Reverb Central .:. Review .:.

This is a video record of The Bitch Boys live for an hour on Sobotna Noc (Saturday Night), which airs on Slovenian National Television. These guys are very good, as you know from my reviews of their CD's. 26 songs in an hour! It's the real deal, live, no over dubs, warts and all. Superb!

Picks: Sale's Melioration, Stalking Mermaid, Mach One, The Breeze and I, Walk, Don't Run, Damascus, Road Racer, Surf Lyre, Playa Del Rey, (On The Road With The) Wavechasers, Rat Phink Theme, Hotbox, Surf Rider, Gotcha, Bitch Stomp, Amor, Sandstorm, Snowman, Tamburalo Momce Uz Tamburu, Playa Del Los Muertos, Everybody Up!, Shark Attack - Suez Canal Affair, Shockwave, Surfin' Tide, Did You Bring Your Brassknuckles, Wipe Out - Miserlou

Surf (Instrumental)

The tribal drums and sultry ringing chords launch "Sale's Melioration," a song certainly inspired by Richie Podolor's "Quiet Surf." It may be derivative, but it's simply wonderful. This is very pretty and dramatic, with emotional tribal drums and ringing with wet guitar work. Oh man!

Surf (Instrumental)

Shout out the title, then jump right into this fast song. Right away you notice the string swipes and liquid glissandos, and the lovely wet tone. Fast double picked leads on high registers glide over a nearly great rhythm track. "Stalking Mermaid" is playful and sunny. Excellent.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Mach One" sports a rich Mediterranean melody line, with ska rhythms at times. Superb imagery and tone, and an uplifting adventurous sound.

Surf (Instrumental)

It just doesn't get better than this! The Bitch Boys rock this with great energy and stereo echo, dribbling double picked leads, and superb energy. Most often done in a slow and lush arrangement, instead we find the kind of power and spunk that Jim Messina and the Jesters used with it, but in much cleaner sound. There are a couple of errors here, but it's so compelling that it just doesn't seem to matter! A splendid and high spirited version that is nonetheless very pretty.

Surf (Instrumental)

Johnny Smith's "Walk, Don't Run" is slightly modified and rolling in a sea of reverb and delay. Spunky and fast, and loaded down with wet whammy. The double picked parts are truly firebrand, and the stereo echo adds insane chemistry.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Damascus" is brought fully into the surf idiom in a liquid gel. Some moodiness is present, but mostly it's uplifted with a mid-eastern veil. Very rhythmic. This was originally done by either The Ricco-Shays' or The Blue Boys - I don't know which came first.

Surf (Instrumental)

Ringing tremolo chords are on overdrive as a middle eastern melody arrives rocks your socks off. Great muted glissandos, chords and pickslides abound. More than a little infectious and friendly, "Road Racer" a totally surf.

Surf (Instrumental)

Satan's Pilgrims' "Surf Lyre" is sparked with glissandos and stereo echo. Infectious, powerful, fast, and extra cool! Even the derivative riffs that Satan's Pilgrims' lifted from Jim Messina seem over the top cool!

Surf (Instrumental)

"Playa Del Rey" is a slow and silky number with a beautiful melody. Part way through, the pace doubles and the rhythm goes ska. Part sunset romance, part kids on the beach, this is rich with variety and seductive glissandos.

Surf (Instrumental)

"(On The Road With The) Wavechasers" is all rockin' good surf, locked and loaded for a race down Highway 1, and thundering with energy. It just doesn't let go!

Surf (Instrumental)

This is a winner all around! Superb infectious energy and pumping bass, flying glissandos up and down the neck, totally great drums, and, did I mention the stereo echo? You really have to be in bad mood (or be into VH1) not to love this!

Surf (Instrumental)

The Aqualads' "Hotbox" is done with big swimming sound. It's Romanian feel is expanded by double picked guitar. Rich and attractive!

Surf (Instrumental)

Great drums bring on a completely rearrange version of Nokie Edwards' classic. The fast beat generation, almost swing-like pace and backing is just amazing! Who would have thought this could be done!

Surf (Instrumental)

Big drums bring on this rhythmic cover of The Tradewinds' "Gotcha." Dark and powerful, with yet upbeat. The rhythmic glissandos create an edgy feel, and the shouts add a sense of pushing the limit. Very fun!

Surf (Instrumental)

Live, "Bitch Stomp" seems much stronger and more fiery than the studio takes. This rocks with lots of splash, especially in the cool break. The glissandos grab and hold you, as do the string swipes. Too cool!

Surf (Instrumental)

"Amor" is rhythm driven with a not to Aqua Velvets. The rhythm guitar and bass are amazing, and the melody extremely engaging. The rockabilly edge of the rhythm can not be ignored, and the couple of lines liberated from "Baby Please Don't Go" just make it more enticing. The manic chord slides at the end are intensely cool!

Surf (Instrumental)

The Sportsmen's "Sandstorm" is totally surfed out! It rages and romps with an gobs of shimmer and reverb and tremolo. "Penetration" finds its self in the middle to great affect. The high energy and splashy attack, and the a few liberated lines from classics add up to a great time!

Surf (Instrumental)

"Snowman" is intensely glorious live! A slow and haunting song of beauty with lush arranging, it has a very picturesque sound and nearly spooky attraction. You will notice a bit of influence from The Mermen too. Very fluid and pristinely pretty. Long dribble glissandos and spooky echoes.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Tamburalo Momce Uz Tamburu" is (I think) a traditional Serbian folk song. The Bitch Boys blast it with superb energy and great use of tape echo. Totally infectious and spunky.

Surf (Instrumental)

Opening with a touch of "Walk Don't Run," this immediately launches into a grand mid-eastern melody fired with wonderful energy. Some very engaging riffology in the middle makes the hair stand up on the back or your neck!

Surf (Instrumental)

The Fender IV's "Everybody Up!" is spiced up by amplifying the ska rhythms Randy Holden's band employed, playing it faster, and affecting the guitar with stereo delay. So fun, you may need a transfusion!

Surf (Instrumental)

"Shark Attack" uses dark echoed chords that shimmer threateningly. Its pace varies between sections, as does its degree of menacing. "Suez Canal Affair" slows the pace for a romantically sad adventure. This lovely song is enhanced dramatically when the muted chords echo across the soundscape. Simply superb!

Surf (Instrumental)

This cover of Zorba and the Greeks' "Shockwave" drips reverb and vibrato, and delicately muted liquid guitar work completely transmutes the song into a new piece. It's been covered a few times, but this is easily my favorite version.

Surf (Instrumental)

An infectious rhythm and mysterious double picked guitar create a compelling aural journey. The melody is simple, easy, and very affective. The glissandos run amok!

Surf (Instrumental)

Spitfire notes and thundering bass, big swimming chords, and more splash than the law allows. The melody line is on the tube screamer side, while being more delicate and splashy Spanish surf in the break. "Did You Bring Your Brassknuckles" sports a warm attractive sound and a sense of adventure.

Surf (Instrumental)

Delicate guitars lay out beautiful flowing Mediterranean chords before the band launches into a pumping version of The Surfaris' "Wipe Out." There's enough rearranging and aural differentiation to make this a whole new experience, especially when the string bending and manic double picked fire start. The big ending becomes "Miserlou" through an easy progression, but then fires up the double picker for a Dick Dale-esq firestorm. Wonderful!