Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Bobby Vee and the Shadows - The Early Rockin' Years
 | Bobby Vee came from the rich cauldron that was Fargo, North Dakota, from which The Treasures also emerged. His band The Shadows cut a handful of instros, most of which are here. Vee once kicked Robert Zimmerman out of his band because he thought he had no future as a musician. That was, of course, not an accurate assessment. |
Picks: Flyin' High, Toy Soldier, Loco
Track by Track Review
Rock (Instrumental)
This is a very cool twangster from 1959. Great drums, a genuine rock'n'roll recording, and a cool melody riff. While somewhat jammy, "Flyin' High" is a solid instro with string swipes, the grit of Duluth, Minnesota of the period, and the clarity of Minneapolis' Kaybank studio. Mighty nice. This was originally issued in 1959 on Soma 1110 as the b-side to "Suzy Baby," later picked up for national distribution on Liberty. 1959.7 Soma 1110 (Suzy Baby c/w Flyin' High) 1959.8.10 Liberty F-55208 (Suzy Baby c/w Flyin' High)
Rock (Instrumental)
"Toy Soldier" is a very engaging track, with ventures whammy and a near surf sound from almost island imagery. There's just enough uniqueness to make it quite interesting. Very cool!
Rock (Instrumental)
"Loco" is a fun track with Spanish acoustic guitar and island guitar. It's not exactly pop rock, nor is it surf, but there's some of each in this fine track. If it doesn't hit you right off, it will.
Rock (Instrumental)
This is a Stax-Volt style instro, with organ and guitar riffs. It's not particularly interesting, but there are some very nice guitar lines.
Rock (Instrumental)
The horns provide a bit of a spaghetti western feel, as do the acoustic guitar cords. The melody line is on the low twang side, and the organ suggests a funeral. The organ break is OK, but otherwise "Mindreader" is a pleasant track.