Reverb Central .:. Review .:.

This thematic bootleg compilation sports some cool tracks from the dingy past. It's in a party mode, aimed at unpretentious fun. Much of this is available on CD, some from original tapes. Still, as a party platter, it surely hits the mark.

Vocals include: The Riptides "The Last Wave", The Viscount V "Cherry Red Vette", Hal Blaine and the Young Cougars "Dance With The Surfin' Band", The Madmen "Rambler", The Fashions "Surfin' Back To School", The Tigers "GTO Tiger", The Blasters "Big Green Vet", The Spinners "Surfin' Monkey", The Challengers "Hot Rod Show."

Picks: Dragster, Nightfall, Let's Go Racing, Like Tuff, Pulsebeat, Goldenrod, Tiger In The Tank, Hot Doggin', Crazy Race, Latin Soul, Car Hop, Scrambler, Bongo Rocket

Surf (Instrumental)

If it says Johnny Fortune, you need it. A master at the age of 16, already a veteran of hit records by Sam Cooke among others, and his 10 year old brother is the drummer. Great tune, and Johnny had a totally unique sound.

Surf (Instrumental)

Ultra cheesy organ over great drums and a relentless bass line. The guitar replaces the keys in spots, making it much more listenable. The shear energy of the drums holds it together. Pretty cool

Hot Rod (Instrumental)

Hot rod sounds over organ and rhythm, accented by shouts. Aside from it's energy value, it's entirely dismissible.

Surf (Instrumental)

This Chicago band recorded "Like Tuff" in 1964. It features hot drumming, and a simple guitar riff which is played in various octaves to provide continued interest. It is gutty, spunky, grindy, and huge.

Surf (Instrumental)

Excellent surf guitar in a slightly sad shimmering format. Vibrato, reverb, and a little haunted. Excellent dribbling guitar. The riff is played out across interesting chords. While "Pulsebeat" is no ball of fire, it is very cool in a moody surf way. This was the b-side to "The Beatle."

Surf (Instrumental)

Damped reverbed second guitar, and a weird blending of sax and an out-of-tune lead guitar to create a dissonant sound. It's both intriguing and hard to listen to. There's no melody, just a riff. The damaged arrangement is the key.

Go-Go (Instrumental)

This is a go-go kinda track, a progression with screaming engines and tiger growls overdubbed. No real focus, just trashy dance club fun.

Surf (Instrumental)

This was the Astronauts' non-album single follow-up to "Baja." It's very hot, feisty, almost assaultive in its delivery. Melody and power merge for an infectious effect.

Hot Rod (Instrumental)

This is strange instro, with some surf/rod elements, and some plain old rock single structures. "Crazy Race" is interesting and fun, with its draw coming from its unusual structure.

Surf (Instrumental)

While crudely recorded, particularly the drums, this is the poundiest, hottest, and most infectious version of this fine tune. Ultra powerful guitar tones take it beyond the Sentinals version. It has all the Latin flair, but is monster surf guitar dominated.

Surf (Instrumental)

This surf instro is a magnificent example of the roots of the twangy sound that has become identified with Los Straitjackets. With good reason, they cover this fine record. Infectious, bouncy, and very fun.

Surf (Instrumental)

Very cool rhythm guitar and rolling toms behind a Richie Podolor-like melody line. Very nice tune. Someone should cover this. Hot rod sounds crisscross the entire song.

Pre Surf (Instrumental)

This is a marvelous and fun classic rock 'n' roll single. The rhythm is totally infectious, and the simple melody line sticks in your memory cells despite any attempt to clear your head. This has almost nothing to do with surf music, though it was a staple among some of the bands. It predates the genre, and has no reverb at all. It is important for a couple of reasons. It was the first rock instro featuring the bongo drum as a central instrument, and it was the structure of this song that was one basis for the Surfaris' "Wipe Out."