Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA King Richard and the Knights - Precision
 | In the early days of balsa and glass (to paraphrase Robert Calvert), Albuquerque sported many cool garage bands, among which were King Richard & the Knights. This release ties up their vintage tracks, including several instros, among which are some surf tracks. They have resurfaced after thirty years as the Knights with a new CD called "Surfin' The Web." |
Picks: Precision, Cut Out, Moon Beam, Lonely By The Sea, Calm Before The Storm
Track by Track Review
Pop Surf (Instrumental)
Opening with pomp, this rhythm dominated track sports a lead guitar playing a melody influenced by "Mariah," but not "like" it. The country backtrack, the dry tone, and the very fine arrangement bring this to fruition. Excellent view into pop-rock instro history. Very enjoyable. This was the A-side of Delta single 2048.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Cut Out" was the B-side of Delta single 2048. It's like cross between the Fireballs rhythm sense and Link Wray' for light days, with surfy tones and a very friendly riff.
Surf (Instrumental)
This fine slowdance tune sports Ventures whammy and some reverb. The melody is pretty, and the whammy gives it an island feel. "Moon Beam" was the A-side of Red Feather 18401.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is a very slow piece, like the Safaris' "Lonely Surf Guitar" (not the Surfaris - on Valiant), but much less intense. "Lonely By The Sea" was the B-side to "Moon Beam." The use of delay in lieu of reverb gives it a more plaintiff sound. Excellent.
Rock (Instrumental)
"Calm Before The Storm" is a reworking of "Lonely By The Sea" with King Richard's son Jason Stewart on lead guitar. It uses some metal, some Uli Roth, and a lot of compression for a smooth and powerful rendering of this finely written tune. There's no surf to it, but as a rock instro, it's really quite good.