Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Buddy Dughi - Hot Rod Surf
 | Buddy Dughi plays mostly surf, strained through roots rock, and his own vision. "Head Hunter" is my fave here. My only complaint is that many of the tracks are mixed with digital reverb that seems sterile and out of place. It's not really noticeable unless you are listening with headphones. |
Picks: Tiki Head Shift Knob, Fireball, Mag Neato, Good Humor, Pipeline, Lonely Gasser, El Gato, 40 Miles Of Bad Road, Devil's Octane, Head Hunter
Track by Track Review
Hot Rod Surf (Instrumental)
"Tiki Head Shift Knob" features two surf guitars, glissandos, and a cool melody. The simple riff is well suited for surf. Nicely done.
Hot Rod Surf (Instrumental)
"Fireball" is an oddly structure song that doesn't really work as a surf instro, but is nonetheless an interesting track with a military beat and metered melody line.
Hot Rod Surf (Instrumental)
"Mag Neato" is a spiffy little surf number with a fairly straight surf connection, thought it's not traditionally structured.
Hot Rod Surf (Instrumental)
"Good Humor" is a rockin' instro with a catchy riff and splashy sound, but it seems too repetitious to me.
Hot Rod Surf (Instrumental)
The Chantays' "Pipeline" is splashed and amped and very cool. Nothing new really happening here, but it's very well done and loaded with groovy glissandos and whammy. The break is done in an original fashion.
Hot Rod Surf (Instrumental)
"Lonely Gasser" is a fine track, with vibrato shimmer that calls to a sad reflection on recent events. Very pretty!
Hot Rod Surf (Instrumental)
A simple riff and a second surf guitar create a slightly brooding coastal image. A sense of motion and the surf, whammy chords, and an open future. Nice track.
Hot Rod Surf (Instrumental)
A rockabilly beat, a slighter fast delivery, and vibrato shimmer add up to a unique cover of this Duane Eddy standard. The drums are very good, and the cowbell is a nice touch.
Hot Rod Surf (Instrumental)
This rockabilly instro romps and runs down an open road with cops in mind. Glissandos and whammy chords tie it into surf, but otherwise, it's a roots rocker with a spiffy riff.
Hot Rod Surf (Instrumental)
"Head Hunter" has a tribal beat, scary stereo surf chords, and an ominous sound. Structured as if Link Wray wrote surf, with big reverb and splash. For my money, this is the coolest track on the disc!