Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA  | There's not really any surf here from a sound perspective, but Palookaville do a couple of surf music classics in their grimy sixties frat rockin' R&B way, including "Let's Go Trippin'," "Let's Go," and one hell of a cool reinvention of Sandy Nelson's "Casbah." |
Picks: Sticky, Take It Off, Bogatini, Black Widow, Everybody Outa Da Pool, Cold Slaw, Drums A Go-Go, Where's Chico?, It, Texas Twister, Greeazzy, Run Chicken Run, Loose Ends, Let's Go, Casbah, Spunky Onions, Riot City, Let's Go Trippin'
Track by Track Review
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
"Sticky" is a raucous R&B rave with snappy guitar and organ grinding. A rock solid beat and pumping bass round out this number. There's a few lines inspired by "Comin' Home Baby" in the break.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
This is classic fifties Las Vegas grind stuff. It's much grittier and gutty than The Genteels original.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
Cheesy and gimmicky, with a chorus and comb, and great drums. There's a nod to the go-go sound of the strip, and whirling organ too.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
Link Wray and his Raymen's grode "Black Widow" gets a rousing twango arrangement. The addition of keys makes it very much a Vegas rocker. Pretty cool!
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
A circular guitar riff and plinking piano, party shouts, and an R&B groove. No melody, just a relentless part progression.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
Booker T to a tee! the organ and Stax-Volt sound reign. Infectious and fun.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
This is a big and trashy rendering of the Paul Buff/Sandy Nelson composition that first saw the light of day by The Hollywood Persuaders. Raucous and dirty. Great drums!
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
"Where's Chico?" is a slow moving soul groove in the riff tradition of the early sixties. The drums rule!
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
This is a fast pumping and fun track with serious energy and spunk. It doesn't really go anywhere, as most such tracks don't combo R&B numbers don't, but it has a great deal of fire.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
Grumbly bass opens "Texas Twister," which features superb drums. The two drive off each other as the dominant feature of the track. The keyboard melody is a curious riff that's catchy and fun. Lots of energy here! the organ riff is nearly the same as "Drums A Go-Go" in places. Cool track.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
A circling guitar riff and Jimmy Reed bass line hang out with organ and spunky drums. It's pretty repetitious, but fun.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
Heavy dark chunka chunka monkeys with Link Wray and his Raymen's classic. The plinking piano is very fifties. Serious fun, grode grimy sound, and spunk. Real back alley sound.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
Whistling organ and hand claps give "Loose Ends" a kind of Jimmy Smith sound. Soulful and greasy, and pretty repetitious.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
This is a grode reworking of the Routers' "Let's Go." Spunk and single-like energy, and a relentless pace. As fun as the original.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
This is a very toned down version of Richard Podolor's great "Casbah." Don't let that stop you. It features some superbly twisted guitar work, great drums, and a lot of energy. The rhythms are just right, and the guitar lines very well played. Mostly, the toned down nature is due to the mix I think. I like this a lot!
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
This is very Los Straitjackets/Eddie Angels like in its approach. There's a chorus and occasional declarations of the title. Great drums and bass.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
Raw and rippin' frat rock style R&B with no letup in drive. It's all about the angst. Shouts and screams and distorted grime.
Combo R&B (Instrumental)
Dick Dale and his Del-tones' very first instro from August of 1961 is done with no surf feel at all. "Let's Go Trippin'" ends up feeling like a Vegas strip jam. The chorus goes off on the lyrics to The Rivingtons' 1962 frat party classic "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" (written by Carl White, Al Frazier, Sonny Harris, and Turner Wilson Jr.). Shouts and raw sound. It's interesting to hear it translated this way.