Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA  | DeepSea are a trio. They seem generally to be lacking chemistry, which makes everything seem low energy despite not being low volume. Fundamentally, Personally, I think the trio arrangements are too stripped down. A second guitar would really make a difference. It's interesting to notice how much more has gone into arranging the originals, some of which are very nicely conceived. |
Picks: Brown Flower, Bat Man, Misirlou, Against The Current, Discouraging Waters, Last Wave Of The Day, The Collapse
Track by Track Review
High Tide 
Surf (Instrumental)
The Lively Ones' "High Tide" is done in a genuine fashion, but it seems oddly low energy. Perhaps that's because the song really needs the second guitar, or maybe it's something else... In any event, it just doesn't quite gel for me.
Pipeline Surf (Instrumental)
This is a rather unremarkable trio rendering of The Chantays' "Pipeline." It just doesn't make it.
Surf (Instrumental)
I like the writing of "Brown Flower" well enough, but not the recording. This original has a cool melody line, but seems like it's still developmental. The playing is not really fluid despite many nice filigrees.
Spy Theme Surf (Instrumental)
"Spy Theme" doesn't seem very spy like to me, but there are lots of nice little fills. Some good ideas not quite executed to best advantage. The sound seems kind of empty.
Secret Agent Man Surf (Instrumental)
The lack of second guitar in Phil Sloane's TV theme leaves uncomfortable spaces in the sound.
Surf (Instrumental)
An interesting melody line and idea, nice whammy chords, cool glissandos, and delicate fills are just not enough to fill the aural space.
Surf (Instrumental)
Neil Hefty's "Bat Man" (not Lee Hazelwood's "Batman") stands up pretty well to a trio. DeepSea do a nice job with this very simple riff dominated tune.
Surf (Instrumental)
Nicolas Roubanis's classic melody is done in a more or less Dick Dale arrangement, but with no where near the edge. It's a nice track, just not inspired, and with hundreds of great versions out there, it gets lost in the sea. That said, there are some very nice sections making it worth a spin.
Squad Car Surf (Instrumental)
The drums immediately stand out as not really right for the song, and the drive of the guitar and customized mods to the guitar parts seem confused. "Squad Car" mostly requires real fire as a trio, and two fiery guitars to really work. The rhythm guitar is incredibly important as the song was written.
Surf (Instrumental)
Some really cool ideas permeate this slight variation of the "Pipeline" rhythm, especially in the bridges, however, the opportunity to really power through sync between drums and guitar there is missed. Still, the concept is good.
Surf (Instrumental)
I like the writing here. Some very nicely sequenced bits with very functional changes make this quite promising, and the performance and arrangement are better here than on any other track on this album. Almost four stars.
Mr. Moto Surf (Instrumental)
This is a slowish version of Paul Johnson's classic. Paul wrote this to be heavily dependent on the interplay between lead and rhythm, which is lost in the trio arrangement. This just doesn't work for me.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Last Wave Of The Day" has some lovely moments, with a nice melody and easy flow. easily my second most favorite track here, it displays some really nice chords and a cycling melody line that's very good.
Surf (Instrumental)
Some cool melody lines and an interesting bridge guitar line that doesn't quite sync with the drums. In my opinion, "Neptune's Uproar" has great potential, but needs more chemistry.
Surf (Instrumental)
A sense of danger lurks in the opening chords, while the melody line is light hearted. Sometimes the contrast is interesting. "The Collapse" is a creative song with a nearly infectious sound.
Wipe Out Surf (Instrumental)
The Surfaris' "Wipe Out" is very pedestrian and sports little energy or chemistry.