Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Collection: Wail On The Beach
 | The entire contents of this LP are available on the CD "Get A Board" from the same bootleg label. All from vinyl. |
Picks: Baggies, One Mo Gin, Morpheus, Miserlou, Slippery When Wet, Side Swiped, Go Go Yamaha, Swamp Surfer, Time Bomb, Kick Out, Surf Bunny, Don't Monkey With Tarzan, Baha Reebah (Part 1), Reveille Rock, Basic Surf, Be Billy, Garbage City, Trophy Run
Track by Track Review
Dry Surf (Instrumental)
B-side of the only Bel-Aires single on Lucky Token Records, the label also shared by the Crossfires. Quite rhythmic with a dry sound, it's an odd melodic twist on "Surf Beat" with little in common. You'll get when you hear it. "Baggies" is a splendid song. The guitar is both intense and subtle. The twang is absolute, and the rhythm is very powerful. Like the A-side, it's a track that desperately needs to come out of the vaults from the tapes.
One Mo Gin Garage Surf Rock (Instrumental)
"Moon Dawg," only slightly interesting. Awful mix with the lead guitar lost in the back. Could have been pretty cool if it were recorded better. The energy is there.
Surf (Instrumental)
An amazingly simple track that holds your attention despite the simplicity. Great wet guitars, and quite the obscuro.
Fuzz Surf (Instrumental)
A 1967 B-side, edgy and fuzzy, not surfy. Good energy, and unusual mostly for its late appearance..
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.
Surf (Instrumental)
Soft and very cool number with lots of shimmer and endearing riffs. Obscure and a nifty find.
Garage Pop (Instrumental)
The Spats were a great garage-pop band. Their magnificent "She Done Moved" single is still a fave on my turntable.
Swamp Surfer Riff Near Surf (Instrumental)
Not too surfy number with little that could be labeled a melody. Just a riff with no where to go.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is a splendid original, with drum fury and a magnetic melody line that is quite sad. The organ and guitar trade roles from verse to verse. Minimal, but really cool.
Surf (Instrumental)
Strongly influenced by the Surfaris' "Wipe Out," this track is infectious and tight, and driven pretty hard. While structurally derivative, "Kick Out" is a way fun surf obscuro worth searching out.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Surf Bunny" is one of the great surf obscuros, full of raw power, spirited vocal eruptions from Gene, and a really grungy sound. This record has been on my top 20 list since it's release in '63.
Don't Monkey With Tarzan Garage Rock (Instrumental)
Vibrato, but no surf. It has a wailin' fifties sax and plunky piano and stupid Tarzan yells. History, but no inspiration.
Mariachi Surf (Instrumental)
Magnificent blend of Mariachi and surf, so natural, and such energy. Total fun, and incredibly infectious.
Dry Midwest Surf (Instrumental)
The Titans were a Midwest instro band, with a pretty dry sound. Not a surf band, but this is so cool, it doesn't matter. Only the reverb is missing to make it surf. Unlike Johnny and the Hurricanes, this is sans organ and shredz even harder!
Basic Surf Rock (Instrumental)
This almost instro is just a riff with vocal inner city yuk. A surf name and reverb on the track does not surf make.
Be Billy Rock (Instrumental)
Give me a break!
Garbage City Rock (Instrumental)
A screamed out intro, and low down growl, but no surf.
Hot Rod (Instrumental)
"Trophy Run" is only moderately interesting. Virtually nothing Bob Moore did held up to his great almost Herb Alpert version of Mexico. Also release as Bob Moore and his Orchestra. The guitar is pretty intense at times, and the drums rock.