Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Urban Surf Kings - Live In Hell
 | This is a great performance by a great band. The sound on this remastered edition is quite superior to the OmOm release. This is an advance of the Canadian issue. Artwork may change, but it's due out soon and I would wait for it. |
Picks: Journey To The Stars, Seven Faces Of Dr. Surf, Twister, Radar Range, Moment Of Truth, Mojave Hadji, Twisted Brain, Moncton Stomp, Star Wars, Diamond Head, Surf Kings Stomp!, Invisible Ray, Legend Of Bog Road, 7 Veils A Go-Go, Radarmen From The Moon, Kookie's Comb, Espresso Twist, James Bond, Misirlou
Track by Track Review
Surf (Instrumental)
Big tom-toms and pounding raucous surf raise the roof as the Urban Surf Kings rip through this classic Ventures masterpiece. Big and very powerful.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is a big and very beefy instrumental with big drama and exotic melody lines. Hot guitar work, big power, and lots of dramatic energy.
Surf (Instrumental)
Large and fast, "Twister" rocks the house. Intensely loud and aggressive, with very strong drums. Flash and fire all around! The band chants and the guitar fires off machine gun notes.
Surf (Instrumental)
Hot rockin' guitar and bass with great drumming. "Radar Range" is a song with great whammy chords that set up a dangerous sound. Dramatic and very tuff!
Surf (Instrumental)
The Original Surfaris' hard driving "Moment Of Truth" is powered and pumped up with flair. Dark and powerful, with immense energy. This is one excellent performance!
Surf (Instrumental)
Ample artistry and drama to go around. "Mojave Hadji" is mysterious and large, with thick guitar and a real sense of composition. The song is grand, and the performance is superb!
Surf (Instrumental)
"Twisted Brain" is a rocker with tuff glissandos and big chords. A fine song, with a fine sense of structure and arranging. "Twisted Brain" grows on you. Quite p;powerful at times, delicate at others.
Surf (Instrumental)
Big twang and power, and a more developed sound than the early version. Big tom toms, and fiery glissandos. Quite fun.
Surf (Instrumental)
Big Dick Dale glissandos open a ripping version of the theme to the TV show. Very hot, and very big too. Amazingly cool! "Star Wars" takes Captain Kirk to the waves!
Surf (Instrumental)
Danny Hamilton's rompin' "Diamond Head" gets an extra pumped up delivery at the hands of Urban Surf Kings! Very tuff and very cool too!
Surf (Instrumental)
"Surf Kings Stomp!" is a riff rocker with a lot of oomph and splash. Not nearly as melodic as most USK tunes, but cool nonetheless. The guitar riffs from "Minor Chaos" in the break are a nifty touch.
Surf (Instrumental)
Big and tortured with vibrato and throb, "Invisible Ray" is a slow and dangerously moody number that has grown immensely in power since its first rendering. Quite dramatic!
Surf (Instrumental)
"Legend Of Bog Road" started out as a mighty fun ditty, and has evolved into a great galloping epic. The story of the stranger on Bog Road in the intro adds to the song's coolness. Cowboy gallop and surf thrasher power! Great!
Surf (Instrumental)
"7 Veils A Go-Go" uses guitar chops and exotic moodiness to convey the allure of the oasis. Great drums, and interesting use of chords create tension and power. Excellent!
Surf (Instrumental)
The dramatic guitar and tom tom opening leads to a shredder of intensity. Not very melodic, but huge and commanding. The whammy chords add even more emotional edge. Wow.
Surf (Instrumental)
Fifties television icon Ed "Kookie" Byrnes has been immortalized before, though it's hard to imagine him as a surfer. Cool track.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Espresso Twist" has a sort of Los Straitjackets feel, but lots more power and grind that that might imply. Great gritty fun.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is a heavy and chunky version of "James Bond" that's more about darkness than most. The arrangement is simple and original, and very effective. Great fun.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is a power romp through surf's signature song. Fast, shredding, and very engaging. There's nothing really new in the arrangement, but the fire is very evident.