammin' some bluesy chords, some bluesy organ. "Blue Spy Theme" is a lot like the instros from the Pacific Northwest of the sixties. Surely a jam kinda track.
Come With Me To The Casbah Frat Rock (Instrumental)
"Casbah" is not the title of this song. It is not the Richie Podolor song, but rather a cover of "Come With Me To The Casbah" originally from Gaminiam and his Orientals. It's the song Los Straitjackets and a lot of frat bands cover. It's a moderately interesting version, but not very original.
Frat Rock (Instrumental)
This is a very frat-rock-ish cover of the Revels' "Church Key." Lots of spirit and fun, and plenty of beer drinkin' edge. It's just not very original in arrangement.
Frat Rock (Instrumental)
Henry Mancini's film score is moderately adapted to the frat rock envelope, the Intoxicators play to the beer-soaked punters as their name implies. More interesting than just frat rock, with vibrato slither and cool sax.
Night Train Frat Rock (Instrumental)
Frat rockin' blues inversion of the often covered Forest, Washington, Simpkims composition, perhaps owing most of its life to James Brown, but a lot more tame.
Music To Watch Girls By Frat Rock (Instrumental)
This is a really laid back rendition of "Music To Watch Girls By," with little spirit. It's effectiveness is really held back by the harshness of the ambient recording. I think in clean sound, it would come across better. Even the extreme echo-wah-wah verse only makes the sound more obvious.
Frat Rock (Instrumental)
A fun rendering of the Association's "Windy" with tongue-in-cheek drama and some pretty cool rhythm. There's chemistry going on here, especially when the sax takes the lead.
Frat Rock (Instrumental)
Borrowing liberally from "Shakin' All Over" and "Gloria" for influence, "Whammy In Lew Minor" is a nifty little riff rocker with an attractive arrangement. I think it would be really cool in decent hi-fi.
Frat Rock (Instrumental)
Yup, everything you never wanted to hear all munched together in a downright fun merger of disco funk and strobe light grooves. Not a melody in sight, but then it is disco, isn't it. Big grin!