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Surf with humbuckers
Joined: Apr 03, 2010 Posts: 3201 Jacksonville, AL 
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 04:28 PM
...and lets not discount Ventures in Space. That album revolutionized a lot of studio techniques. I will not, however, say that I love everything they have put out. The previously mentioned Live in Japan 1965 ties with In Space as my favorite. The Batman album comes in a VERY close 3rd and is also quite the rocker. —THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary. www.thekbk.com |
Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10331 southern Michigan
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 04:29 PM
The Ventures' "Stop Action". An original, no less. Not empty, not emotionless, instead simply awesome. As were SO MANY of their other tracks. Check out Bob Bogle's bass around 1:20, but really in the whole o the track. As well as Nokie's picking, of course.... —Ivan |
Joined: Jun 21, 2007 Posts: 3909 San Diego, CA
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 04:30 PM
PrestonRice wrote:
Nope, don't know what you mean. Empty and emotionless? Have you heard Love Goddess of Venus or Eleventh Hour or Ginza Lights?
Ryan |
Joined: Oct 05, 2012 Posts: 1725 Austin, Texas
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 04:54 PM
I apologize if I didn't make it clear that I was stating an opinion. To me, the sound seems very dull. I'm not really a trad surf guy to begin with, I wouldn't know good trad if Eddie Bertrand sent it flying at my face through a cranked showman. My only issues with the ventures are the amount of covers, the sound, and the repetition, which themselves may define traditional surf. I'm not calling the Ventures empty, dull, emotionless, or anything of the sort. I'm sure they feel every note of what they play. But when I sit down and listen to the Ventures, I don't feel that emotion come through the same way I do when I'm listening to Slacktone, the 'Verb, Dick Dale, Santo and Johnny, Rush's instrumentals, or even some newer groups such as M83 or Caravan Palace. I do enjoy some of the Venture's music. Their version of "Walk, don't run" is a favorite of mine, along with a lot of The Ventures in Space. Just not my favorite group. —IMO. |
Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 2065 Virginia, USA
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 05:01 PM
Man... you just don't understand "today's teenagers"! Dig this clip: —Paul |
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Joined: Oct 05, 2012 Posts: 1725 Austin, Texas
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 05:08 PM
I am "today's teenagers"! IMO. |
Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 1054 Chicago IL.
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 05:14 PM
PrestonRice wrote:
You must have not heard Live in Japan '65 or the rarer Live in Japan '66? I can't argue with your empty or emotionless feelings you are having as to that comes down to a personal opinion but as a guitarist talking to another guitarist I'm yet to meet another guitarist who isn't blown away by Nokie's playing on Live in Japan '65. Yeah there is some filler on Ventures albums. Some will even argue they didn't get exciting until they picked up Mosrite guitars. I will have to disagree with your statement of something being off when a band like the Ventures become so successful. The Ventures were more than just a band. They influenced millions of kids to pick up guitars and form bands in their garages. I certainly wasn't alive back in the 60s but from every Venture album I've picked up at a thrift store the wear on the vinyl groves show that some kid spent hours upon hours working out guitar parts. —"as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there" https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/ |
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Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 1054 Chicago IL.
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 05:20 PM
Ruhar wrote:
Oh you're to kind Ryan! I've been playing with a 4 piece instro/surf band the past year but I've been toying with putting together another surf trio. I kind of miss that setup and I have to say this with all honesty hearing Secret Samurai and seeing your pictures come across my Facebook feed have been influencial in that. —"as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there" https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/ |
Joined: Mar 09, 2011 Posts: 273 Melbourne FL USA |
Posted on Jul 08 2013 05:22 PM
After a careful listen to "the Rising Surf" (it sounds like NO Richie Podolor connection although the "same title") by the Tandems on Sundazed's "Lost Legends of Surf Vol. 1", it sounds a LOT like "The Wedge" by Dick Dale. It was a "demo" that came out 3 0r 4 months before "The Wedge" that Al Hazen supposedly had something had to with. (It actually sounds like Davie Allan on the demo). This was undoubtedly "one of those many demos" that was given to Dick Dale by Capitol records to "try out" or "listen to" to see if he could do anything with. |
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Joined: Jun 21, 2007 Posts: 3909 San Diego, CA
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 05:24 PM
BillAqua wrote:
Wow, that's really great to hear Bill! I'm honored. Now, back to Ventures bashing! —Ryan Last edited: Jul 08, 2013 17:25:42 |
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Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 1054 Chicago IL.
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 05:57 PM
How about a Venture with a humbucker?!
