Crazy Aces have made a name in the surf world, but I think of them as more of a Ventures-styled band -- more twangy than drippy and focused primarily on melody. If you've enjoyed their previous records, I think you'll be all over "Scorpions", "Rudy's Revenge" and "Chop and Channel". It's hard to pick a favorite among them. Then they try their hand at spaghetti western with "Trail of the Mystery Men" which is much more cinematic sounding than I expect from them. They trade off a steady drum beat for for acoustic strumming, strings and background vocals. It's a much different sound for them, but they pull it off well.
The AmpFibians "Enigma of the Deep" is now available on iTunes and CDBaby!
Here's what Hunter King from Storm Surge of Reverb has to say about the "Enigma of the Deep":
"The latest release from Cincinnati's AmpFibians is a big step forwards from their their previous album Surf Guitar Heard Round the World. Purely in terms of production it's much more, well, produced. It has that expansive effect-laden sound that brings out a Mermen vibe that I think was always trying to come out of this band. That especially comes out on the first track, but they have a bit more fun than the spacey Mermen typically do - getting pretty silly on "Wolf Whistle". Though it's a shame that it's only 7 songs, they cover a lot of ground, with some spaghetti western and jazzy songs as well as some good ol' surf rock. The AmpFibians really have bested themselves on this one, the songwriting is more memorable and focused than their last effort and it sounds so good you want to keep cranking it up."
Echoing the mondo-weirdo retro vibe of spook n surf greats The Ghastly Ones and Satan's Pilgrims, Chattanooga TN's Genki Genki Panic revels in reverb soaked instrumentals that reference the macabre with cheeky winks and nudges, and competent, inventive instrumentation. With an exotic, tiki meets belly dance rhythm and Carpenter-esque solos, "Camp Crystal Lake" re-envisions Friday The 13th as a 60's spy thriller directed by Quentin Tarantino circa 1996, while "976-EVIL" thrills more with its uptempo I'm-being-stalked-by-something-terrible urgency than the song's namesake movie ever could. Featuring sly titles such as "HPV Lovecraft", "The Spectrophiliac", and "Your Body Is A Wasteland", plus attitude and atmosphere to spare, Ghoulie High Harmony will bring all the ghost in invisible bikinis down to your horror hangout. Rating 4 out of 5
SHINY GREY MONOTONE
First off, not the music I had expected that serial misanthrope and friend of the blog, Chris (last name withheld for legal reasons) would come out with as the follow up to the criminally underrated Uncle Touchy's scraping hardcore noise rock. Second off, I underestimated just how great of a guitar player Chris really is...dude can work it out.
So, just what exactly IS this foreign and unexpected music? Try, instrumental surf rock with a pronounced horror theme and a darker influence. Like, if Link Wray was paying tribute to the golden beaches of southern California, Genki Genki Panic is paddling out in the muddy toxic soup of southern New Jersey. No tiki dolls and girls in bikini's, unless it's the Bride of Frankenstein choking out Gidget in the shore break.
What I like the most on this record is that you can tell the band has punk roots, and you hear the Agent Orange, or Rocket From The Crypt styled frenetic energy pulsing out of each serpentine guitar run. On the surface, it's good time fun music, cowabunga and all that, but just below the water line there's a scum covered sea monster lurking to pull you off your board and into the black depths.
Beyond your Dick Dales, and Ventures, and Duane Eddy's and the aforementioned Dick Dale, I'm not too versed in this music, so I'm not sure if there isn't an underground current that Genki Genki Panic have tapped into. Probably is I suppose, but for someone who doesn't usually listen to it, this record is an adrenaline shot that I found highly enjoyable. It's no novelty, it's legit shit.
Also, points for the Boyz II Men reference. http://shinygreymonotone.blogspot.com
INDIEMUSIC.CO
Anyone who knows me, knows I enjoy the aesthetics of Halloween way more than Christmas, which is why there’s Genki cover (3)usually some ghoulish decoration still lingering around the home come January. I no longer pretend it’s laziness. I’ll just admit my weakness for most things creepy. So when Genki Genki Panic sent me their musical (s)care package I had the warm fuzzy feeling of abject terror go through my veins.
Genki Genki Panic are another really fun, landlocked, instrumental surf rock band. From Chatanooga, Tennessee, this band is perfect for your haunted tiki bar and related witchy goings on.
“The Munge” is all muscle and brawn, throwing elbows as it pushes through a crowd before taking on all comers in a bare knuckle free for all. “Drag the Lake” is a hang ten, classic drop in sort of surf number. “Camp Crystal Lake” references the Friday the 13th film franchise and is nice for being more restrained. It holds tension and swells and pulses like your heartbeat as you wait to scream “Don’t go in there!” in a crowded theater. “Your Body is a Wasteland” drives and moves like a zombie chomping down and getting it’s first taste of brains. The punkishly quick “976-EVIL” is my favorite track. Two catchy riffs and a driving rhythm propel this forward with God knows what on your heels, but you don’t dare look back.
This two man act from the spooky hollers (suburbs?) of Tennessee bear considerable watching. For one they’re really good. And for two, they are up to no good. Let’s hope they continue to entertain the dark and nepharious thoughts which have clouded their minds and brought them to this point. And may this mental unrest continue to plague them for a long time to come. http://indiemusic.co
CHATTANOOGA PULSE
Chattanooga-based Genki Genki Panic has carved out their own corner in an already niche genre. With just two members—“Chancho” and “El Fatsquatch”—Genki Genki Panic produces a quirkily fun album that wades around in the dark and strange, but still occasionally meanders into the sunlight for a breath. All in all, Ghoulie High Harmony is an album I’d never expect to hear in 2015—because sometimes you forget about a type of music. But Genki Genki Panic’s Ghoulie High Harmony is here to make you remember.
The album is filled with song titles like “HPV Lovecraft” and “Sexting the Dead” that give it that eerily playful feel. The song I’m most immediately drawn to is “Camp Crystal Lake.” The staccato guitar rhythms are mirrored by the bass, and a dark dissonance plays on top of the whole thing. The drums sit in the back with hi-hat grooves and interwoven tom-toms.
“Camp Crystal Lake” is the only song on the album with a guitar solo, and even that only lasts for half a minute, but it feels great in the midst of the riff-laden album.
Ghoulie High Harmony is a strong first effort by Genki Genki Panic. The album is uniform in purpose and precise in execution. Reigniting the surfer-rock genre with a classic horror movies twist is something that’s not been done before, and these guys are doing it well.
