Surf-Rock-Pop Instro Review: Seks Bomba - Operation B.O.M.B.A.

Seks Bomba's Operation B.O.M.B.A. is a play on original motion picture scores, with all the suspense and adventure of the spy thriller movies it emulates. This CD presents an exciting and explosive sound.

The music encompasses surf, rock, lounge, and a fair bit of pop. The vocals are perfect for this setting, as they make you feel like a young boy sitting in the movie theater getting a thrill watching 007 smooch all the beautiful girls. Yes, this young man did just that. In my heart, I would like nothing more than to return to those days. Music like this really takes me there. 

The music is more than appropriate for a spy flick; it fits like a glove. The group does a nice job switching from a rocking instrumental jaunt to a lounge, sexy spy song—the kind where he gets the girl. Need I continue? I found this to be a very upbeat production. It made me feel great, and I was smiling inside.

The result is that the music accomplishes what it sets out to do. It sets the mood for the movie soundtracks that it spoofs and runs you through the gamut of emotions, like it is supposed to.

This is such a strong effort from Seks Bomba. The music would get your heart pumping, and the movies would be secondary. This excellent work deserves all the recognition and accolades that all the great soundtracks get, even if it is a spoof!

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

April 1999

Tracks:

01. Jet City  

02. The Right Track (Baby) 

03. 'To Kill 89': Theme  

04. Bright Lights And You, Girl  

05. The Cat

06. 'Mondo Edgar': Theme  

07. Do You Know The Way To San Jose? 

08. Klown Kar  

09. Operation B.O.M.B.A.

10. 'Satan's Shriners': Main Title & Love Theme  

11. Last Call  

12. It Had Better Be Tonight  

13. Rum Holiday

14. The Seks Bomba Theme Part 1  

15. Bonus Track: The Seks Bomba Theme Part 2

Surf Instro-Pop-Rock Review: The Lively Ones Hang Five!!! The Best Of The Lively Ones / Heads Up! The Best Of The Lively Ones Volume 2

Some groups have distinct and solid links to the original '60s surf sound. The Lively Ones are one of those select few that can stake a claim to that honorable distinction. They were an exciting surf instro /pop/rock/group that enjoyed doing originals and several covers. 

Hang Five!!! The Best of The Lively Ones and Heads Up! The Best Of The Lively Ones Volume 2 spans 47 tracks!

With their unique flair and color, The Lively Ones transformed covers into something new and exciting. Their renditions of other groups' songs always bring a fresh perspective and unexpected twists, making each tune a delightful surprise.

Volume 1, with its 24 tracks of surf music, is a treat for any surf music lover. The saxophone, a constant presence, adds a unique dimension to each song. It's a testament to the complexity of surf music—when a group incorporates the saxophone, the music transforms into something entirely new.

This is why The Lively Ones' cover tracks sound so fresh and exciting, not like the typical rehashed covers that can be tedious. This volume perfectly introduces one of the most crucial surf groups of the original first wave, released in 1995.

Heads up! The Best Of The Lively Ones Volume 2 is Del-Fi's most recent package of tracks. This CD features more of the trademark surf instro sound that you had the pleasure of experiencing on the first volume, as well as 23 more tracks of great originals and covers.

You must realize that if you have Volume 1, you must have Volume 2, right? Well, it's true! It's another slice of history that any surf music enthusiast would appreciate. This group is one of the founding fathers of that surf sound.

Forty-seven tracks are more than enough to cover this fine group's history and overall importance. Surf is currently experiencing a resurgence, or renaissance, if you will. It is only fitting that groups such as The Lively Ones can enjoy the renewed interest.

It's no surprise that Del-Fi is in the thick of everything as they were when it all started. With a gallant nod to the past, The Lively Ones and Del-Fi show you the way.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

April 1999
 

Tracks:

Volume 1

01. High Tide (Tranquilizer)  

02. Walkin' The Board   

03. Goofy Foot (Surf Battle)  

04. Surf Rider 

05. Misirlou

06. Chicken Scratch  

07. Surf Beat   

08. Exodus 

09. Caterpillar Crawl, The  

10. Telstar (Surf)   

11. Mr. Moto

12. Cryin' Guitar (Surfer's Lament)  

13. Livin'   

14. Guitarget(Hotdoggen)  

15. Crazy Surf  

16. Paradise Cove

17. Bustin'Surfboards  

18. Raw-Hide 

19. Shootin' The Pier  

20. Forty Miles Bad Surf   

21. Rik-A-Tik  

22. Happy Gremmie

23. Night & Day     

24. Hey Scrounge

 

Volume 2

01. Pipeline     

02. Surfin' U.S.A.   

03. Let's Go Trippin'   

04. Heads Up   

05. Tequilla   

06. Hot Pastrami   

07. Soul Surfer

08. Malibu Run  

09. Rumble   

10. Wipe Out   

11. Surfin' Safari  

12. Tuff Surf    

13. Surfer Boogie   

14. Stoked  

15. Guitar Man

16. Surf City   

17. Mexico   

18. Latin'ia   

19. Wild Weekend   

20. Sleep Walk   

21. 40 Miles Of Bad Road    

22. Torquay

23. Shut Down

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