Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA The Dead Rocks - Live at Jack Club
 | This live set was recorded in 2005 at Jack Club. While mono and less crisp than their studio work, it shows a band with a mission in live form, where they use their unique blend of psycjedelic swirl and surf and garage to great advantage. Splendid! |
Picks: Tail Spin, Bangalore, Theme for Rock is Dead, Surf Rider, Billie Buggy, Miserlou, Moment of Truth, Pipeline, Third Stone From The Sun
Track by Track Review
Heavy Surf (Instrumental)
Los Straitjackets' "Tailspin" is romped through with intense energy and flair. This is a hot cover with lots of fire.
Heavy Surf (Instrumental)
This is a romping and unusual cover of the Blazers' extra cool "Bangalore." The drums and bass open with a long tribal rumble, and then the guitar comes in and simply pummels while the crowd screams. Great!
Heavy Surf (Instrumental)
Heavy double picked guitar and a thundering rough tonality come right at you as you launch into "Themme For Rock Is Dead." More about the relentlessness of the sound than melody for sure, yet very powerful and magnetic.
Heavy Surf (Instrumental)
Nokie Edwards' cool "Surf Rider" is tweaked by swirling modulated guitar. The effect is to take it into space. Otherwise, it's a reverent cover.
Heavy Surf (Instrumental)
"Billie Buggy" is a straight forward rocker with a loud intense sound. It's a lot like the Austin instro sound of the late eighties, all about being big and assaultive.
Heavy Surf (Instrumental)
Heavy thunder and nasty edge. This version is all about intensity and distortion, and the uneasy feeling that creates. Powerful and groovy.
Heavy Surf (Instrumental)
The Original Surfaris' often covered "Moment Of Truth" is all grodied out, with dark distortion and gutty delivery. Simple trio arrangement, but very effective.
Heavy Surf (Instrumental)
"Pipeline" opens with a gentle bass and drums rhythm instead of the glissando. The guitar comes in with psychedelic chords and distortion. It's very haunting. Once into the song, it's more traditional, though on in the sound sense. No glissandos, just howling, whammy and moodiness. Pretty cool!
Heavy Surf (Instrumental)
Jimi Hendrix' paean to surf gets a rocking glissando fired arrangement, rife with howling and psychedelic mood. This is a unique arrangement blending harsh surf and Hendrix' sound.