The album is quick, dark and fun. Here’s hoping Genki Genki Panic transfers their album efforts to a live stage—Halloween’s not too far away. http://www.chattanoogapulse.com
NOOGA.COM
Genki Genki Panic makes "instrumental horror surf," or so their Bandcamp page would have you believe. True to their word, that's exactly what you get when you listen to their new release, "Ghoulie High Harmony," which the band released in March (there was also a "director's cut" of the album released in April). From the page's Universal Monsters picture and video game backdrop, you get the feeling that the band doesn't take themselves too seriously, though the music never comes across as half-formed or haphazardly constructed.
Spiked with rippling surf riffs and a thudding percussive backbone, this record feels simultaneously self-contained and expansive, as if the music were wound tightly around a series of nimble rhythms but loosened with just a quick flick of a guitar pick, sending jagged shards of guitar lines and chest-rattling drums off in all directions. It's easy to get lost in all the quick detours and back alleyways that the band drags you through, but in no time, you're back on the main road, looking in the rearview mirror and wondering what just happened. ttp://nooga.com
RAZORCAKE
What makes good surf music? Is it enough to be competent? Is it enough to come up with clever song titles like “HPV Lovecraft”? Personally, I need more. I need a band to take a few steps away from those old Dick Dale clichés and give me something I haven’t heard. Otherwise it’s just pleasant background music while I do the dishes. On the first few songs on this disc, Genki Genki Panic goes through the surf checklist and then start to add their own stamp, like the weird groove they lay down on “Sexting the Dead” or the creepy wailing that cries out from “Slaughterhouse ‘69.” Things get darker as the disc progresses, and it becomes clear that this isn’t the same old surf. –MP Johnson http://www.razorcake.org
I met The Monterreys at the 2012 Instro Summit in Chapel Hill, North
Carolina. More accurately, they saw me wandering around the motel
grounds looking for someone to talk to, and called me over to talk to
me.
The Monterreys are Johnny Stewart on guitar, Leon Daniel on bass and
Jason Dickey on drums. They’re terrific musicians. The set they played
at the Summit was loud, raucous, vibrant, reverb-filled and
hard-driving. So is this EP.
There are five tunes on the record, and only the first, Malaguena, is
a cover. It’s a great choice to open with. If any tune is going to show
a guitarist’s strengths or weaknesses, or a band’s for that matter,
it’s this one. They rip through their driving version of Malaguena with
confidence, verve and precision; this is fine ensemble playing, balanced
and tight. The guitar playing might lead the listener to think Johnny
plays flamenco guitar. He does. Builds to a terrific climax too.
Machete! Is a real cool tune that conjures images of a dangerous
Mexican back-alley and someone running away at the end. I have a vivid
imagination that I let music play with; what can I say? Again the
performance is perfectly matched to the music.
Rampage is very Dick Dale-like, in a good way. Powerful
double-picking and roaring glissandos combine with tight bass playing
and frenetic drums to sound like something Dick could have written if
he’d thought of it. Very catchy and lots of fun to listen to.
Waves of Kauai is a complete change of pace. Its’ melody is as exotic
as anything and the performance suits the music nicely. I listen to
this with my eyes closed and think about Hawaiian beaches at sunset,
with waves gently lapping the shore, and I’m swaying to the music while
holding my girl close. It’s just fast enough to dance to and just slow
enough that I might not want to. Not yet anyway. Maybe later.
The first time I heard Zeta Reticculi I thought I was listening to a
different band. Maybe something by the men of tomorrow? Nope, but sort
of. Something ghostly or ghastly? Nope. Something with coffins or
daggers? Again, no. It’s at once very familiar and unfamiliar. I like
it! It’s a lot of fun and would play great at a Monster Mash.
The Monterreys are very versatile musicians who are able to blend
different voices into their music that results in something at once both
familiar and unfamiliar. This is a very good EP and I have only one
quibble with it; it’s far too short. May I have some more, please?
Corridor X is the title of the highly anticipated first full-length
release by Kill, Baby… Kill! from Anniston, Alabama. Founded originally
in 2005 and led by Noah Holt, the band’s current lineup are Erek Smith
on Bass, Josh Jackson on Drums, Noah Holt on Guitar and Chris Eagle on
Organ and sound samples. They’ve been included on a number of important
comps since the 2011 release of their debut EP, Sometimes They Come
Back. When Kill, Baby… Kill! played the songs from Sometimes They Come
Back and more at the 2012 Instro Summit in Chapel Hill, North Carolina,
they left everyone stunned by their power, precision and musicianship.
KBK are a band to be reckoned with. What could they do to top that?
For anyone wondering if lightning strikes twice in the same place, it
has this time and with a lot more force. This record will wreck your
calm disposition and fill you with the need to play everything at full
volume over and over, jumping around and playing your air guitar or
drums. This is clear the floor of large objects before you play it
music. The record infects the listener with its’ relentless driving
beat, menacing melodies and powerful performances, and the occasional
touch of macabre humor.
The songs:
Corridor X
Corridor X begins with one of the best 1:18 seconds of this kind of
music I can remember. Screaming high-pitched feedback from Hell, like
the grid just exploded while you are listening. Then drums pounding with
a compelling beat full of menace, and then the music starts, fast and
furious, distorted like it’s trying to melt your sound system. Corridor
X. X means unknown. Going down a corridor to the unknown; who will dare
to do it? In sci-fi and horror films, everyone does, to their doom and
the entertainment of the audience. So we, the listeners, will also go
down Corridor X, unable to resist the pull of the music. A low rumble,
as if to indicate nothing is left outside the corridor you’ve been
traveling that you want to meet, then a click like switching channels,
and …
Occupation of the Body Snatchers
… just what you were afraid of. Something very bad has happened to the
world while you were in Corridor X, and you can’t go back and you can’t
stay where you are. You have to go on. What’s out there is the next
piece of terrific music. Overlaying everything are the haunting strains
of what sounds like the irresistible sirens of ancient sailing lore
calling to you and a whispered voice warning of certain danger. Do not
heed the warnings! Follow the siren call. You’ll be glad you did. This
time. It’s only a record. Right?
Meltdown in Sector 9
Be warned! The previous 2 songs come in quietly compared to the nuclear
blast of sound waiting for you at the start of this panic attack. This
is run-for-your-lives music. It sounds like surf music of, by, and for
the apocalypse. And while it incorporates traditional elements of surf
music like growling de glissandos and diving chords, the overall effect
doesn’t recall a pleasant day surfing. If it recalls anything about
surfing it brings to mind being pounded after a bad wipeout off a giant
wave and being held down under the roiling water overhead by a grinning
zombie. Yeah, that happens a lot. It does in this musical vision of the
future.
