Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA
Collection: 32 Hot Rod Hitsdotdot
artworkThis 1991 Ace Records compilation is comprised of tracks from the Del-Fi vaults by the Deuce Coupes, the De-Fenders, and the Darts, who are essentially all the same studio band. This is pure Hollywood studio system exploitation music. Most of it is unworthy, but a few tracks shine.
Picks: Double-A Fueler, Nite Prowler, Road Rattler, Tijuana Gasser, Gear Masher, Candy Apple Blue, Satan's Chariot, Monkey See, Nite Surfer, Dawn Patrol, Smooth Stick, Top Eliminator, Street Machine, Corn Pone, Hollywood Drag, Four Banger, Deuces Wild, Taco Wagon, Movin' and Groovin', Skin Diver, Loose Nuts, Little Deuce Coupe, Drag Beat, Wheelin' Home, Tequila Joe, Rum Runner, Road Runner, Alky Burner, Slauson and Soto, Detroit Iron, Cruisin'

Track by Track Review


Double-A Fueler dot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Raspy straight pipes, and a cool riff. The structure is "La Bamba," the riff is the bass line from "La Bamba," and then there's the mindless jam in lieu of a melody.

Nite Prowler dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

This is quite dry, and the guitar tones are insensitive to the arrangement. The performance is technically good and emotionless, almost empty. It's worth a spin or two, but you'll forget it pretty quickly. Too much of a jam.

Road Rattler dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Racing runs up and down the neck relentlessly riffing away give rise to fifties writing and chunka chunka beats, all cute but with no enduring qualities. Inspired by "Guitar Boogie Shuffle," but without either the innocence or the charm.

Tijuana Gasser dotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

With a basic "Suzie Q" rhythm and a simple almost jam lead line, this has neither the expected feel of Tijuana rock instros of the day, or any particular Latin feel of any sort. The low-E lead parts are pretty big sounding, but since they are unchanging, they don't hold interest for long.

Gear Masher dot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

A racing engine with rods knocking, a riff that's too close to Barrett Strong's "Money," and squealing tires... except for the demented guitar dissonance in some verses, this is just a riff and a jam guitar showoff track.

Candy Apple Blue dot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

The rhythm track here owes it's life to Little Richard's "Lucille," and the lead is the sort of thing p[layers do when they are just jamming... endless repetitions of the same note choked and puked out. Very nonmusical.

Satan's Chariot dot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Progression based, highly repetitious, and without anything approaching variation or arranging. After a relentless romp through the same progression, it suddenly ends, leaving you wondering why they even cut the track.

Monkey See dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Choppy and really contrived. It based on Major Lance's hit "Monkey Time," but uses the melody idea from "Comin' Home, Baby." The playing is solid, but there's not one morsel of chemistry. It's just too bland.

Nite Surfer dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

This tune is like a lesser "Dawn Patrol," with a faster infectious rolling rhythm backtrack, and a slightly less warm lead. Infectious and worth a spin.

Dawn Patrol dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

This is a solid track, quite different from the rest by this band. The melody riff is tasty, surfy, and well suited for the excellent backtrack, with its piano and traveling rhythm. It has a Richie Podolor feel to it, both in basic tone and in the writing. Cool.

Smooth Stick dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Racing engines and burnin' rubber, riff rock structures, dry guitars, and a round low-E lead. This is a decent track, but the simplicity of the riff falls below the attention span threshold despite the constant hot rod effects.

Top Eliminator dotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

The Darts a.k.a. The Deuce Coupes or the T-Bones... The usual suspects were rounded up for a studio "band" to cash in on the ignorance of the listening public. Unremarkable.

Street Machine dot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Next!

Corn Pone
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

A pail attempt at the Pachuko Soul genre, like what happens when the French try to be cool. Argh!

Hollywood Drag
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

From this, you would conclude Hollywood is a drag. A boring progression, no melody, and hot rod engines screaming and tires peeling out. Glen Campbell plays guitar, such as it is.

Four Banger dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Hot rods to hell scream past, and then a simple riff follows. The lead guitar is very buried in the mix. A rhythmic but boring track.

Deuces Wild dotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Racing rods pass you by... Then a dreadful jam with organ lead greets you right out of some bad Hollywood B-movie club scene. The riff is reminiscent of "Suzie Q," but only reminiscent.

Taco Wagon dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Shouts of "Tacos" using the melody from "Day-O" open before wandering into a "Comin' Home Baby" rip-off over a "Music To Watch Girls By" backtrack. The guitar tone is semi surf, semi rod.

Movin' and Groovin' dotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Not the Duane Eddy / Al Casey number. Just a club riff with too much organ and jammin' guitar.

Skin Diver dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

In some ways, this is a little Paul Johnson-ish. It's not very melodic, but the tone and the riff is like some he's written for studio sessions with the Challengers and others. A pretty good track, given the surrounding mung.

Loose Nuts dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

With that Chuck Berry "Memphis" riff and a lead line morphed slightly from that towards "Old McDonald Had A Farm." Too derivative to be interesting.

Little Deuce Coupe dotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

More hotrod motors intro a standard rock riff boogie, bluesy and really tryin' to find a groove. It would probably work after 2 AM, but in the light of day....

Drag Beat dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Excellent drums, a basic riff. The drums breaks are the good part. The guitar work is superfluous. This probably should have been a drum solo track. It's a pick for the drums only.

Wheelin' Home dotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Cheap soulin' organ and bluesy sax... An after hours jam at best.

Tequila Joe dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Borrowing liberally from "Tequila," "Tequila Joe" is a second cousin at best. No emotion, just sterile music.

Rum Runner dotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Tom toms pound, and the guitar jams... wouldn't it be nice if there was a song in here.

Road Runner dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

A decent riff, but in the underdeveloped studio setting, this is saved only by the slightly surf tones and glissandoes. It might be developed more into a more satisfying song, but alas, not here. Still, it does have enough coolness to make the two minutes palatable.

Alky Burner
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

More racing hot rods, another mindless progression, and back porch intellect.

Slauson and Soto dot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Tribal drums, a Bo Diddley beat and a Johnny Otis "Willie and the Hand Jive" guitar chop. No imagination here. No melody or interest either.

Detroit Iron
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Slowish progression, racing cars, and not a melody in sight. Another pale effort at the Pachuko Soul genre.

Cruisin' dotdotdot
Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Slightly Richie Podolor influenced, and more listenable than many here. This has a melody, a bit of the old beat, and some sense of chemistry.