Menu
Well Ivan, you sure know your Ventures. But I would
disagree with your dates for the birth of surf music.
I don't think that there is a "First Surf Song," music
doesn't work like that. More of a gradual
developement of the instrumental guitar scene from the
fifties through the invention of the outboard reverb
tank (it was invented with Dick Dale in mind, was it
not?) I think that reverb was invented then used by
surf bands, instead of the invention of reverb
creating the musical style as your dates seem to
indicate. I would argue that, Link Wray was doing
some pretty surfy instrumental work in the late 50's.
But again, my definition (and I use the term loosely)
is much more broad than yours.
I do agree with you on your other point, it's not surf
without guitar. Sure some sax leads are fine, but all
that's icing on the cake. So I will restate my point
in a different way. Surf music is not about what kind
of GUITAR gear you use, that isn't to say that a synth
guitar all tweaked by technology sounding like a Moog
is still surf or guitar through 20 distortion pedals
or whatever other extreme you can use to disprove a
relatively simple point, but that all you gotta do is
play with surf style to be a surf guitarist. I won't
even try, but leave you to define surf style in your
own way.
Damon
Footnote: It is surf music's reliance on style above
all else that I love. That why it really pissed me off
this morning when I heard some Steve Vai type was
posting his song for our group to listen to. Steve
Vai, for me is the complete absence of style-just
another paint by number guitar school wanker. Its as
if some out-of-town jackass came to the beach I surf
every day and acted like he owned the place on a
JetSki. What he doesn't know is IT is not about
shredding its about stylin'.
--- IVAN PONGRACIC <> wrote:
> On Thu, 21 Feb 2002, IVAN PONGRACIC wrote:
>
> > 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,
>
> Oops. I meant to say that both of these songs came
> out in '62. Surf
> music didn't really start producing hits until '63
> and a bit in
> '64.
>
> Ivan
>
>
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Sports - Coverage of the 2002 Olympic Games