Hunting for the Dead
This really ought to be the music played on The Walking Dead during
zombie chase scenes. The first song taken from the EP, Sometimes They
Come back, it’s recreated here for the new record better played and
better sounding. Was it a good idea to reimagine the songs from the EP
on Corridor X? It is to me. I really enjoyed the raw energy and edginess
of Sometimes They Comeback. Fun stuff! Now, after a lot of experience
performing the material, KBK have taken what they’ve learned and
recorded better versions. Kill, Baby… Kill! have your back. Apparently
you can also kill zombies with very loud music.
Suppose the Doomsday Cults Were Right?
Also from Sometimes They Come Back, this song is the soundtrack to
trying to escape the end of the world while you can. The song is played
with a driving sense of urgency that infects, infuses, takes over and
finally consumes everything played by Kill, Baby… Kill! Are you on the
last escape vessel? Better be! Because when the end comes, it’s over.
You’ll see.
Something on the Wing
Who’s Julia? That’s right. She’s my wife. What’s out there? No one can
see it except me. Am I insane? I was then, but I’m not now! Must … stop
it … … or we’ll all … … … die! Bob Wilson would understand. So does Rod
Serling. Do you? It’s not psychotic paranoia if it’s real.
Love Theme for a Twisted Mind
Is your mind twisted? Don’t answer that. (They’re listening.) Well,
okay, you’re listening to a fantastic musical journey through fear,
loathing and terror. This is a furious two minutes 26 second
roller-coaster ride of a song. You’re launched at full speed until you
absolutely must have a break. Then, after being given a brief sonic
respite to calm your nerves and ears, you’re launched through the
gateway to Hell. Unfortunately there’s someone waiting for you when the
ride is over. I get the feeling, though she may be incredibly beautiful,
she isn’t a welcome sight. And she’s not alone. But you are.
Turn Your Insides Out
There’s something uneasily familiar about the opening piano introduction
to Turn Your Insides Out. It immediately recalled to mind Tubular Bells
from The Exorcist. It isn’t, but it triggered the memory of it, and of
seeing the film. I remember sitting in a movie theater when The Exorcist
was first released. The girls with us were huddling together for safety
and hiding their eyes. At a particular moment of sustained perfect
silence, I reached around and suddenly grabbed an arm. She screamed as
loud as she could, and then every girl in the entire theater screamed as
loud as they could. I love it when music does this; triggers a flood of
memories, emotions or ideas. The rest of the song screams by under the
influence of that memory. Oh, if you’re reading this, I SAID I was
sorry. But I had a smile on my face when I said it then, and she didn’t
believe me. I’m smiling right now too, remembering the experience again.
May Turn Your Insides Out provoke a wonderful strange memory from your
own youth.
Ant Invasion
I love the sci-fi classic film, Them! to this day. And so begins Ant
Invasion. Much fun is had by the ants as they go on a feeding frenzy on …
us! Musically-speaking of course. I recommend running around the room
in pretend panic while listening to Ant Invasion, just to get in the
spirit of the song. Just watch out for the giant stingers!
Trixion Twist
… is terrific! Pounding drums. Electrifying guitar playing. Sudden
stops. Then a short respite from the frenzy of relentless music. Then,
it’s back to the jump around in circles and try not to hurt anyone
smashing into them music. And then it just stops. Suddenly. If you do
too, you’ll probably fall down dizzy. Then you’ll know you got the full
measure of enjoyment possible from this wild Trixion Twist.
Psycho Beach Party
“They shall all drown in lakes of blood. Now they will know why they are
afraid of the dark. Now they will learn why they fear the night.” So
says Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian. So begins Psycho Beach Party. I
confess I’ve never seen the film, Psycho Beach Party, which, by the
way, I learned has a great surf music soundtrack. Some serious guitar
shredding is included for added excitement in this diabolical surf
psycho beach party music. Play this at a beach party and don’t be
surprised if everyone goes all psycho on each other. Okay, they won’t,
but don’t be surprised if everyone has a great time listening to it.
This is terrific. Now … Run!
Duck & Cover
If you’re as old as I am, you remember the public service announcements
that were shown in motion picture theaters, and broadcast on radio and
television, about how to survive a nuclear attack. If you’re still
running like I told you, you might be far enough away to survive the
blast. If not, you have to duck and cover. Or you could just have a
great time listening to this song. Nothing’s really going to happen
after all. It’s only just a song, all in your imagination. Really. After
listening to the musical version of the end of everything (You didn’t
really think duck & cover would actually work, did you?) the sound
of the blast wave dissipates and we’re left listening to an eerie melody
from a child’s music box as it winds down. If Panic in Year Zero is one
of your favorite movies, you’ll understand this song.
Conclusion:
I’m having a wonderful time going along for the musical ride through
my mind full of memories and images of many wonderful visual moments
from my life. Hey, when you grow up watching Chiller Theater every
Saturday night for two decades and then build a collection of hundreds
of sci-fi and horror films from the fifties and sixties, there’s no way
this music is just music. It’s a journey from the inner mind to the
outer limits of the twilight zone of the imagination. With a
sound-track.
This record is highly anticipated by anyone who’s heard of Kill,
Baby… Kill! It exceeds my considerably high expectations. From the
amazing opening of Corridor X to the evocative lonely sound of the music
box at the end of Duck & Cover, this record is a musical horror
sci-fi zombie apocalypse journey through places we can usually only go
in movies, or nightmares. The playing is superb, the production is
excellent. The music is compelling and exciting. It’s fun, energetic,
fast and furious, and imaginative. It sounds wonderful. It touches all
the right nerves and provides quite a ride. It far-away transcends the
limits of any one sound of surf music by not being limited to or by
them.
If I were to be launched by rocket into space, I’d want this playing!
If I were fighting hordes of zombies, pod people or triffids, I’d want
this playing! And, even if all I just wanted was something that is an
awful lot of fun to listen to, I’d want this playing. It isn’t just
music for the end of everything as we know it. … or is it?
This is what Kill, Baby… Kill!’s Noah Holt had to say:
Lots of people contributed to the success of Corridor X.
Chad Shivers was very integral to this record. While we had a
producer credited on our previous EP, he really only offered moral
support and name recognition. Chad came in with a good amount of notes
and ideas, all of which were great ideas we wouldn't have thought of on
our own. Even more, Chad is a VERY accomplished musician. There is no
way I was going to leave that studio without utilizing his abilities on
guitar to some extent. It was an honor and a privilege to have him
involved.
