Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Billy Boyd - Twangy Guitars
 | Billy Boyd is a pseudonym for Jerry Cole. The album contains a few cool tracks and some jam-like dreck too. This is a reissue of the Twangy Guitars album on Crown CST 196 in mp3 format only with one bonus track not on the original album. |
Picks: Oop Shank, Shuffle Boogie, Bolero Boogie, When The Lights Are Low, Night Rock, Mambo Boogie, Drifting
Track by Track Review
Pre Surf (Instrumental)
Great choked guitar opens a guitar boogie shuffle, in fact it's a cover of the Virtues' "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" with a few embellishments. Though fairly common sounding, the guitar is moving towards surf and is very well played.
R&B Rock (Instrumental)
Well, now, this is interesting! The melody is the same as Dick Dale's "Surf Buggy." Rock and roll with twang and an R&B root feel.
Jivin' At The Savoy R&B Rock (Instrumental)
Big band under siege, softened and rolled up, with cool drums and dry-chop rhythm guitar under sock-hop guitar.
R&B Rock (Instrumental)
OK, so the chords are inspired by Link Wray's Rumble, in fact it's so close, it's definitely in the rip-off category. Yet, it's just different enough, and the tribal drums and sax keep it from being just a face in the crowd. OK, I like it just fine. By the way, I don't hear any Bolero references at all, either in style or melody.
Rock (Instrumental)
"When The Lights Are Low" is a slow tremolo shimmered number with very cool plinky piano. It's a slow walkin' number that relies heavily on its sound and a gentle, romantic melody.
South Hampton R&B Rock (Instrumental)
Presurf riffage, jazzy and fifties rock combo suave. A jam, yet pretty cool.
Stompin' At The Crossroads R&B Rock (Instrumental)
Benny Goodman's "Stompin' At The Savoy" is rocked and rolled in the fifties way. A cool groove.
R&B Rock (Instrumental)
Similar to Richard Berry's "There's A Riot Goin' On," this is a fluid blues instro with great piano and good guitar.
Duck Walk R&B Rock (Instrumental)
Fifties sock-hop harmonies and progressions in a jam setting. Not very interesting.
R&B Rock (Instrumental)
The guitar riff is similar to the riff in Buddy Holly's "Well All Right," at least in spots. More about progressions and chords than melody, with jammin' sax and standard sounds. Still, it's relatively infectious.
Pre Surf Sub Jazz (Instrumental)
Vibrato guitar lays out a silky lagoon number based on "Lonesome Road." More aquatic than jazzy, it's a guitar near-solo that is quite listenable.
Diggin' The Blues R&B Rock (Instrumental)
A noodly guitar-sax exercise in the fifties jam mold. Not very interesting.