Reverb Central .:. Review .:.

This is a home grown CD of very nicely done instrumental classics. No serious ground is broken, but a pleasurable listening experience is at hand. Most of the time, cover collections aren't really very interesting. This is not like that. Well played, nicely arranged, reverently played, and crisply recorded, these tracks are simply great listening. Try them with the windows down on a coastal highway.

Picks: Apache, Memphis, Honky Tonk, Pipeline, Telstar, Sleep Walk, Perfidia, Miserlou, Slaughter On Tenth Avenue, Tequila, Baha, Rumble, Out Of Limits, Surf Rider, Echo Boogie, Walk, Don't Run

Surf (Instrumental)

Based neither in the Shadows nor Jorgen Ingmann's versions exactly, "Apache" has a delicate Indian sound, and up front lead, and infectious rhythm. A very nice recording.

Surf (Instrumental)

Chuck Berry's often instrumentalized song, arranged much as Lonnie Mack did, but with a warmer and more liquid sound. Nice track.

Surf (Instrumental)

Bill Dogget's classy "Honky Tonk" slithers around the guitar with a liquid wiggle. Somewhere between surf and rock lies a place where the blues can ride the curl. This just may be it.

Surf (Instrumental)

The opening glissando brings on a softly shimmering rendition of the Chantays' awesome classic "Pipeline." It doesn't have the soul of the original, but in it's place is steaming emotion ready to erupt lustfully on a hot summer's evening. Really quite nice.

Rock (Instrumental)

This is a relatively straightforward modern rock interpretation of Joe Meek's satellite epic. None of the intense swirl of the Tornados' hit, but swirl nonetheless via guitar effects.

Rock (Instrumental)

Slightly liquefied sinewy last dance shimmer. You know the drill. Lots of slithering notes and romance.

Surf (Instrumental)

The Ventures followed up "Walk, Don't Run" with Alberto Dominguez' "Perfidia." This is pretty true to their cut, though significantly liquefied with reverb and whammy shimmer. Just very nicely done!

Surf (Instrumental)

In an age where "Miserlou" keeps getting faster and louder, it's refreshing to hear someone take the delicate road. This version lies somewhere between Dick Dale's 1962 single and the Challengers' cover, but smoother and more shimmering. The piano is right out of Bill Barber's original runs, played so well in studio by Leon Russell. Nice track.

Surf (Instrumental)

Just like the Ventures did it, but perhaps a little more deliberate and liquid. Excellent listening.

Surf (Instrumental)

Chuck Rio's often covered "Tequila" have a sort of smoothness about it that calls to the soul. Very nice track.

Surf (Instrumental)

Lee Hazelwood's "Baja" (spelled "Baha" here for some reason) is very nicely done. It has the delicacy of the Astronauts' rhythm track, the feel of Al Schmidt at the controls, and a smoother, more emotional lead. Wonderful.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Rumble" gets lots of grodie interpretations, as well it should. This is perhaps more subtle, more clean. The song is flexible enough to be applied to any sound, and this works very well.

Surf (Instrumental)

The Mar-Kets were a studio band, with a road version that was really the Avantis. "Out Of Limits" author Mike Gordon (Agates created a wonderfully infectious riff around which one can embellish and meander. The Sound Bytes play it fairly straight, but with a bit of a modern edge and largeness. Very nice.

Surf (Instrumental)

Based on the Lively Ones version, but with a little more crispness and a little less romance. Simply a nice track.

Surf (Instrumental)

There were a hundred guitar instros based on "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" and very similar riffs, from the Virtues to Jorgen Ingmann, and so many more. Too fun, and very smooth.

Surf (Instrumental)

From the 1960 cauldron of the Pacific Northwest came the entire new sound of the Ventures as they created thee classic version of Johnny Smith's "Walk, Don't Run," based on the Chet Atkins version. The Sound Bytes pay homage to the Ventures with a very reverent and enjoyable track.