Chad played any acoustic guitar you hear, including on Hunting
for the Dead and Trioxin Twist. He laid down some guitar harmonies, but I
cannot remember which tracks specifically. The mellotron was on
Meltdown in Sector 9. Lastly, he did part of the piano track on Turn
Your Insides Out. However, the intro piano part was our own Chris Eagle.
Sharron Von Hoene did the thereminish vocals on Occupation of the Body Snatchers.
Dan Dixon doubled the thereminish vocal part on Occupation of the Body Snatchers with a synth in order to thicken it up a bit.
Jamie Galatas provided the shredder guitar solo on Psycho Beach Party, and an amazing performance he provides, too!
I say, very, very well done, everyone! I hope you all enjoy Corridor X as much as I do. I think you will.
The Man From RavCon is Mike Brown, formerly lead singer and guitarist
for The Ravelers. These days, Mike is making his extraordinary music on
his own. And a fine collection of records he’s been producing.
Skyscraper is his latest, and perhaps most inventive. Though known for
some pretty cool Spaghetti-Western music, The Man From RavCon has also
created records that transcend that genre. The Traveler is an exquisite
record that weaves marvelous melodies throughout a sentimental journey
into the past. Night of the Beast is a soundtrack to an unmade horror
film. Which leads me back to Skyscraper.
All the songs are lovely to hear and well-produced and performed.
Sometime through my second time playing it, I started to think of
Skyscraper as a journey through time and space, to real and imaginary
places the music created in my mind’s eye. What triggered this thought
was quite suddenly imagining I was in the hot-air balloon pictured in
the gorgeous and evocative cover painting by Tyler Strouth. This
thought, that I was soaring through a space-scape created by the music I
was hearing, changed how I heard the songs. What follows are my
reactions to the music in that context, as the music inspires them.
“Balloon” begins the journey. If you’ve ever soared in a hot-air
balloon, or maybe even flown slowly in an open-cockpit biplane, the
sensations the music recreates are true to a calm flight over
breathtaking scenery on a perfect day. At once, soothing and exciting.
But you are high up in the air, unattached to anything solidly
planted to the ground. “Cloud Teaser” is a complete change of
atmosphere. Now you’re really flying, up, around, down and back up.
I love the music-box effect that begins “Secret Passage”. Ever dream
of flying though an unknown mountain pass into an unknown valley? If you
ever do, play this song. It will fit the mood and expectations.
Another romantic melody is the centerpiece of “The Spring of Our
Content”. Lush and gorgeous, it’s serene, thoughtful, and beautiful.
Sentimental. We’re really daydreaming now. I wish it were longer.
From the liner notes, ““Friend” is dedicated to James “Frank” Rick
(1965 – 2013). I’ll save you a copy buddy.” The song is melancholy, and
yet not sad. It’s like a reminiscence tinged with a fond good-bye. Too
many happy memories mixed with a longing for a reunion some place and
time this dream-voyage can’t quite go.
“Veni, Vidi, Vici” is Latin for “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Unless
you’re a Roman Emperor, it’s also a motto fit for living a full,
complete, worthy life; a life facing squarely and not broken by trials
and tribulations. I stood and still stand tall, the song declares! It
sounds more traditionally like earlier Man From RavCon efforts. It’s a
bold melodic song in three parts, one for each theme; arrival, bold
exploration, and then confidently facing the day.
“Higher” is a darker, moody song. A bold life is a perilous journey,
not for the faint-hearted. But the determined never quit, they keep
going on. You never know what’s over the next mountain range if you
don't go over it. So you climb higher and higher, until you’ve surpassed
the summit. The song is like that. The view from the highest reaches is
breath-taking, peaceful. And worth the effort. Always.
“Skycraper”. Ever wanted to soar to the edge of space, to touch the
top of the sky, or go beyond it? Look down and see all that is below,
that was surpassed and overcome to reach those heights. How would you
feel? Victorious, humble, insignificant, proud, awed, reverent? These
emotions are conveyed in this song. I have climbed so high and touched
the sky. Beyond the sky is space. Do we keep going?
Then comes “The Fugitive”, the title of which implies there may be
something unauthorized about this journey to the edge of space. There
are moments of grandeur in this song that hint at something more. Then
the song becomes urgent, the pace speeds up and the music conveys a
sense of threat. Then, a rest before it begins again. Okay, it’s a song,
not a screen-play. But drama builds in moments of peacefulness, and
events spring as surprises upon the unwatchful and unprepared. Cool
song.
The track list includes these nine songs, but there is another on the
CD. I leave it up to the reader to discover it. But trust me, it’s
worth it. Just might be the coolest song on the entire record. If your
player is set to repeat, Balloon will begin as if it’s the end of the
last song. Almost as if it was intended that way.
Skyscraper has two meanings. One is the very tall buildings or other
objects so high they almost scrape the sky, but the other refers to the
person who climbs high enough to reach out and touch the sky.
Skyscraper is a journey of the imagination to wherever yours will
lead you. These are my own reactions. You will have your own. I highly
recommend you take the flight.
Mike Brown is The Man From RavCon. Formerly lead singer and guitarist
for the Charlotte, North Carolina, rock band The Ravelers, Mike has
been writing and recording as The Man From RavCon for many years. His
first album, Zombie Pimp Cowboys From Outer Space!, was released in
January, 2010. Everything Is Golden, his second record, released in
August 2010, is the subject of this review. My review of Skyscraper, the
most recent album by The Man From RavCon, is here. http://surfguitar101.com/forums/topic/22567/
Mike has said his goal is to create music that evokes emotional and
visual imagery, something like for a film score to scenes from unmade
motion pictures. As such, his music is on the thoughtful and
contemplative side, maybe not so much music to dance to at parties. I
don’t mean this is “contemplate your navel” music; it isn’t. There’s
purpose and intent to each song, as Mike tries to take the listener to
the scene he imagines the music accompanies. It helps to be familiar
with the film genres Mike has in mind, because the musical languages
associated with those films are well represented. But a vivid, visual
imagination is handier. This is music to imagine to. Daydreamers are
especially welcome.
This not to say all these songs aren’t danceable. “The Furguson” and
especially “Flip Flop” have catchy beats and are fun to dance to. Trust
me when I say, if something makes me want to dance, it’s definitely fun
to dance to. Listen to “Flip Flop” and you’ll know just what I mean.
