Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA The Marketts - Out Of Limits
 | Joe Saraceno's studio project gone mad. What started as little more than standard orchestra fare with "Surfers Stomp" became a salable road attraction with the advent of "Out Of Limits." The Mar-Ketts or Marketts on some releases, were Joe's studio project. They were also the Routers. In the studio, the Mar-Ketts were Tommy Tedesco (lead guitar), Carol Kaye (bass), Leon Russell (piano), Hal Blaine (drums), plus symphonic players as required. On the road, Pat & Lolly Vegas became the Mar-Ketts while also being the Avantis... roughly speaking. This album reproduces the the Warner Brothers album of the same name, plus a few single-only tracks. It ranges from the classic you know & love through several spin-offs there of, past some very UK/Ventures sounding vibrato laden tunes, and even a couple of organ-based snoozers. The "Out Of Limits" sessions is where the alternate take that appeared on the Pyramids album came from. There's even a really slow & sorta too-cool version of "Collision Course," a song usually associated with the Good Guys / Challengers. All in all, a good addition to your growing addiction. |
Picks: Out Of Limits, Love 1985, Collision Course, Hyper-Space, Other Limits, Bell Star, Twilight City, Borealis, Bella Dalena, Limits Beyond, Saturn, Re-Entry, Napoleon's Solo, Look For A Star, Vanishing Point
Track by Track Review
Surf (Instrumental)
This is the hit. It sports the great guitar work of Tommy Tedesco. It's infectious little riff was heard everywhere in the hey day of surf. It's quite a rock standard. This track blends surf with Joe Saraceno's orchestral thinking, guitars, French horns, and bells. Unlike almost all of the Marketts' tracks, this features the lead guitar as the lead instrument, and approximates real surf music. It is a studio session, with Tommy Tedesco on lead, but it rips right nicely. A classic surf hit.
Club Filler (Instrumental)
This Pat Vegas composition likely also features Pat's guitar work. Pat Vegas was half of the Pat and Lolly Vegas duo, the Avantis, and a member of the Marketts on the road, plus a session player of considerable repute before forming Redbone. "Love 1985" mostly a club filler.
Surf (Instrumental)
This Gary Usher / Roger Christian composition saw many deliveries under the pick of Paul Johnson as the Challengers, the Good Guys, and others. The tune is a mighty infectious thing. The arrangement is restrained to the point where that is it's main draw. The horns lessen it's impact.
MOR Surf (Instrumental)
Session engineer Bones Howe wrote this. It's a minimal composition. The drums sound like Hal Blaine. The riff is influenced by "Out Of Limits," while the melody is much more playful, almost MOR in nature.
MOR Surf (Instrumental)
Mike Gordon, who penned "Out Of Limits," also wrote this. It's similarly arranged, but the guitar is vibratoed and more melodic. The horns take it out of the rock world and into MOR.
Bell Star MOR (Instrumental)
Joe Saraceno and Ray Pohlman wrote this. It's very similar in style to the "Balboa Blue" sessions, though without the oompa cadence.
Surf (Instrumental)
Arranged like a cross between the Ronettes' "And Then He Kissed Me" (Phil Spector) and the theme from Mondo Cane, this has a strange MOR with bite air about it. Can't quite decide if it's just filler or not. The whistlin' lap steel (if that's what it is) is pretty cool.
Borealis MOR (Instrumental)
Softcore... Percy Faith for the infirmed.
MOR Surf (Instrumental)
This was the B-side to "Out Of Limits." It's very much in the style of "Balboa Blue," and may be an outtake from those sessions. Nicely produced, better than MOR, less than rock 'n' roll.
Surf (Instrumental)
The Duncan brothers wrote this. What sounds like Pat Vegas' guitar plays the riff with vibrato, and the "Louie Louie" stops add a weird edge. Not a bad track, just not very "real."
Surf (Instrumental)
Another Pat Vegas composition, this time a lot like a morphed "Out Of Limits" in the arrangement, but much more fluid melodically. Vegas' vibrato guitar is quite nice. The arrangement sucks.
Surf (Instrumental)
Again, Pat Vegas wrote this. His guitar is throbbing, and the melody is like a lesser "More." Dramatic, almost pompous production.
Surf (Instrumental)
This track wasn't on the original album. It was issued as a single on Warner Brothers. It's much more surf, much less pompous, almost Shadows like in it's tone. The nice piano work is likely Leon Russell. A pleasant track.
MOR (Instrumental)
This instrumental version of the sick puppy love pop vocal hit features really pretty vibrato guitar, and mall Wurlitzer organ. Just MOR.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is a cool variation on the "Outer Limits" idea. It's much gutsier, at least until the horns arrive. The riff is different, and the guitar tone is more edgy. The arrangement and structure borrow a lot from "Outer Limits." It was written by Mike Gordon.