Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Husky and the Sandmen - Ridin' The Wild Surf
 | It's been a while since the last Husky and the Sandmen CD, and well worth the wait. Ridin' The Wild Surf displays a matured and adventurous band making excellent surf instrumentals in a modern trad vein. Lots of the tracks here stay with you after listening. This is a CD I'll come back to over time. |
Picks: Extacy, Diamond Eye, Riproarin' Holiday, Flight To Venus, Donna Misteriosa, Sandman Stomp, Green Invasion, Ridin' The Wild Surf, Brown Eyed Girl From Molokai, Shadowland, Juicy Punch, Waves Beyond The Reef, Larry Thorne, Stormin' Bomboras, Return To Ground Zero
Track by Track Review
Surf (Instrumental)
Low down gritty surf with long leanin' glissandoes and a nasty edge. menacing is too polite for this. "Extacy" plods at a lumbering pace, drenches the dingie perimeters with a "Victor"-like intensity.
Surf (Instrumental)
Sparkling surf with a prancing melody line and fine drums. The optimism shines like the sun glistening off of a tropical bay. Infectious and solid. There's just a hint of Laika and the Cosmonauts in the structure.
Surf (Instrumental)
Tourists never cut back, they just eat sand. Shreddin' and playing on the curl like a career left behind.
Organ (Instrumental)
The organ carries the lead over the reverbed backtrack. The melody is like a calliope in space, whirling and wailing a fluid line.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Donna Misteriosa" is a very pretty tune, with a fluid melody and great guitar tone. It floats at a moderate place like a palm frond carried on the trade winds. Romantic and slightly sad, it surely pleases.
Surf (Instrumental)
Stomp on demand, pump and grind, and pure fun. The pumping organ is a little frat like, maybe in the vein of the Mulberry Fruit Band's "The Audition" (except this is a well played piece).
Surf (Instrumental)
"Green Invasion" is a moderate tempo surf tune with a visual melody line and optimism. Friendly and warm. Is this political or just oceanic?
Surf (Instrumental)
Excellent! chunky surf second guitar, a fine balance between single and double picking, and an infectious rhythm. Highly enjoyable and emotionally charges summer surf powered, like maybe Mark Brodie and the Beaver Patrol. Thank goodness it's not the Jan and Dean song.
Brown Eyed Girl From Molokai Surf (Instrumental)
Tribal drums, shimmering Hawaiian guitar themes, vibrato softness... magnificent. "Brown Eyed Girl From Molokai" has the feel of an updated "Adventures In Paradise" with all the style and sunshine that implies. Very nice track.
Surf (Instrumental)
Low-E notes over an organic backtrack let out a melody that is moody and interesting. It has some of that (Joe Meek) Tornados drama, but in a surf format.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Juicy Punch" is structured in a staccato progression fashion, like rails off the line in a burst of flame and burnin' rubber. We're talkin' hot rods at the strip here.
Surf (Instrumental)
Very nice! "Waves Beyond The Reef" moves at a relentless pace, with great reverbed second guitar chop and pure trad intentions. Simply excellent slow surf crunch, like a Jon and the Nightriders kinda thing.
Surf (Instrumental)
Another great trad surf track, with fine whammy chords and surf rhythms. The melody is a little dangerous, but still optimistic. Excellent glissandoes drive the swells past the riders. Very satisfying.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Stormin' Bomboras" presents a tune not unlike the Bomboras might have done. Trad based, slightly moody, and a little less melodic, but satisfying and enjoyable.
Surf (Instrumental)
Like a sparkling version of the Tornados, "Return To Ground Zero" is delightfully accented with great piano. The guitar is solid, and the overall effect is surf on vacation.