I’ve been playing Everything Is Golden all day. I’m not bored in the
least. There’s a wide variety of listening experiences here. Yet as I
listen, I find myself drawn to certain songs. I haven’t started skipping
over anything. None of these songs are worth missing, but I anticipate
some songs more, almost longing for them to play again. So I think I’ll
share my thoughts about those songs that I keep coming back to, the
songs that have created the strongest impressions, or make the best
daydreams, if you like.
Moonlight Mountain
I live in the mountains of Northeast
Pennsylvania. It’s been moon-bright and snow-covered up here this week.
Maybe these aren’t the Rockies or Sierras, but this music just fits
perfectly with what I see and feel outside, at night under the trees and
stars, lit bright by moonlight. I’ll be the first to admit the title,
“Moonlight Mountain”, helps me see imagery in the music in a way naming
it “Second Song” wouldn’t. Yet, the mood the music creates with its’
beautiful, slightly melancholy melody, fits so well with how I’ve felt
outside these past several nights. Slightly too fast-paced to be sad,
it’s still lovely.
Atalaya
Listening to this, I find myself strolling along a
sunset-lit beach on the Baja coast. I imagine the girl’s name is
Atalaya, or alternatively maybe the beach is named Atalaya. And I’m
listening to this song playing somewhere in the dark, through the open
window of a nearby house of which only the dim light from inside reveals
its’ exact location in the growing night. It’s very calm and peaceful,
just the way this song makes me feel. What will happen next? I play the
song again and again, hoping to make the daydream last until I can
create the happy ending I want. But there’s an air of living for just
this brief moment in the song that leaves that ending always out of
reach. It tells me to enjoy the moment for what it is and not to ask
more from it than it can give. So I play the song again.
Flip Flop
Yep! It’s a good old-fashioned instro-dance song. Just go ahead and dance. You’ll be glad you did.
Dead Man’s Cove
The guitar tone draws me in like gold draws a
pirate, and the melody keeps me there. Mystery and an old danger compel
me to seek what lies unseen ahead. I’ve done this before, explored dark
and mysterious places. I find them irresistible. The song ends before I
find what I’m looking for, so I keep going, searching…
Beyond The Dunes
That guitar tone again. The melody is darker, more
foreboding. I’ve got to keep going. Turning back isn’t an option.
There’s only what’s ahead, for good fortune or bad.
Mosie. So simple. So lovely. Such a lilting melody. Romantic, happy,
charming, sweet. Peaceful. This song brings a smile to my face every
time I hear it.
Once Upon A Time In The West
I’ve seen the movie. You’ve seen the
movie. Which scenes will you see when you hear this wonderful version? I
see Jason Robards saying goodbye to Claudia Cardinale, I see Henry
Fonda’s shocking cold blue eyes framed under his black hat, I see the
closing of the West as the railroad is completed, represented by the
famous tracking shot of the hundreds and hundreds of railroad workers
busily uniting the halves of a nation.
There are no throw-away songs on this album. I hope you give
Everything Is Golden a fair listen, away from noise, distractions and
deadlines, somewhere and sometime when you can just sit and listen, and
let the songs take you wherever they and your imagination will you to
go. I believe you’ll really enjoy the experience.
Everything Is Golden
My favorite song on the album. A perfect
evening on the beach at sunset. Lapping waves and some shore birds
softly heard just over there. All is calm, all is at peace. All is well.
The melody is beautiful, the orchestration is exquisite, even delicate,
the performance is perfect. I’m in a wonderful mood in a wonderful
place. Nothing can be better than right here, right now, and I want to
stay here forever. The sun sets to the sound of lapping waves and some
shore birds softly heard just over there. Everything IS golden.
What do a group of successful Nashville sidemen do after performing,
recording and touring for over twenty years with some of the biggest
names in country, pop and rock music? Yep! Form a surf band to play surf
music in Nashville, and then make a surf record.
My interview with Crazy Aces is here http://surfguitar101.com/forums/topic/19597/
in which Jeff Senn discusses their musical backgrounds, inspirations,
musical influences, gear and more. Again I want to thank Jeff Senn and
Crazy Aces for enthusiastically giving me a peak inside their band. I
appreciate it.
There are thirteen tracks on the CD. The first and last tracks are
under a minute each and act as bookends to the CD. The first sets the
stage. The first thing heard is the sound of a needle dropping on a
scratchy record, and the sound is old – like a worn-out record. “Are
these the sounds of days that are past, or do we record a new dimension
of history?” we are asked after hearing a great piece of
vintage-sounding spy called Chainsaw Dance.
Then Invasion of Malibu plays; a fun 1’st Wave kind of tune that
wouldn’t be out of place on any record made back in the ‘60s. Catchy
melody for sure. They all have catchy melodies. Right off the bat I have
to say I’ve missed bongos. There aren’t enough bongos in surf music.
This CD uses bongos to great effect, and I love that. Jedd’s Sled shows
just how much fun bongos are and how well they fit surf music. A
favorite is Eastwood Outlaw, spot-on whistling and all. It hits all the
right musical cues.
An impression forms as the tunes unfold during the record. They form
on a kind of musical journey through various forms of surf-instro music.
Attention Shoppers reminds me so much of those fun Ventures covers of
favorite standards and novelty tunes they were so fond of recording. If
you’ve listened to their Never on Sunday you’ll understand. The record
pivots with Arigato Terauchi, which he could have recorded and performed
himself. After that an edgier and rock-ier sound takes over with Hippy
Trip. Makes me almost want to head-bang. Fun stuff. There’s more later,
but one of those wonderful sound poem surf tunes comes next, The Last
Song. That sensitive and gorgeous acoustic rhythm guitar is played by
Steve Wariner. This is one of those tunes that you play at the end of a
perfect day on the beach, after the last wave is surfed and the bonfire
has turned to warm glowing embers. How that feels is how this tune
feels.
Theme From Crazy Aces follows. More hard-rocking surf-instro. Driving
bass and drums, dirty guitar tones and all. Boogie Bored isn’t boring.
It has a memorable melody phrase that ties it together along with some
great guitar playing. Did I mention all the guitar-playing on this
record is terrific, as is all the musicianship? It is. Killer good. Lots
of love has already been expressed for Bangers, and it’s well-deserved.
It’s a roller-coaster ride of hard-driving surf, rapid-fire rhythm
changes and hard drumming.
Winston Churchill’s “finest hour” quote introduces the Return of
Chainsaw Dance, which ends with the sound of an old record scratching to
the empty last groove. So what to say in conclusion about a record like
this? I was going to write something about how this record makes me
think of what would have happened if some of the Wrecking Crew had
formed their own surf band and recorded and performed under their own
name.
