Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Tim Coffman - Beach and Guitar Surf and Hawaiian Style
 | If you're looking for genuine surf, this isn't it. If you'd like something that suggest surf in a very well done Hawaiian vacation mode, then this just might be for you. Not surf music per say, but like the kind of song that night have worked its way onto a surf video soundtrack where the evening finds the characters romancing among the palms. |
Picks: Ode To My VW Bus, Surfer Strut, Jungle Wave, Spy Glass, Tow-In, E-Z Rider, Ka Hula O N'a Niu, Fresh Roses II, Waikiki Two-Step, Sunset At Waikiki, Last Set
Track by Track Review
Surfer's Rock (Instrumental)
Funky wah wah initializes a rock instro with a surfer's sense about it. "Ode To My VW Bus" is a fluid song with an enjoyable sound and slight bite. Perhaps more island blues than surf.
Surfer's Rock (Instrumental)
"Surfer Strut" is a moderately paced instrumental with organ and chorus. Island whammy chords and some shimmer. "Surfer Strut" is a pleasant song which approaches the surf genre at times, and also has a sense of drama about it.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Jungle Wave" is a rhythmic surf instrumental that uses echo in lieu of reverb. The beat and the structure are very surf, as is the melody line. The tom toms provide drama and pace is typically surf too. very nice track!
Surfer's Jazz (Instrumental)
"Spy Glass" is a soft and lush supper jazz instro with coastal undercurrents and surfish tonality. While it's a little nondescript, it does flow well and leave you satisfied. A tasteful instrumental.
Surfer's Rock (Instrumental)
An angular rhythm pattern gives way to slow wah wah, which offsets some of the surf feeling that opened it. A gentle guitar line runs above a layered backtrack that mixes some very nice surf ideas with maturing guitar styling. Quite a nice song.
Surfer's Rock (Instrumental)
"E-Z Rider" floats above a distant island steel. The melody is light, as is the song structure. Pretty with a bit of edge, but not memorable.
Hawaiian Vacation (Instrumental)
"Ka Hula O N'a Niu" is a mixture of Hawaiian commercial sounds and near-surf fifties MOR guitar stylings. It's a very vacation in the islands kinda song.
Fresh Roses II Hawaiian Vacation (Instrumental)
A slow and easy going after dinner stroll on the esplanade kind of song, with a romantic sax in the lead and island steel drifting through.
Hawaiian Vacation (Instrumental)
This is a light and playful Hawaiian style song, like the kind of thing that permeated Honolulu hotels in the fifties. Very pretty, almost cute, with a fluid melody and ukulele sense of island vacation. It's the kind of song that you might not get into until you're there and have slowed down.
Hawaiian Vacation (Instrumental)
"Sunset At Waikiki" is a slow and very silky steel guitar island romance that drifts through the palms. Sultry with warm Polynesian innocence and a tropical fragrance. Very nice!
Hawaiian Vacation (Instrumental)
"Last Set" is either the last slow ride of the day, or the last slow dance of the evening. Either way, it has that dusk filmy romance scene feel to it. The lead guitar is a little like a softened stereo echoed Jet Harris sound in the bridges, and more traditional post surf for the melody.