Surf Rock Review: The Reventlos - Essential Reventlos/ Songs Of The Golden West

Essential Reventlos adequately covers all the genres that the group explores, fitting snugly in the surf-instro genre. What the group sounds like is a continually changing and evolving instrumental barrage of surf, instro, rock, and country. This is a brief general description of their sound. The recording is characterized by its hard, raw edge. It's a very appealing sound and works well with the type of tunes that the group performs.

Judging by the titles of the tracks, the boys are endeavoring to introduce you to various incarnations of a Reventlo. Dominated by quick-changing, razor-sharp musicianship, they offer non-stop audio pleasure. If you enjoy a lot of different sounds all on one CD, you will Love this. You are likely to hear several changes within a single song. This is an impressive debut that leaves you wanting more.

This group takes something intangible, such as music, and shapes and molds it into a tangible entity. I know this sounds weird, but it's not hard to envision this while listening.  The debut CD of The Reventlos, Songs Of The Golden West, is impressive, leaving you wanting more. It's remarkable due to the band's musical prowess and diversity.

Songs Of The Golden West is excellent. It's well-polished with precise and perfect sound. I have a hard time fathoming how these guys put together such a masterpiece of instrumental jewels like this CD. You can hear echoes of the golden west, but it's much more far-reaching than that. It's unrelenting, thundering, and high-powered diversification that clarifies the sound of The Reventlos on this outstanding effort.

If there is one instrumental CD that you buy this year, choose this one. This is what it's all about.  I can't think of one genre or sub-genre that the group doesn't cover under the umbrella of surf-instro on this session. Of course, they go above and beyond the confines of any one style or sound. It's a perfect example of incredible raw power showcasing superior musicians in their element of choice. I had to sit and listen to this one again after the first time to make sure it was really that good. It is.

I don't want to put any unnecessary pressure on the group, but I must say this: This effort will be arduous to surpass. I hope I'm one of the first to receive a copy of the next CD, that's for sure. If I were to rate this CD on a scale of 1 to 5, it would earn six stars. Okay, enough gushing.

This group reminds me of another instrumental giant, The Hellecasters. Ever hear of them? They are a group of session musicians from the Austin area. They play amazingly complex instrumental country-rock numbers at breakneck speed. This is the level of expertise that The Reventlos are on. You understand where I'm coming from by now, so get the CD!

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck

January 07, 2000

Tracks:

Essential Reventlos:

01. Death of a Reventlo

02. Reventlo Hayride

3. Planet Reventlo

04. Two Roys

05. Over the Falls

06. Pass the Cow (I think I'm Chet Baker)

07. El Pendejo

08. Persephone

09. Andromeda Sex Lounge

10. Western Stars

11. (Theme from) Maj Wood

12. Girl from Colonet

13. Meet Mr. Recently

14. King Kong

 

Songs Of The Golden West:

01. Fun Zone

02. Spahn Ranch Rodeo!

03. Haunted Valley

04. Stan Orlow

05. Crawl To The Reventlos

06. Mondo Reventlo

07. Groove, Part 1

08. Hey Andy

09. Crankheads of Elsinore

10. Greed and Lust

11. Oildale Girls

12. Veronica

13. 2227-A Pomona Avenue