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Genre exploration part one: SURF MUSIC

15:40 / 30.11.01

I've been meaning for ages to get into surf guitar music.

I've already got a few records by modern practitioners like Man or Astroman? and Aqua Vista, but really wanna get hip to the old stuff..

I heard Dick Dale's 'Knightrider (or possibly Nightrider)' on the radio the other day and it blew me away. Ditto everything by Link Wray..

Where do I start?

(and don't say the Beach Boys)

04:10 / 01.12.01

Try with rhino's compilation "The Best of Dick Dale and His Del-Tones"; it includes most of the singles from his golden era plus a duet between Dick and Stevie Ray Vaughan (which is great; SRV tries to steal the camera with his flashy style, and of course he can't get away with it; nobody can beat Dick: he's the Clint Eastwood of the guitar). I know Rhino released a compilation called "Surf Hits"; which includes (obviously) Beach Boys and Jan & Dean; but it features many instrumental tracks. I haven't heard it; and the thing is that some of the tracks in it are also in the Pulp Fiction soundtrack (which I suppose you own, everybody owns that one)

04:13 / 01.12.01

Oh, and that "Best of Dick Dale" also features "Night Rider"

Red Cross Iodized Salt

09:49 / 03.12.01

You might also want to find some stuff by the Mummies (particularly the epic 'You Must Fight To Live On The Planet Of The Apes'.

[ 04-12-2001: Message edited by: Vote for Iron Man Wang ]

A

09:49 / 03.12.01

I make absolutely no claim to be an expert on surf music, but...

it's pretty easy to find old records by the Ventures. Their original stuff is usually great, but they also released lots of records full of pretty worthless covers of the hits of the day (I've got one where they do "Georgie Girl", shudder), so tread carefully.

it's also worth keeping an eye out for the Surfaris or the Atlantics, or from more recent times, The Phantom Surfers and Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet.

And Iron Man Wang is right, you NEED some Mummies records, although they only did a few surf numbers.

09:49 / 03.12.01

Rumble: The Best of Link Wray is possibly the best starting point. Highly underrated and kicks the crap out of Dick Dale. Ventures stuff is definately worth picking up as well. Living In Darkness by Agent Orange is the quintessential surf-punk album, captures the dark side of surf rather well, with that mixture of "punk ferocity."

09:49 / 03.12.01

Woo.

That advice seems to cover all bases.

Next time I get some spare cash and a trip to a decent record shop, twangy guitar will be mine.

13:32 / 03.12.01

Dick Dale, baby. His Hava Nagila nearly converted me to Judaism.
But I fear the Briss.

16:12 / 03.12.01

Something to add:
Rhino also released a pretty good multi-volume set of instrumental rock.
It seems pretty clear that whoever made up the Pulp Fiction soundtrack drew heavily from Vol 5, "Surf Music".
(on CDNow, with samples, here.)
The liner notes alone make it worth getting.
(Did you know The Turtles, "So Happy Together" fey vocal group, started out as an amphetamine-fueled surf band?)

There was also a great compilation called "Surf Legends (And Some Rumors)" which included things like the original version of "Cecilia Ann" (covered by the Pixies) and everything else on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack that wasn't R&B and wasn't on the Rock Instrumental Classics CD.

It's here, without samples. There apparently are sequels to it. (This one looks good, actually)

Oh, and if you can find it, look for the album "Blatant Localism" by JFA (Jodie Foster's Army). For me, they invented surf punk. I got into the Ventures after hearing JFA's version of "Walk Don't Run."

(Side note: despite the fact that they fuckin' rock, Agent Orange didn't really like doing the surf stuff - at least that's what Mike Palmer says. He may be lying, but he says some manager came up with the idea so they'd have a schtick. I think this was just post-breakup trying-to-forge-a-new-identity talk from him, though. He seems that type....)

[ 03-12-2001: Message edited by: grant ]

faintwhitelights

02:49 / 04.12.01

Dick Dale and his del-tones.

the Ventures, i recommend ventures in space.

Link Wray is always excellent.

Los Straitjackets is probably one of the best traditional styled surf bands left. They're not old by any means... but they stick faithfully to the familiar sound.

Man or astroman took the surf genre pretty far. especially if you listen to their later albums when they picked up a different guitarist, not so much surf anymore, but what a good example of genre exploration.

I even have a good buddy that was in an electro-spy-rock/surf band not to long ago called Jonny and the Shamen.

the bomboras, the penetrators, the ghastly ones... some good stuff all along there. good luck!

10:12 / 04.12.01

hunt around for cheap comps. a few years ago i picked up a triple cd with all sorts of surf-related stuff, from jan & dean to duane eddy to the surfer girls. it's a good way to get into the genre, though that particular comp is out of print now.