Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA The Chocolate Watchband - S/T
 | This French twofer couples the Chocolate Watchband's famous No Way Out album with their essential Inner Mystique LP. There's ample room for surf linkages here. The obvious is the ultra cool Richard Podolor instro that appears here, with lead guitar played by Richie in the band's absence. Second, this San Jose band was formed by exiles of other formative local bands, including Ned Tourney, whose guitar work can be heard on the Van Slyke's Pipeline, recorded just a few yards from the site on which the Chocolate Watchband conjured their name. |
Picks: Dark Side Of The Mushroom, Expo 2000, Voyage Of The Trieste, Inner Mystique
Track by Track Review
Dark Side Of The Mushroom Surf (Instrumental)
This is another Richie Podolor tune, co-written with Bill Cooper, and very psychedelic, with less of Richie's characteristic guitar tone. It's still pretty melodic, as are all of his works.
Surf (Instrumental)
Richie Podolor's incredible surf writing and guitar tones are evident in this no-Watchbanders-present track produced during the stormy relationship the Chocolate Watchband had with Ed Cobb, where Richie Podolor was on hand as a studio player and engineer. The mix is somewhat psychedelic, but the tune and his playing hearken back to his golden days in the studio surf scene. Great track!
Surf (Instrumental)
This airy and psychedelic instro was recorded without benefit of the Chocolate Watchband's presence. It is melodic and unusual, merging flute and fuzz. It was written by Ed Cobb.
Surf (Instrumental)
This, the title track, is spacy and psyched out. It is a long and twisted journey down a road not traveled by the Chocolate Watchband, but performed by Ed Cobb, Bill Cooper and Richie Podolor. It serves as part two of Voyage Of The Trieste.