Then Jeff told me this, “I hope you enjoy the record as a listen or
guitar playing inspiration. That's the real, main goal of the whole
Crazy Aces thing. To create music that's just plain fun to listen to, no
commitment from the listener, no proving ground for our musical skills,
just memorable melodies and fun music. When I quit playing on the road I
knew I'd want to keep playing, of course, but after being in the
serious, demanding side of the music business for years I finally had
the chance to do whatever I wanted, for my own gratification and this
band, this music, was my answer to myself.”
This CD is all that. Mission accomplished.
One last comment. The guitars used on many tracks on this record were
guitars any one of us could afford to buy. Many Teiscos and even a 1964
Harmony Stratotone. I quit learning guitar as a kid because my own
Harmony, a 1963 high-action jazzbox with razor-sharp bridge cables for
strings was just no fun to play. I wonder what would have happened if
I’d selected a Stratotone instead? I was floored when I saw the list of
instruments Crazy Aces use. So all you closet Teisco and Harmony
collectors out there? Time to come bring those guitars out into the
open. These old guitars sound great!
The subtitle to “Surfers Journey” is “a musicultural experience”, and
the listener experiences it right away. The first song, “Intro”, is
narrated in a traditional Hawaiian style called “talking story”. “We are
surfer.” the narrator, bassist Nicky Ravine, explains. “We explore the
ever-changing boundary between land and water.” In their monthly live
shows at the Molokai Bar at Ft. Lauderdale’s Mai-Kai restaurant, Cutback
use talking stories to lead their audiences through their music, to
understand where it comes from, and what it’s about. Not song lyrics,
consider them song notes. The talking story of “Intro” explains a
surfer’s world-view while the sounds of crashing surf are heard over
lovely Tiki-inspired percussion and a gently blowing breeze of bass and
guitar. I can almost smell the ocean and see the surf while listening.
So compelling is the illusion, I was convinced the track included the
sounds of shorebirds, but it doesn’t. The album already had me under its
sway.
There are no more talking stories accompanying the other tracks until
the last one, fittingly titled, “Outro”. But all the songs are
accompanied by their own descriptive subtitles, which provide a hint of
explanation. I’ve included them here. Sometime, I’d like to hear the
real talking stories about each song.
Surf Fever There’s only one cure.
The surf must have big when this song was inspired. This is a
fast-paced wild ride of a song. It’s got a beat that makes me want to
jump up and dance. This is surf music! Make that SURF MUSIC! Call it
modern traditional surf music, if it has to be called anything. Lots of
feel-good energy. There is a vocal of sorts, more of a vocalization, of
the fearful excitement of a surfer falling a long way down off a board
head-first into the heavy foam far below. That sound. Fun stuff, the
song, not wiping out like that. Have you caught Surf Fever?
New Dawn Across the faint horizon…
One of my musical fantasies is a surf concept album that starts with a
new dawn rising slowly over the ocean’s horizon. This beautiful song
could be that opening song, with its romantic guitars, swaying Latin
rhythm, and a lovely melody that lingers like the scent of the sea on a
gentle breeze. Tranquil. Beautiful. Evocative. Spiritual. Then the sun
suddenly breaks over the horizon of the ocean. And it’s a glorious
sunrise, fiery and luminous, full of life. But as the sunrise continues,
as above a real shore, the startling brilliance fades into the growing
overall light, and the original mood returns. I keep playing this song
over and over. I want to learn this song. I want to play “New Dawn” on
the ocean shore at sunrise. This song is wonderful, full of wonder at
the scene it lovingly portrays.
The Liquidator Surf vs. Spy.
If you think you’ve heard “The Liquidator” before, you probably have,
but not like this. Written by Lalo Schfrin, it’s the title song for the
1965 spy thriller of the same name, and is sung by Shirley Bassey.
Rather than do a straight instrumental cover, the song is reinvented by
Cutback, and their version is spectacular! Through the opening avalanche
of drums, the catchy Latin rhythm, period-perfect sound and feel of the
guitars, killer bass, and yet more amazing drums, I can see it all now.
The dimly lit clubs, the regulars, the out-of-placers, the booze, the
cigarette smoke, the villains, the girls, the danger. This song catches
the mood so completely I can almost touch the… scenery. Those were the
days, and I want to go!
Tubo Mexicana The tubes of Playa Zicatela.
Located in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, Playa Zicatela, known for big
surf that resembles the famous Pipeline, is a place where large swells
break into long hollow tubes. It’s the site of Mexican and World Masters
Surfing Championships. The song has a rolling, swooping feel that
conveys what it must be like to surf down the big wave into those tubes,
if you can get there, and stay inside the tunnel of roaring water.
Hypnotic. If you can do it right, you want to do it again.
Waanaleia Bay The most beautiful bay on Earth.
I was initially surprised by this song. I expected a piece of
tranquil music like “New Dawn”. But this is a fairly fast dance song. I
guess the surf’s up here, and it must be pretty decent surf - not too
big, not too fast, but also not low and slow. The sound and feel of the
song tells of a surf spot that is just right for a decent surfer looking
for a great day with plenty of wonderful rides. It must be a lovely
place, for the melody is. It must be the sort of spot where friends stay
long after the last ride, to eat, play music, and dance long into the
night, to songs like “Waanaleia Bay”.
Witches Rock Deep in the jungle of Costa Rica.
Hear the birds and animals? Their sounds populate this lively song.
Relates Frank Ferraro, “The jungle sound effects (SFX) were actually
recorded live by guitarist Rich LaVoir during his travels to Central
America. Richard is a sound engineer by education and loves to record
ambient sounds of nature during his travels.” This is one rockin’
four-plus minutes of surf music. Most surfers go to Costa Rica for the
surfing, which is very good. But the song recommends taking a day off to
go on a jungle tour. You’ll be glad you did.
151 Rum Swizzle Under the influence of the Mai-Kai Molokai.
Two minutes and thirty-two seconds of, well, let’s just say that if
you’re the sort of person who drives under the influence of music, don’t
listen and drive. But if you like to get up and jump crazily around –
you know who you are - under the influence of a clever, driving beat and
catchy, wild, fuzzed-out melody, go for it. You won’t care who’s
watching. Just do it! You can always blame it on the song. As for that
tasty concoction the song’s named after… well, you can blame it on that,
too. Just don’t surf and drive.
Atlantico If you can surf here, you can surf anywhere.