"as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there" https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/ |
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Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 10331 southern Michigan
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 06:15 PM
PrestonRice wrote:
Preston, maybe rather than spending so much time talking about gear you might make an effort to familiarize yourself with trad surf a bit more. You're REALLY missing out on some amazing music, especially if you actually think of yourself as somebody that likes surf music. —Ivan |
Joined: May 14, 2007 Posts: 1753
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 06:15 PM
Of course someone is free to like whatever they want. I'm only troubled by the statement: "I just don't see the appeal behind another "surf-esque" cover band." Even if the Ventures aren't your favorite band, I think they deserve recognition for being pioneers of guitar group instrumental music and a prototype for all such groups that followed. |
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Joined: Oct 05, 2012 Posts: 1725 Austin, Texas
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 06:37 PM
I'll definitely have to listen to the "Live in Japan", now's as good a time as any to have my opinion changed! And Ivan, it would be great if you could PM me with some good trad. surf! I just haven't found much that I like there. I enjoy Dick Dale, Eddie and the Showmen, The Bel-Airs, Some astronauts, some Shadows, and I'm sure there are others that I'm just not remembering. I admire what the Ventures did, and the impact they made, but look at it from someone else's shoes - Imagine a new cd from some small town rapper, let's say "WavyDaze" On a lot of their covers, I would just rather listen to the originals. I mean no disrespect to the Ventures, just not a fan. Closer to the topic, what about P-90's for surf? My SG is hideous but I'm beginning to love this old axe, through the tank, into my cappy old super awesome Gallien Krueger. Someone once said I should slap on an anarchy sticker and play whatever the hell I want, I kind of like that. Sans the anarchy sticker. I hate stickers. IMO. |
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Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 1054 Chicago IL.
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 06:39 PM
IvanP wrote:
Awesome song! One of my favorite mid 60s Ventures tracks and its basically a jam but Nokie pulls out all the bendy James Burtony licks he can. Another thing about Live in '65 aside from the speed/energy at which they play Take a song like House of the Rising Sun. I like their studio version of that on Walk Don't Run '64. But Nokie is on fire on the live version. Each verse he takes more and more risks with the leads. The risk taking if you will is another part of Live in '65 I like. Now pulling off those parts probably weren't risky for Nokie, but I always felt some of the studio stuff felt tamer compared to the Live in '65 counterparts. —"as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there" https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/ |
Joined: Feb 25, 2006 Posts: 19349 Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 06:50 PM
PrestonRice wrote:
But that is not what the Ventures did. At all. —Site dude - S3 Agent #202 "It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea |
Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 07:28 PM
As a person who has stated they don't like the Ventures, a person could still get rid of the filler and put together like three-five albums of solid material. Some great, some good, some okay, some bad, some awful. At the end of the day, I'm an album person so that is where I judge ultimately. What I'm trying to say is... the Ventures are the Rolling Stones. If they all could have been Mother's Little Helpers or Paint It Black, but they couldn't! |
Joined: Mar 15, 2011 Posts: 8528 Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 07:33 PM
Go to 1:50. —This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got. Last edited: Jul 08, 2013 19:48:23 |
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Joined: Feb 25, 2006 Posts: 19349 Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 07:39 PM
But Jake... Ventures in Space? That's quite an album. A complete coherent concept album from start to finish. Does that one do anything for you? —Site dude - S3 Agent #202 "It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea |
Joined: Apr 24, 2006 Posts: 1618 Ithaca, NY
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Posted on Jul 08 2013 07:42 PM
Brian wrote:
Ha! Well, when WavyDaze inspires an entire generation of American teens and the entire nation of Japan to start rapping, we'll make the comparison. I think I used to have a similar opinion to Preston's back in the day in that I didn't quite get the Ventures or quite click with their sound. But I've definitely seen the err of my ways. Yes, tons and tons of their (enormous) library is covers, but I wouldn't call them copycats. I think they were just incomparably good at identifying and isolating great melodies for a rock n' roll format, from pretty much anywhere, which is what's so impressive. And they could hit all the bases, from the delicate and gorgeous Hokkaido Skies, to the driving Yozora No Hoshi (with probably the drippiest, surfiest, most flawlessly executed palm-muted rhythm guitar ever!). And one of my favorites - the super fun, super infectious Nutty (with killer rhythm guitar again). It's all primo stuff. Preston, I'll reiterate that Live in Japan is a great place to start. That was my doorway into appreciating the Ventures more. To bring this thread slightly back on topic, I'll mention that playing surf with humbuckers is hard to do well, and easy to do crappy. Live in Japan is a perfect example of the best alternative - get your grit by 1) playing your ass off and 2) doing it through a saturated Showman. The guys sound amazing on that record! |
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SurfGuitar101.com © 2004 - 2025 by Brian Neal. All comments and user contributed articles are property of the posters.
Thanks to all the surf bands, past and present. And thanks to all the fans who care about and keep surf music alive.
The Ventures became a big success because they were a pretty incredible band. Everyone is free to not like The Ventures. By all means. There's lots of bands I don't prefer, but I try and shy away from calling them empty and emotionless just because I don't "get" them or simply don't prefer their music.
)
: 
, who's covering all the pop hits from the 60's, with rhythms and rhymes and crappy drum machine. The original songs are forgotten as this kid's covers take over. Everyone loves the kid, he's a big success, and it makes you go all "WTF", I don't get "kids these days". They take all the nice safe songs I grew up with and turn them into blithering blabbering nonsense! 