Surf-Rock-Garage Review: The Boss Martians - Move

www.bossmartians.com

“The Boss Martians” are boss; there is no doubt about it. This group has mastered the art of playing sixties rock-pop and surf-instrumental on Move. It’s unusual to find a group that does both, and very well. Well, let me rephrase that…they have it down better than some of the originators of the genres.

Move features the pumped-up leader Evan Foster (vocals, guitar), who has a good set of pipes on him, and he plays the guitar like he had one in his hand at birth. He must be reincarnated from the sixties; that’s the only logical explanation. The rest of the group is equal to the task. Nick Contento (organ, piano), Jason Reavis (drums), and Steve Esquerita Davis (bass) stay right with Foster and inspire him to rock that much harder.

Although Foster is unquestionably the leader, the group’s sound quality would be significantly compromised without the support of each member. There must be magic and cooperation on all levels of the creative process for an album to sound this good. Move is a great rock and roll album.

This CD goes from first to fifth gear in a heartbeat with the rockin’ “She’s In, You’re Gone.” It’s the classic AM single format, clocking in just over two minutes in length. Actually, except for two tracks, every song’s runtime is radio-ready, keeping the standard two-minute timeframe in mind. This music is all about cars and chicks…check out “Introducing-The 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee.”  All the dudes get a warning with “Never Trust a Chick (In a 3 Window Coupe)”, and then there is plenty of fun in the sun with the instrumentals tucked in between all the vocal tracks.

Hey, if this stuff doesn’t get your ass off the couch and shakin’ that booty, I suggest you check in with your local undertaker. If you desire a break from all the vocal activity, then there are some fine instrumental numbers to satisfy that urge.

“The Last Ride” is an energized traditional surf-instro tune, and “Trouble On Two Wheels” is the most interesting track on the entire album. It starts with a country flavored guitar run ala The Hellecasters and then quickly switches over to a quick foreign (maybe Lebanese?) dance-like tempo and then back again, all in the space of three and a half minutes. It’s an awe-inspiring display of virtuosity. You must listen to it a few times to catch everything that they are doing.

I love this group; they have got it covered for the sixties as far as I am concerned. It’s refreshing to hear simple, no-frills rock and roll that creates a clear picture of a time gone by. This kind of music never gets stale or boring. So, what are you waiting for? Get off that couch and get a copy of this now! 

You can find one here if you are interested in Discogs, which is priced reasonably.

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck

February 12, 2002

Tracks:

01. She's in, You're Gone (Foster) - 2:14

02. I Want More (Foster) - 2:47

03. The Last Ride (Foster) - 2:29

04. Introducing-The 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee(Foster) - 0:18

05. Bad Ass '71 Dodge Super Bee (Foster/Trueblood) - 2:05

06. Trouble on 2 Wheels (Foster) - 3:29

07. This Time Around (Foster) - 2:37

08. Intermission (Foster) - 2:05

09. Move! (Foster) - 2:25

10. Never Trust a Chick (In a 3 Window Coupe) (Foster) - 2:20

11. Chihuahua del Diablo (Foster) - 2:26

12. Mugs O' Plenty (Foster) - 2:10

13. Little Sally Tease (Valley) - 2:45

14. Pandilla en Motocicleta (Foster) - 4:28

Surf-Progressive Review: California Guitar Trio - Rocks The West

Listen On Pandora

Rocks The West, a 2000 live release from the California Guitar Trio, features Tony Levin on the Chapman stick bass and a fretless bass, and Bill Janssen on the saxophone. This unique combination adds an esoteric feel to the music, transforming the trio’s sound into a more layered and complex progressive free form experience.

The classic influences come through on Beethoven’s "Symphony No. 9." The creator would have been delighted if he heard their version. The one song that just knocked my socks off was "Bohemian Rhapsody." I have never listened to an instrumental version of this song; it’s gorgeous and so intricately played. The Ellington jazz classic "Caravan," which has several popular surf-instro interpretations, is heard in an entirely different musical domain.

 

The group does have the surf influences courtesy of Hideyo Moriya. Still, bandmates Paul Richards and Bert Lams allow the song to take on a life of its own due to the cooperative spirit of each player, allowing all their influences to meld into one big, beautiful, and stunning sound.

Surf, classical, jazz, rock, folk, progressive…it’s all present and accounted for on each track. The liner notes are very cool; they track their dates and venues with insightful and humor-filled commentary. There are also some good snapshots of the band.