Another song that caught me by surprise. I had some trouble linking
the subtitle to the song, which by the way is cheery and uplifting. So I
asked Frank Ferraro about it. Turns out Cutback wanted to show the
Atlantic Ocean some surf love. The Pacific Ocean gets all the fame and
glory from California and Hawaii to Australia, and all the surf songs.
Yet, Frank tells me, “The East Coast of the United States, and in
particular Florida, has produced more world class surfing champions and
Pipeline Masters than any other region of the world.” That’s impressive!
Must be something in the water. “Atlantico” represents the good old
unappreciated Atlantic Ocean just fine.
Secret Spot Everybody’s got one.
This song swings! It’s got a real swingin’ beat that makes me want to
grab a girl and cut a rug. If there’s a place where the surf is like
this, it must be something special. There must be secret spots up and
down the coasts, known only a few locals, where the surf is great and no
one else goes. But don’t tell anyone else, or everyone will show up.
Let’s keep this spot just between us, okay? But please tell everyone
about the song. It’s fantastic!
Cutback A musical journey.
Okay. Where does a wave take a surfer? The thing about surfing is, it
seems like it’s just a short, wet, exciting ride back to where you
started. The shore. But the thing about surfing is that no two rides are
identical, therefore each experience is new, different. No matter how
many times you catch a wave in the same spot, it’s never the same wave.
Though a wave may have travelled thousands of miles, suddenly, in an
instant, it’s gone… Each wave presents a new experience, another
opportunity to learn something new. We change with each experience. What
did we learn? In what way are we new? Surfers will end up at day’s end
back on the shore, often on the same beach that began their day. But
they surfed, therefore they changed, therefore they lived. That’s quite a
trip!
Shark Pit Somewhere on the Treasure Coast.
“Shark Pit” is such a visually strong title. I see a deep underwater
hole teaming with marine life, and hungry sharks. Somewhere on the
Treasure Coast? Where sunken ships are hidden in the shark pit, laden
with gold and silver. Want to go treasure hunting there? You gotta swim
with the sharks, if you can find it first. Maybe it’s the whizzing,
swishing sound that keeps being repeated and repeated, but the song
seems to imply a spear-gun might come in handy. Just another nice day in
the water! Maybe it’s better to surf inside?
Na-Na-Neki Follow the coast and find your love.
Like to dance? This’ll get you up on your feet. So much fun in under
three minutes. Just dance yourself happy and you’ll find your love, the
song seems to be saying. Who am I to argue? This song give me grins as
long as it’s playing. I feel happier just listening to it. I think you
will, too.
Spanish House Somewhere near Shark Pit.
A place of romance, mystery, intrigue. Is anyone here whom they seem?
Are you? It’s a place to go to forget your past, and maybe meet your
destiny, if not exactly your future. Inside Spanish House, the outside
doesn’t exist at all. Forget your cares, as long as they don’t walk
through the door. Just don’t let down your guard, no matter how relaxed
you may feel. Dance a Tango. You must. The rhythm of the song won’t let
you go. It captures you like piercing dark eyes framed by long jet-black
hair, then captivates, lingers, like a perfect memory, always. You’ll
smile a melancholy smile, later. The memory is something you can’t
forget.
The Aloha Stomp The new Surfer’s Stomp.
After a day of great surfing with good friends, and the obligatory
cookout, what could possibly make the day even better? Crank up the
stereo! It’s dancing on the beach party time! This foot-tapping romp is
one terrific dance song. It’s got the beat, the speed, the catchy
melody. All you need is your friends and this song. Then just dance the
night away. And, while you’re at the Mai-Kai, enjoy their newest
concoction inspired by this song, The Aloha Stomp.
Conan The Surfarian For Da Bull.
Greg Noll. Da Bull. So nicknamed long ago because of the way Greg
planted himself on those big guns he invented, and charged down the huge
waves he rode. Almost a Sumo wrestler’s stance. He looked like he was
daring the surf to knock him off his board. If anyone has earned the
right to be called the Conan of Surf, it’s Greg Noll. Conan the
Surfarian, indeed! It’s the perfect song to watch films of Greg surfing
those big waves at Waimea Bay. I know. I looked up a few film clips and
played them while listening to “Conan The Surfarian”. Try it yourself.
Can you surf with Da Bull?
Outro Inhale… exhale… evolve.
The day is over. The last wave ridden. The sun has set. The fire has
died down to softly glowing embers, and then, finally… out. People are
quiet now, the loud talk and laughter silenced by the peaceful night and
the clear sky so full of stars. Do you remember the very first time you
ever saw the Milky Way on a dark night? I mean, did you see it on a
perfectly clear night without any lights at all, even the moon, to spoil
the darkness? From horizon to horizon, did you see nothing but the
pitch black sky so wondrously full of stars? Did you ever do that after a
day spent surfing? It’s time to reflect, listen to the waves. Maybe
someone is off, quietly playing a guitar. What did you learn today? The
talking story begins. “Explore. Encounter. Envision… “ You’re not
exactly who you were when the day began. No one can ride the waves as
intimately as a surfer without being changed by the experience. You
change because you surf. It’s hard not to.
My musical bonding with “Surfers Journey” started with the beginning
of “Intro” and strengthened with each song. What I wrote about “Surf
Fever” is, I believe, true for the whole album. I think “Surfers
Journey” by Cutback is a modern classic surf record. The sound and feel
is just right there. The music mostly stays on the beach or in the
water. Or else is about experiences familiar to surfers, especially
those who chase the summer to far-off places where the great surf is.
You paddle out to this music, sit waiting for good waves that always
seem to come when you’re ready, and catch a great ride. And you do it
again and again, until the day is done and you’re ready to relax with
friends, reveling in the weather, the water, the rides, the joy of
everything, the companionship. I think that’s important. Companionship.
The music on “Surfers Journey” suits friends who surf together. It has
a, “Hey everybody, surf’s up! Let’s all go surfin’!” sound and feel. I
like “Surfers Journey”. I like it a lot.
Cutback are:
Rich LaVoir – Guitar and Special Effects
Frank Ferraro – Guitar and Thereminator
Nicky Ravine – Bass and Narrative
Elliot Crawford – Drums and Percussion
All songs by Cutback, except The Liquidator, which is written by Lalo Schifrin and Peter Callander.
What do you do if you’re a quartet of Nashville Cats who like to play
music for the sheer fun of it? You might just play more country music.
It sometimes seems like it’s what everyone does in Nashville. But what
if you want to create and play something else, something completely
different, just for the sheer pleasure of playing joyful, catchy, fun
music? You might be a Crazy Ace. And what if you wanted to make a record
that conveyed the fun you have playing the music you create and
perform? You might record Surfadelic Spy-a-Go-Go by Crazy Aces. So they
did!
