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--- In , bruce duncan <wetreverb@y...>
wrote:
> Hey Ivan,
>
> Being a writer and performer of trad surf instro music, and
> having been a fan of surf instro music for about 45 years, I was
> wearing out Dick Dale albums while most of day's surf guitarists
> were still in diapers, or not even born.
I understand, but most of us on the list are not in those
circumstances and don't know all of Dick's music. Which is why it
would be good to talk about it! If you're bored with it, you don't
have to participate. But as someone that was there at the time, it
seems that you would welcome a chance to give us your perspective on
Dick's music (and other bands as well) that we just don't get today.
> There's no question about DD's talent, abilities, technical
> prowess, and the significance he will always have as being one of
> the founding fathers of 1960's surf music. Maybe it's my
> Classical Music training coming to the surface, but I've
> gravitated tastes-wise towards the surf bands that play with less
> volume and more dynamics, and who do a lot of slower, moodier
> numbers.
Well, I love that stuff, too, but I crave excitement and power and
reckless abandon - and few other surf bands have had those like Dick
in the sixties!
> Most of these bands and players have been able to make their own
> unique innovative contribution to the rich heritage of Surf Music,
> without sounding like clones of DD.
Absolutely. In no way did I ever suggest that we should all become
clones. No way! DD was just who I happened to be talking about
when all of this started. I just wanted to get more discussion
going about sixties surf music, and DD though important is far from
the only one!
> I've written a song or two that clearly showed DD's influence,
> but, it's tremendously fatiguing to both player and listener, to
> be besieged by an hour of 120+db machine-gun riffs, when I would
> rather have heard a modern take on Theme from The Endless Summer!
I guess we differ here! Give me the barrage any day, both as a
player and listener!
> I remember seeing The Crossfires play somewhere in the South Bay,
> back in '63, with an older cousin, and I thought the lead guitar
> was Tom Stanton, but that was a long time ago, and sometimes one's
> memory can be a tricky thing.
Nope, Stanton was the rhythm guitarist. Al Nichol was the shit-hot
lead guitarist - playing a Strat, too!
> I guess my point is pretty much in agreement with what you said in
> your posting, that there are indeed many other pioneering Surf
> Artists we can discuss, (and I say this with much respect) without
> the discussions being dominated by DD.
Absolutely. I never meant to suggest that. I want to talk about
them all!
> BTW, I ordered several sets of the Rotos, in 12 & 13. The 13's on
> my Jazzmaster sound much better than the RW 12's on my Strat, so
> on the Strat, it's back to D'Addario 12's, but I'm liking the
> Rotos on the Jazzmaster, quite a lot. Thanks for having informed
> us all about them!
Interesting. You're the first one I know of that prefers D'Addarios
to Rotos on the Strat. Oh well, to each his own. At least it
worked out for the Jazzmaster.
Ivan