 

The entire world is a stage at a CTG concert. The players are the puppeteers, and we are the puppets, allowing every note to transport us to a dimension free of worry and filled with happiness and wonderment.

 

This music is not just powerful; it’s a transformative experience that you owe it to yourself to have. You have to hear these men play to truly understand the impact and importance of what they do. Their music has the power to inspire and uplift, leaving you with a renewed sense of wonder and joy.

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck

January 24, 2002

Tracks:

01. Scramble

02. Symphony No. 9

03. Bohemian Rhapsody

04. Caravan (Moroccan roll w/drum solo)

05. Punta Patri

06. Waters of Eden

07. Blue-eyed Monkey

08. Pathways

09. Pictures at an Exhibition

10. Happy Time In Fun Town

11. Misirlou

12. Rokudan

13. Blockhead

Progressive-Surf-Instrumental Review: California Guitar Trio- With Special Guests Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto-Live At The Key Club

Tony Levin Website

California Guitar Trio came into being in 1991 after Bert Lams (Belgium), Hideyo Moriya (Japan), and Paul Richards (USA) met at a Robert Fripp guitar seminar in England. Fripp was impressed enough to take the trio on tour with him on the now-famous Fripp’s League of Crafty Guitarists Tour, a tour known for showcasing exceptional guitar talent. The result of that successful internship helped the three men decide to break off from the Fripp troupe and start their group. CGT was born, and the rest is history.

Live At The Key Club features very special guests Tony Levin, bass player extraordinaire, and the in-demand percussionist Pat Mastelotto (Mr. Mister, King Crimson), delivering an indispensable performance with the group.

The combination of awe-inspiring jazz-inflected surf-progressive-rock sound is a rocking example of genre amalgamation. A notable inclusion to this set is the classic Surf tracks "Miserlou" (Dick Dale), "Apache" (The Shadows), and King Crimson’s phenomenal ‘Discipline’ to wet your diverse musical palette. If that isn’t enough for you, then John McLaughlin’s “Dance Of The Maya” will set your soul afire.

This group sounds like a literal guitar army. Keep in mind this is all acoustic guitar, although it doesn’t keep the sound down at all. With the addition of the incredible Tony Levin and the rhythmic percussion of Mastelotto, CGT is given more depth and breadth in their sound, and quite simply put, it’s out of this world.

Wizard engineer Ronan Chris Murphy mixed the recording, so they got the very best in that department; it’s more than obvious right from the start of the first track that Murphy’s stamp is on the mix. They do an ultra-fast version of “Heart Of The Sunrise” (Yes), and according to the group in the liner notes, it’s true to form when you listen to it.

Three dueling guitars at warp speed is something to witness. This recording will be just like being there. It will be as captivating as anything you have ever heard. Intricate notes are woven in multiplicity to create their three-man guitar sound. I have to give full credit to the rhythm section; it must have been complicated to keep pace with and make the proper exchange between the drums and bass without allowing the guitars to drop out of sync. They couldn’t have chosen a better duo than Levin and Mastelotto.

As a reviewer of progressive bands, my introduction to the California Guitar Trio was a revelation. Their name kept cropping up in my research, and I was not disappointed. Their sound is a masterclass for musicians, a sonic journey that I urge you to experience.

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck

January 23, 2002

Tracks:

01. Train to Lamy (4'56") - Lams, Richards, Moriya

02. Zundoko Bushi (3:43") - unknown, arr. Moriya (w/ excerpts from 21st Century Schizoid Man - Fripp, McDonald, Lake, Giles, Sinfield)

03. Blockhead (3'36") - Richards

04. Apache (3'26") - Lordan, The Shadows (Atlantic)

05. Sketches on Sunset (6'48") - Mastelotto, Levin, Lams, Richards, Moriya Improvisation

06. Discipline (4'51") - King Crimson (BMG Music)

07. Miserlou (1'58") - Tauber, Wise, Rubanis, Leeds (Campbell Connelly, & Co. Ltd)        

08. “Many people ask us..." (3'05") - Richards

09. Melrose Ave. (2'15") - Moriya

10. Dance of Maya (5'54") - Mclaughlin (Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.)

11. Heaven’s Bells (6'56") - Mastelotto, Levin, Lams, Richards, Moriya Improvisation

12. Heart of the Sunrise (7'22") - Anderson, Squire, Bruford (Atlantic)

13. Caravan (5'28") - D. Ellington, I. Mills, J. Tizal (EMI Mills Music Inc.)

14. Eve (4'02") - Richards, Lams, Moriya, Levin