Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA
Jonny and the Shamen - Operation: Twang!dotdotdot
artworkThis is the debut CD from an Alabama outfit with a penchant for Kansas rockabilly and surf. Let's call it Gretchabilly. Pompadours and reverb, landlocked twang, and fun. Jonny and the Shamen come on strong, a little one dimensional, honest, way fun, and quite enjoyable. I found this to be an original sidebar to the surf sound, experimental, but reverent, twangy, and energetic. More than garage surf implies, but certainly of that genre, and with more precision and a fresh idea.
Picks: Cat On A Hot Foam Board, Beat Party, Straight 8 Shake, S. P. E. C. T. R. E. Girl, Jonny!, Monsters From The Id, Conspiracy-A-Go-Go, Camel Dance, Loco Motives, Agent 13, The Rising Surf, Big Daddy, Betty Page-Reverb Chick, The Whip, Smoke!, A Shot In The Dark

Track by Track Review


Cat On A Hot Foam Board dotdotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Yikes, pure savage instro surf, traditionally delivered from hugeness of a modern four car garage. This is an assaultive version of the New Dimensions' greatest track, with the lead guitar playing without double picking, except where glissandoes are concerned. Powerful and cool.

Beat Party dotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

A groovin' sorta fifties melody, an edgie guitar tone, and surf-like structure. This rock instro is pure So Cal period whizbang via today's tones. Playfully tuff.

Straight 8 Shake dotdotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

A surf progression, an edgie in your face attack, and a wall of guitar sound. Like a hard edged version of the Halibuts, with more Eddie Bertrand and less Randy Holden.

S. P. E. C. T. R. E. Girl dotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Spy flick period drama and melody, twango deluxe, and a modern edge. This is loud even when it floats.

Jonny! dotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Hmm? Who could this be named after? Spiffy surf progression oriented number, hotly twanged, pumped delivery, and psychotically appointed. A fine tune, though a bit too jam session like in the middle.

Monsters From The Id dotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Jeepers, hot Dick Dale string pull intro note, tuff sound and energy, and melodic enough to work well. Not exactly catchy, but quirky, energetic and fun.

Conspiracy-A-Go-Go dotdotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Black helicopters hover over the reverb tank while the surf band down the street listens to the new songs through the wall and steel the pennies from the garage fuze box. Espionage garage vibrato twang cool. This grew on me while I was listening. Rhythmic sorta rockabilly influenced terror train.

Camel Dance dotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Middle eastern influenced, very cool, Greek edged, and infectious in an intellectually stimulating way. Sometimes a bit too dramatic, but still quite a nice track.

Loco Motives dotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Almost Peter Gunn take the Suntan Special. Nicely written and twang enough for the minions. Dramatic, a little pompous, but hey, when you have pompadours on the heads of your guitarist and bass player, you get to use a little Bison Bop with through your surfismo.

Agent 13 dotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Playful, twang dominated, evil shimmer, and quirky melody lines... tuff and trans-period engendered. Includes some semi-sung chanted lines (Agent 13).

The Rising Surf dotdotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

This is a pretty unusual cover of Richie Podolor's best known piece. It's faster and less shimmering than any of the other versions. I've loved this song for so many years, that it took me a couple of listens to get past the pace change, as well as the rearrangement. Once past that (a purely emotional thing), I found I really liked this. Tasty and inventive. No question they made it their own.

Big Daddy dotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Chorus lines of "Go Big Daddy" place this squarely in the late fifties, overshadowed by the size of their pompadours. You need tan shoes and pink shoelaces, or white bucks to enjoy this properly.

Betty Page-Reverb Chick dotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Smooth and shapely, shimmering with well placed points of interest, and an appropriate melody for the legendary lady of the title. If the Lively Ones lived in Wichita Falls, they might have sounded like this.

The Whip dotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Chunky rock instro of the late fifties/early sixties ilk. Is this the Frantics tune? I should go listen.

Smoke! dotdotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Pumped dramatic, and a little Euro styled, but only in the melody. major garage anthem. This assaultive rant gives way to a super shimmer number that is utterly fantastic. The change is unexpected, and the result is stunningly appealing. I like this part of the track immensely. Of course, the end features a return to the opening melody. Hot dawg, y'all.

A Shot In The Dark dotdotdot
Gretchabilly Surf (Instrumental)

Yup, it that tune, not on the sleeve or liners, so I 'spose Henry Mancini won't be retiring on the royalties any time soon. This is a playful and enjoyable version of a tune that seems to be getting the surf treatment in a number of quarters these days. Out past the end, there's a bunch o' the keyboard space noises you'd expect of Hawkwind.