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On Thu, 21 Feb 2002, Damon wrote:
> My point was that they used non-reverb amps, without
> reverb units and I totally disagree with the idea that
> the Ventures are not a surf band, but one that just
> did surf songs. I think of them as a surf band that
> "branched out" and did other stuff. I don't know
> much, if anything about Ventures history, so I may be
> totally wrong . . . I'm sure someone can tell me what
> the Ventures were when they started, beside "The Most
> Instrumental Band in Rock N' Roll" as their album
> reads. I would never say The Ventures aren't surf.
The Ventures predated surf music. Their first records were released in
'60. It is generally agreed that the first surf songs were Dick Dale's
"Let's Go Trippin'" and around the same time the Belairs'
"Mr. Moto" (neither of them featuring reverb on the lead guitar,
BTW). The Ventures were quick to cash in on the surf fad, as they did
with every other fad. Given that most of surf music was instrumental, it
was a good fit. But the Ventures did not start off playing surf music,
nor did they play anything close to surf music after '67, when they
started cashing in on the psychadelic and heavier sounds. There's the
Ventures history in a nutshell. Now, who's to say EXACTLY how you define
a surf song. I love the Ventures, and they had plenty of songs that sound
like surf music to me, even when they labeled it space music! But
whatever. They were from Seattle, and around before surf music.
> other words, I won't put down the Ventures by labeling
> them "not surf," and THAT WAS A PUT DOWN, because
> thats all the instrumental guitar or surf music a lot
> of people know.
That's pretty silly. It was not meant as a put down, but as a simple
fact.
> I also think that surf music, or any music for that
> matter, is all about how you play . . . not about
> gear. The gear is just something for those of us who
> can be bothered . . . and I can be . . .
True. But can you play surf music with a violin, a viola, a cello and a
contrabass? I think we would all agree that you can play Miserlou with
those instruments until you're blue in the face, and it won't be surf
music. Similarly, the sound of a heavily reverbed lead guitar is one of
the most recognizable characteristics of surf music. Must all surf music
have it? No, I don't think so. And must you always use Fender
gear? Again, I don't think so. But most bands that don't have these
things do not sound very good to me. In the case of the Ventures, it
wasn't about the gear, and lack of reverb - it was much more about their
history and progression and intentions. Which had a passing connection to
surf music. No matter what the masses may think.
Ivan
