Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Collection: Northcoast Kicks
 | This is a really mixed bag. Most of the tracks are from the we don't sing, so it must be surf school of misinformation. Wrong! There is also way too much material from the cheap sound school. That's the down side. The up side is a few great tracks from the likes of the Slackmates, the Breaking Point, Johnny Tsunami, and the best track to date from the reformed Impacts. |
Picks: The Breaking Point - Lost Expedition, The Impacts - Maverick's Reef, Psycho Rodeo - Psychobilly Psalsario, The Slackmates - Devil Girl From Mars, Johnny Tsunami - Third Wave
Track by Track Review
The Breaking Point - Sidewinder Shimmer (Instrumental)
Where are the cymbals? A simple melody with a shimmer, but no surf at all.
The Breaking Point - Lost Expedition Surf (Instrumental)
Mid tempo infectious tune with enough surfisms to make it into the tent. Simple but pleasurable.
Ray Carmen - Beach Blanket Bookmobile Surf (Instrumental)
Great title, "Wipe Out" lead relegated to the rhythm track, and a subdued dry lead line carrying a simple pleasant tune which turns out to be too repetitious for my taste.
Double D and his Dangerous Demons featuring Hope Nichols - Theme From Robert Creep Rock (Instrumental)
Among the best produced tracks here, and a really cool song. Just no surf of any kind.
Drifter - Wrong Turn Garage Samples (Instrumental)
There are just too many stupid samples to instros these days. It was funny when Man or Astro-MAN? did it once. Again from the surf free zone, a nearly mono slow number that's pleasant.
Drifter - I, Zombie Dry Fuzz Samples (Instrumental)
Nix the sampled intro. Dry chordage and fuzzy lead with no surfisms of any kind.
The Fastback Freddies - The Stranger Link Wray (Instrumental)
A really suck-dog recording of a hell of a Link Wray big guitar tune played full tilt. Surf it ain't, and it's really too bad it's so messed up mix wise - if it was mixed at all.
The Impacts - Maverick's Reef Stadium Surf (Instrumental)
That most rare surf element in Impacts music, the double picked lead guitar, is moderately employed, along with stellar lap steel and a fine structure. It's not trad exactly, but it sports the feel of both decades. It flows nicely, and is endearing. Sort of stadium surf. The horns are quite cool.
The King Dapper Combo - Tomahawk Organ (Instrumental)
Cheap organ pumps under a rhythmic number with no melody line, but some cool accents. Listen only once.
The King Dapper Combo - M. Appeal Organ Spy Surf (Instrumental)
Spy surf coolness with way too much organ.
Memphis Mike and the Legendary Tremblers - Selena Spanish (Instrumental)
Spanish flavored nearly mono instro with no surf at all.
Memphis Mike and the Legendary Tremblers - The Night Stalker Big Guitar Linkabilly (Instrumental)
Big guitar Linkabilly. Ambient recording made stereo with a digital reverb. A typical detective flick track.
Mike and the Board Generation - Razor Ridge Cowboy (Instrumental)
A fun cowboy instro with flair. Not a hint of surf, but cool fun for guitar fans.
Mike and the Board Generation - Requiem For A Surfer Piano Dirge (Instrumental)
Pompous moody tune with piano and keys and a dirge, but no surf.
The Pods - Northcoast Kicks PZM Near Surf (Instrumental)
An ambient almost mono PZM-like recording that detracts from an already mediocre performance of an only slightly surfy instro.
The Pods - Diamond Head PZM Ventures (Instrumental)
PZM tapes of rehearsals should be limited to cassette vanity release. This is a mediocre performance of an over-covered Ventures tune.
Psycho Rodeo - Psychobilly Psalsario Surfabilly (Instrumental)
An inspired surfabilly rant with ample flair and fun. Good song.
The Slackmates - Devil Girl From Mars Spy Surf (Instrumental)
Great spy surf from the best band on this comp. Whistling organ accents a cool song. Melodic and infectious.
The Slackmates - Surfin' At Sunset Surf (Instrumental)
"Hawaii Five-0" drum intro into an organ melody over a chunky bed. Not much direction. Spy movie 80's sound. With a hot double pick lead it would be REALLY cool.
The Surfaholics - Secret Agent Betty Page Spy Back Track (Instrumental)
Much more melodic than their earlier efforts, and totally spy with only the slightest hint of surf - if any. No reverb or shimmer. As before, mixed by Don Dixon, who seemingly does not understand surf instrumentals.
The Surfaholics - Viva Santo Mexican (Instrumental)
Slow Mexican flavored tune with a Los Straitjackets intent and a Surfaholics delivery. After the opener, it gets boring really fast.
Johnny Tsunami - Third Wave Surf (Instrumental)
A slowish number with a nice melody line and delivery, but held back by a shallow mix. Nice country melody.
The Twang Gang - Leapin' Lizards Johnny Otis Shadows (Instrumental)
"Willie & the Hand Jive" with Shadows big guitar lead and no surf.