Reverb Central .:. Review .:.

This is a highly original release. fresh arranging and writing, great reinvention of standards, and lots to like. I like this CD a lot!

Picks: Tour de France, Motorhythm, Going Nowhere, Del Mar, I'm Branded, Harlem Nocturne, Playa Gris, Surf City Girl, Lullaby Of The Leaves, Old Race Car, Mothra, Mr. Guitar, LeMans, Motorhythm

Surf (Instrumental)

This is a totally infectious instro, with a sort of waltz beat and delightful guitar plucking. "Tour de France" is extremely playful, amped with cool glissandos, and like a country stomp in the water. Very original!

Surf (Instrumental)

Big double picked thunder and drum drama. "Mar Gaya" riffs pummel with pomp and power cycles. "Motorhythm" is highly original in its arrangement. This is just superb!

Surf (Instrumental)

Great tribal drums and danger ooze from "Going Nowhere" with charm and compelling sound. Non traditionally structured, edged with dissonant warble, wonderful tortured chords, and a fluid melody, and elements of spaghetti western. I like this a lot.

Surfabilly (Instrumental)

High speed rockabilly drums and playful guitar with big whammy chords and a very catchy melody riff. "Del Mar" is just plain cool! It's hard not to like, and harder not to grin to!

Surf (Instrumental)

Link Wray and his Wray Men's "I'm Branded" is done with a bit of reverb on top of the requisite dirty chord stomp.

Surf (Instrumental)

Earl Hagen's sultry "Harlem Nocturne" is done with shimmering tremolo second guitar. This recording is a fresh interpretation that's part fun and shimmer, and part exotic surf. It took me a couple of listens to realize I really liked it, mostly because it's so non traditionally arranged.

Surf (Instrumental)

There's a bit of dementia in "Playa Gris," but mostly there's variations to The Fender IV's "Mar Gaya" with elements of Dick Dale's "The Victor," which was the inspiration for "Mar Gaya." Very cool.

Surf (Instrumental)

Muted dribbled reverb and a great drum cadence, along with an unusual melody born of Mediterranean pop. Dramatic and fun.

Surf (Instrumental)

This is an aggressive cover of Bernice Petiere and Joe Young's "Lullaby Of The Leaves" as The Ventures covered it. Spunky and fun, with those great warbly whammy chords, and dry tuff glissandos a la "Walk Don't Run '64." Dig it!

Surf (Instrumental)

"Old Race Car" is tuff and stompy, with tremolo chords and pumping aggression. Some fine guitar fills and warble.

Surf (Instrumental)

That sacred monster from Japanese horror films of the sixties seems almost to minuet. The delicate rhythms and guitar lines are very engaging, and the building drama compelling. "Mothra" evolves like a movie, conveying a series of emotions and a number of really cool guitar and drum parts. The bass here is perfectly balanced against the guitars and drums. This whole composition works really well, in its own twisted way.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Mr. Guitar" is a raucous rockabilly rant with a great beat and frantic performance. You can't sit still with this one!

Surf (Instrumental)

Charging double picking, delicate muted lines, and a solid rhythm section pound out an unusually structured number with demented string bending and fanciful plucking, and some dark fuzz too.

Surf (Instrumental)

This alternate mono take of "Motorhythm" is heavy and aggressive, taking no prisoners! Speedy and very cool!