Surf Instro Review: Swingin' Creepers! : A Tribute To The Ventures-Various Artists

At long last, the iconic Ventures receive the tribute they genuinely deserve. MuSick Recordings has masterfully crafted one of the most influential and impeccably produced tributes of the year, a testament to the Ventures' enduring legacy with Swingin' Creepers! : A Tribute To The Ventures.

The Ventures' legacy goes back 40 years now. The young and the restless pay homage to the Godfathers of the instrumental surf genre. The only artist who comes close to the Ventures' age group is Davie Allan; even Davie might have learned a few things from the magicians of the Northwest.

The Space Cossacks kick it off appropriately with "Journey To The Stars."  It's a rousing, reverb-filled jaunt that takes you to the farthest reaches of the instro universe. The Cossack's guitar man, Ivan Pongracic, is one of the best players in the world, and he proves it on that number. (Ever listen to Interstellar Stomp?).

After that tremendous intro, it never lets up. Every track is a sonic adventure with plenty of reverb-drenched guitar that would please any surf instro lover. Just look at all the great groups that contributed tracks! All the best today, giving their utmost best to the legends of instrumental music. 23 tracks of pure intro dynamite.

You will recognize the names-Jon and The Nightriders, Satan’s Pilgrims, The Hypnomen, The Boss Martians, The Bomboras, and the list goes on and on. Everyone involved does an outstanding job. 

I know the Ventures are thrilled and honored by this release. The contributing artists must be honored to participate in such a stellar project. Can you imagine the thrill of being in a surf or instrumental group and getting a call to contribute to a CD of this magnitude? What a highlight of a career.

Quality is the primary focus here. MuSick Recordings epitomizes quality projects, and this one is their crowning glory. Want to listen to the new breed and hear their interpretations of the classic instrumental sound? This is the one CD you cannot do without this Summer. 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

April 1999

Tracks:

01. Journey To The Stars-The Space Cossacks   

02. Walk Don't Run-The Fathoms

03. Stop Action-Eddie Angel & The Omega Men 

04. Hot Line-The Quiets   

05. Ravin' Blue-The Volcanoes

06. Lonley Girl-The Exotics  

07. Mariner 4-The Penetrators  

08. Go-Go Slow-The Hypnomen  

09. Fuzzy & Wild-The Cave 4

10. Guitar Freakout-The Boss Martians 

11.Diamond Head-Jon & The Nightriders  

12. War Of The Satellites-The Sir Finks

13. The Ninth Wave-The Bomboras  

14. The Twomp-Fortune & Maltese and the Phabulous Pallbearers

15. Lullaby Of The Leaves-Davie Allen & The Arrows   

16. Yellow Jacket-The Saturn V    

17. Swingin' Creeper-The Tiki Tones

18. A Go-Go Dancer-The Looney Tunes   

19. Bird Rockers-The Mystery Action   

20. Eleventh Hour-The Vice Royals

21. Escape/Psychedelic Venture-Satan's Pilgrims   

22. Sha LA LA-The Huntington Cads

23. Moon Child-Ivan Pongracic featuring Ed Abolins and Eric Ebeling

 

Surf Instro Review: The Space Cossacks - Interstellar Stomp (Interview With Ivan Pongracic Included)

I could not hide my enthusiasm and adulation for this band's music. And my feelings have not changed after all these years!

The Space Cossacks Interstellar Stomp has already become a classic. It's not just a record; it's part of a legacy. Destined to be hailed as such, it had all the excitement and anticipation working for it before its eventual release. By listening to it, you're not just enjoying music but becoming a part of a prestigious group of listeners.

This CD is phenomenal! It is appropriate to cite it as one of the most significant surf releases ever.

Ivan Pongracic is a real gunslinger who takes no prisoners. His guitar playing is not just exceptional; it's awe-inspiring. The tonality, glissando, and reverb he coaxes from his axe are the stuff dreams are made of.

The rest of the group is outstanding in giving Ivan the backbeat he needs to consummate the marriage between his furious guitar playing and the foundation from which each masterpiece of reverb is born.

The tremendous talent on the musician's behalf, excellent production, and sonics make this a recording for the ages in the surf world. It is one of the best you will ever feast your reverb-soaked ears upon.

Tracks:

01. Third Star To The Left  

02. Red Sunrise  

03. Solaris Stomp 

04. Neutron Sabre  

05. Black Sand  

06. The Cossack

07. The Spy Satellite  

08. Planet Of The Apes  

09. Gunmetal Express 

10. Transatlantic Orbit  

11. Moroccan Adventures

12. Mir Rescue    

13. Bombora   

14. The Space Victory Theme  

15. Navajo Star

Surf Instro: The Space Cossacks/The Hypnomen - From The Shadows Of The Evil Empire...

Whoever said Vinyl was dead? It never died, it just took a backseat while the world was captivated by the new kid on the block, the eight-track. But the charm of vinyl, with its crackling sound and tangible presence, never truly faded.

Of course, after that, the cassette revolution followed, leading to CDs, which gradually took over as the main format. What format has hung right in there through all of the format changes? Vinyl.

I bought a turntable last summer because I missed it. All the albums and 45s with their colorful inner sleeves and cover art, those were the days.

Just leave it to the surf genre to make it fun and interesting again, with a release like From The Shadows Of The Evil Empire…, featuring the two amazing bands The Space Cossacks and The Hypnomen.

90% of the vinyl in my present collection is surf instrumentals. All 7" with various color palettes adorn the Vinyl as it spins away on the turntable, sounding as good as ever!

Surf is the only genre I know that combines different groups' songs on the same 7" to create this fascinating and colorful format. MuSick has been steadily building its 7" collection. This is the collectors' arena. I am not a rabid collector like in the 1970s, but my interest has been piqued by releases like this one.

The Space Cossacks and Hypnomen bring you some of the best surf instro in the galaxy, complete with the signature "surf sound." The songs don't last that long. Surf songs aren't designed that way, never were. 

They are all great songs, regardless of the length; that's the beauty of surf instro music. All the energy of great surf music armed with rapid-fire guitar playing encompasses all four tracks. The two groups do a very nice job of combining their experience and expertise to create wonderful and vibrant surf music.

So, why not dive back into the world of vinyl? Start your collection again and experience the thrill of discovering new music in a classic format. Trust me, it's cool stuff! 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

April 1999

Side A -The Space Cossacks /Escape From Gulag 17/Metsakukkia

Side B -The Hypnomen /Holotna/ Comrade, The Squealer