Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Collection: Twangin' Around The World
 | This 20 track compilation features 6 bands from Japan and eastern Europe playing mostly Shadows inspired instros. Some are very cool, and of course the Spoilers' surfy "Europe" is the highlight of the disc. |
Picks: Zero Fighter, Funky Rock, A Passage Of Youth, Poem Of Sea Breeze, Rainbow, Crying Game, Dick Tracy, Burning Desire, Chanson de Danse, Space Walk, Blue Shawl, A Hundred Guitars, Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, Chariot, Piggtrad, Durango, Eg Ser Deg Utfor Gluggjen, Siberia, Memories Of Carpat, Europe
Track by Track Review
Soft Rock (Instrumental)
A whammy dipped introduction yields to a fluid melody in the Shadows tradition, and thankfully lacks the just another Hank Marvin knockoff guitar sound. The melody is soft and catchy, and the delivery of the track on the soft side. Quite a nice track.
Soft Rock (Instrumental)
This is a long ways from funk, and a even farther from funky. Lush and delicately picked, "Funky Rock" is quite a pretty track. The melody is quite surfable.
Soft Rock (Instrumental)
"A Passage Of Youth" is a slow and silky number in the MOR tradition, with long flowing echo sustained guitar. Soft and moody, it has quite a Euro feel to it.
Soft Rock (Instrumental)
This is bouncy and playful, with a basically soft rock sound, and maybe a small debt owed to country. Fun and animated.
Soft Rock (Instrumental)
"Rainbow" is a soft rock number with a flowing long echo guitar lead in the Hank Marvin circle. The double picked lines are delicately cool, while the rest is more or less soft spy styled.
Crying Game Soft Rock (Instrumental)
The organ gurgles under an evolving soft rock guitar melody. Pretty, but unremarkable.
Spy Surf (Instrumental)
The throbbing vibrato adds a lot of drama to this cover of "Dick Tracy." Punchy and pulsing dark alley cool. A surf beat behind the Euro spy sounds allows it to cross over into surf. Nice track.
Soft Rock (Instrumental)
John Barry-ish spy rockabilly all smoothed out and polished. Tastefully done.
Soft Lounge (Instrumental)
"Chanson de Danse" is a little reminiscent of the Aqua Velvets, just less lush and emotional. Vibrato shimmer, a moody melody, and some fine twang, plus a cool flute verse.
Soft Rock (Instrumental)
"Space Walk" has a sort of "Last Date" (Floyd Cramer) quality to it, but with a more whammified lushness. Slow, silky, and quite pretty.
Soft Rock (Instrumental)
"Blue Shawl" is soft and pretty, in an electric MOR vein, and sounding very European.
Moody Guitar (Instrumental)
Very long echo delay on the guitar makes it seem almost eerie, with the period being longer than the decay, giving the guitar and odd swelling sound. Very effective. The track is an odd mix of MOR and space whammy.
Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You Pop Rock (Instrumental)
The slow soft introduction yields to a twangy Euro cover of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You." All the teenage pomp that's required oozes from the guitar.
Euro Rock (Instrumental)
"Chariot" is a playful plucky song with a good melody line and a strong Shadows clone sound, amplified with heavier whammy and more delicate plucking. Quite nice.
Euro Rock (Instrumental)
Big whammy, long echoed delay, Hank Marvin string bending, and a spooky melody. Nice but unremarkable.
Euro Rock (Instrumental)
Highly Shadows-like, "Durango" flows with a distant view of spaghetti westerns. More or less moody, with a sense of adventure.
Eg Ser Deg Utfor Gluggjen Euro Rock (Instrumental)
The extremely long tape echo attempts a cactus feel, which lurks just beneath the Shadowsy sound. Kinda cool, but very derivative. The break is cool - sorta like a "Yankee Doodle Dandy" inversion.
Euro Rock (Instrumental)
"Siberia" is a very moody piece, with a Russian and aquatic sound, and a Euro guitar long echo delay. Very cool for shimmer and old world sadness.
Euro Rock (Instrumental)
On the eastern European side melodically, "Memories Of Carpat" is a pleasant track with a tasteful beat and melody line. I had to look twice at the title, first wondering if it was about some interface on the floor.
Euro Rock (Instrumental)
"Europe" is a very pretty song with a fine melody steeped in surf and sad Russian traditional music. Its guarded optimism and moderate pace convey anticipation of the surf that's rising slowly from the soup after a storm.
This mix is clean mono, appropriately mixed for best effect. Quite nice!