Reverb Central .:. Review .:.

This 1988 LP collects the instrumental output of several Texas bands of the early-mid sixties, the Raiders (a.k.a. the Futuras), the Originals, the Pacers, and the Diminshuns. The Raiders were at the center of this circle, influencing the others, along with Duane Eddy and the Ventures.

Picks: Stick Shift, Skipping Around, On A Straight Away, Supercharged, Cruising Low, Raisin' Cane, The Hum, The Walk, Scatter-Shot, Night Flight, Comanche, Blast Off, Stick Shift '65, Settin' The Pace, Firewater, Slippery When Wet

Rock (Instrumental)

"Stick Shift" was a sizable hit in on the Van label out of Angleton, Texas. The Raiders recorded in '62, and it charted locally in 1963. Terry Simpson - guitar, Jimmy Goodwin - guitar, Jessie Caster - bass, and Bill Pitts - drums.

Rock (Instrumental)

Jivin' brushed drums and a walking bass line provide a suave underpinning for an otherwise jam-like guitar instro that's kinda stilted.

Pre Surf (Instrumental)

Minimal thumpin' progression chords and one-note sax wankin'. The damped guitar chords predict surf, but don't quite cross over into it. Very innocent and primal.

Rock (Instrumental)

Noodly riffage and fill. Nothing special here, though it has a kinda neighborhood garage band charm. This is the kinda thing you'd here at a pool party during the nuclear family heyday of the fifties. Lots of notes to show off the guitarists knowledge of where they all resided on his axe, while demonstrating his complete lack of understanding of melody.

Rock R&B (Instrumental)

Kinda sultry and bluesy, this tune bears a distant resemblance to "Comin' Home Baby." The break even predates funk/R&B instros of the sixties. While it's mostly a jam kinda track, it's also pretty interesting.

Pre Surf (Instrumental)

Minimal pre surf riff rock, with little sustain and quite a bit of chunk for its day. Not melodic, but jumpin' with energy. maybe a little like a damped cousin to Lonnie Mack's "Wham."

Pre Surf (Instrumental)

Twang and jam-jive, with a rhythm track not unlike one Paul Johnson used for "Little Brown Jug." The honky sax and chumpy bass lines give this a Southbay Surf sound. The Futuras was a post-Raiders name for essentially the same band.

Fifties Rock (Instrumental)

This track has the basic feel of "Madison Time," but with a smaller combo sound. Easily as cool as many a sax instro that actually got airplay.

Rock (Instrumental)

Thin guitar and plinky piano duel over a minimal progression for lead duties. Non-melodic, with a jam quality. The Originals hailed from Angleton, and were also on the Van label.

Pre Surf (Instrumental)

Great drums and damped chops, and a guitar approaching the very early surf idiom. Not much of a melody, but that same energy and fire that oozed from the early South Bay scene. Pretty fun track.

Surf (Instrumental)

Surf chords and reverb, sultry Indian motifs, damped echoed melody lines, and moody imagery. This is quite different than the other tracks from the Originals, being pretty squarely in the surf idiom. The melody is sad and the rhythm dramatic. Very cool song!

Pre Surf (Instrumental)

Chunky dry and choppy, "Blast Off" is a basic riff rocker with minimal focus. It's intense, but doesn't really grab me. It does have a sorta pre-surf feel.

Rock (Instrumental)

This updating of the Duals' "Stick Shift" is at the edges of surf, though a little on the dry side. Great drums and power, and lots of spunk.

R&B (Instrumental)

"Settin' The Pace" is a bluesy R&B track with a jam basis. Nothing original, but pretty typical of instros of the day. The Pacers came from Freeport, Texas.

Rock (Instrumental)

Echoed guitar drives a semi-melodic riff over a rolling basic rockabilly neat. It's OK, but not particularly interesting. The Diminshuns were from Houston, Texas.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Walk, Don't Run" backing up a single lead line. Rare, but not particularly original. It has an innocent charm like many minor surf tunes. Lots of trite guitar lines. There are a large number of riffs from traditional songs inserted throughout that make it endearing.