Surfadelic Spy-a-Go-Go is the follow-up to their first record, Crazy
Aces - Greatest Hits Volume 2. Recorded in a home studio, it replaces
the Hi-Fi sound of their first record with something aiming to recreate
their live sound while, according to Jeff Senn, also “… hinting strongly
toward some classic first wave Surf, ‘60’s Abbey Road, classic
psychedelia, and Go-Go sounds.” So… what’s it all sound like?
Thrown Away
I don’t know what was thrown away, but I’m glad this song wasn’t it.
It’s got what is almost becoming a signature Crazy Aces sound - a series
of distinct short melodic phrases with a variety of catchy beats and
orchestrations that repeat until it suddenly ends with a humorous phrase
that caught me by surprise the first time, and for which I waited with
anticipation on subsequent listens. This is fun music for the sake of
being fun music. It is fun, and I like it.
Kikobella
This is one of my favorite songs on the record. It reminds me of sixty’s
British television spy programs like The Prisoner and The Avengers for
some reason. I always like anything that reminds me of those wonderful
series. It could be music from an unaired episode of either of those
series or a theme song for a pilot of an unproduced program. In my
opinion, Kiko is pretty bella.
Big Dog
This starts out as one of the most traditional surf songs on the record,
and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. The song has swagger and a
great beat to go with the fantastic tone of the lead guitar. The melody
is something that could be spaghetti, but other elements turn the
overall effect into something else entirely, something modern -
car-chase, not horse-chase, and that tone at the end straight out of The
Outer Limits isn’t remotely Nineteenth Century. Very, very cool!
Rain For Sunday
This is probably going to become my favorite song on the entire record. I
like it that much. And it’s that good. I’m just a sucker for a lovely
melody and the song’s exotic elements that recall island getaways. The
song creates a vivid image of a small cottage on a deserted beach, rain
quietly falling so we stay inside and dance to the sound of the rain
falling on the roof and palm trees outside. A perfect song for a perfect
evening in a perfect location. Very romantic. Perfect.
Temple of Cool
It is, you know! It’s got an ultra-cool groove on that is foot-stompin’
jumpin’ ‘round the room infectious like anything and more than most.
Plus it has a wonderful, deep tremolo going for it that just adds to the
cool factor. I like tremolo. It isn’t used here for everything, so when
it comes back with the chorus, it’s welcome and not tiresome. This is a
song that makes me want to dance to it, or just jump around a lot to
the beat and hope I don’t knock something over. Cool!
Millions in Prizes
Kaleidoscopes on the TV screen, fast in-out zooms, swirling images,
Pop-art graphics and pop-up comedians saying very silly things, Go-Go
girls, Mod-fashioned folks decorated with giant paisleys in bright
colors. Girls with short hair and shiny vinyl micro-mini skirts. Boys
with long hair and shirts with oversize collars. This might be the most
fun on the record. Just go ahead and sock it to me!
Gotham
Holy Batman! Bang! Zoom! Crunch! Where’s Robin? Waiting in the Batmobile
of course. And right in the middle of music that sounds like it could
be from that iconic TV series comes an interlude that momentarily
suggests New York after dark above 96th Street, in the rain, with only a
dim streetlight in the distance to show the way. Who’s that in the
shadows? Funny you should ask?
Happy Shadow
I love The Shadows. There’s something about their music that was the
beautiful calm before the storm. But this is The Shadows on Crazy Aces.
There are lots of touches that make sure this song doesn’t just copy the
mood and style of the originals. It feels different, maybe more
frenetic and garage band-like. In a good way. No one’s crying for this
Shadow.
Agent Yellow Jacket
Cheese it – it’s the Fuzz! Lots of attitude and bravado mixed with a
swinging vibe of funky, slinky, edgy, driving beat. This song just rips
into cheap detectives driving beat-up cars and cheaper girls going along
for the ride. Is anyone in this story the good guy? Is the victim
simply the slowest bad guy? You got to have a lot of confidence to play
this game, and a lot of skill to play this song. Want to dance to it? Do
the boogaloo!
Busted & Broken
My second favorite song on this album by the bulge of a worn out
fighter’s nose. If there’s a genuine noir song on this album, this is
it. The melody is right out of dimly lit bars with cheap whisky, bad
days and worse nights, desperate women with nothing to lose, down on
their luck men who’ve already used up their last chance. This is not the
place to look for salvation, a fair shake, or even sympathy. This is
the dead end of life and you’re busted and broken. This song is
fantastic! I want to watch any movie that has the nerve to use this as
its theme song. It’s that terrific!
The Long Ride
This is a lovely song. It’s a gentle, lilting spaghetti-western with a
touch of humor that shows great fondness for its subject. The melody is
beautiful and romantic, and the rhythm, well if you’ve ever ridden a
horse slightly faster than a walk, you’ll recognize it. Horses can cover
ground at this speed for long periods without tiring, and it’s easy on
the riders, too. This song is a perfect way to end the record, riding
off into the sunset.
Surfadelic Spy-a-Go-Go by Crazy Aces is a very worthy successor to
their debut release. It’s different-sounding while being true to their
sound and feel. The material is fresh and unexpected, yet who else but
Crazy Aces would have made this record?
I’ve enjoyed every minute of listening to this record over and over
for hours while writing this review. There’s so much variety, I never
once got bored or tired of it. I can’t wait to just play it and be
surprised all over again by how much fun it is to listen to.
Crazy Aces (on this recording) are:
Jeff Senn, Guitars and Keys
Tom Hoey, Drums and Percussion
Justin “Oscar” Cary, Electric and Acoustic Bass
Kiwuamu Stewart, Guitars
Surfadelic Spy-a-Go-Go
Produced and Engineered by Jeff Senn and Crazy Aces
Mixed by Jeff Senn
Mastering by Alex McCollough at Yes Master, Nashville, TN
Graphic Design by Glen Hannah at StudioGoongah, Australia
Back cover and inside photos by Alex McCollough
The following gear was used to record Surfadelic Spy-a-Go-Go, and
while they don't make up for all the time and talent that went into
making this record, they did contribute significantly to the sound and
feel.
Guitars
1959 Guyatone LG-50
1966 Harmony Rocket
A handful of mid-‘60’s Teiscos
Rickenbacker 325 and 330
1953 Gibson CF-100
1972 Mosrite Mark I
Reisssue 1962 Epiphone Sorrento
