Customer Reviews

The Viceroys at Granny's Pad

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Viceroys at Granny's Pad This album is an essential to Pacific Northwest History of rock bands in the sixties. It is nice to have the replacement of the album that I currently have vinyl signed by Pat O'Day of KJR, who was the program director and promoter of these bands throughout the decade (and his comment on the back cover). I learned quite a bit the Viceroys such as Jim Valley who played in the band just before Paul Revere & The Raiders. This is definitely a must have.

This album is a must for anyone growing up in Seattle during the early 1960s. I'M GOING BACK TO GRANNY'S is essentially an instrumental, except a for short recitative in the middle, where a man with a funny voice exclaims, "I'M GOING BACK TO GRANNY'S." All of the songs are rock'n'roll, but perhaps they could be classified as a simple form of EZ listening jazz. The music is not at all complex, and could be performed by any first rate high school band. For those growing up in Seattle, this song is will likely bring back fond memories from childhood, and the song will have a magical appeal. But to others, the song might not be of much interest. At any rate, I'M GOING BACK TO GRANNY'S does have an attractive drive or rhythm to it, like a chugging steam engine.


BLUES BOUQUET has drum rolls, apparently on a tympani. Also, there are mysterious spy-movie chords, and a slow sax solo.

GET SET is like an early Ventures tune, except it has a sax. The guitar part is ideal for any young teen interested in learning guitar by listening. Get Set has a voice calling, "One more time now, get set."

DAVID'S MOOD features an electric organ. The song starts with just chords, a 3-chord motif repeated over and over. But then comes an exciting ascending motif, and a sax solo that really cooks. Then another ascending motif, followed by a short guitar solo. Then a descending motif and the 3-chord motif is repeated again. David's Mood has a creative ending with a big drum flourish. David's Mood is a fine composition, one of the best on this album.

DARTELL STOMP is like an early Paul Revere and the Raider's tune, or like a Kingsmen tune, but without singing.

MARY ANN starts out like the Kingsmen classic, Money. But then the rhythm changes to a walking jazz bass. A bad singing voice "sings" briefly about Mary Ann. Then a sax solo that cooks. Finally, the Money rhythm returns.

TIGER SHARK is a surf song, perhaps on par with anything recorded by the Surfaris, but not as good in quality as any Ventures tune.

HEARTBREAK has a walking bass line and a cute sax riff, and a simple jazz chord progression. Organ solo. Guitar solo. Sax solo. Love that walking bass.

SACK O' WOE is like the old rhythm'n'blues standard, Night Train. But in the middle of Sack o'Woe, the rhythm changes to a walking bass. Then the Night Train-type tune returns.

COME ON consists of a low-noted riff, repeated over and over. Then some simple chords are repeated over and over. Come On concludes with a harsh, repetitive sax solo.

GRANNY'S MEDLEY has cheering and clapping throughout. At one point, everybody shouts, "Granny's Pad." Sax solo. Guitar solo. More clapping and cheering.

LOUIE, LOUIE is the great garage band rocker, popularized by the incompetent Kingsmen, and by the much more professional Paul Revere and the Raiders. In the hands of the Viceroys, the song is not very good, for the reason that the Viceroys do not really have a good vocalist.

This concerns the tunes UNTIL and SHA LA LA. These two tunes are in the British Invasion style, and resemble something by Gerry and the Pacemakers, Freddie and the Dreamers, or perhaps Herman's Hermits.

BLUES ON BROADWAY is not at all in the early-Ventures style, or garage band mold, of most of the songs on this album. Blues on Broadway is a convincing blues number, with a fine organ solo--not quite on par with Jimmy Smith--but still convincing. There is a fine sax solo as well. Then comes a guitar part, not really a guitar solo, but just a 3-chord guitar motif, repeated over and over. (Blues on Broadway is actually very good. Were any studio musicians hired here?)

KJR was the main thing for many people Seattle, and it was this station that introduced the Viceroys to the Pacific Northwest. To the Pacific Northwest, KJR also introduced the great cultural outburst of the early 1960s, which included the Beatles, Four Seasons, Beach Boys, the Ventures, Supremes, James Brown, the Coasters, Martha and the Vandellas, Roy Orbison, and the like. Of course, KJR also unleashed a number of oddities, including, Hello Mudduh Hello Fadduh, Patches (a song about a girl from the wrong side of town), and Dear Ivan (a recitative relating to cold war hostilities). KJR issued little brochures, on a regular basis, listing the current top 40, and featuring a picture of one of the D.J.'s, such as Lan Roberts. Other interesting facets of the local scene, at the time, included the World's Fair, J.P.Patches, wooden hydroplanes pulled by bicycles, real hydroplanes, ski slopes at Snoqualamie Pass, and Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe.

Actually, the music on this VICEROYS album is really only a 3-star effort, at best. But I gave it an extra star because of its great sentimental value. This album was the first album of any kind that I bought in my entire life. I bought it at a school sale when I was in fourth grade. I bought it for 50 cents. When I saw the album, I exclaimed, "OH, WOWWWWW!" Then, the teacher, Mrs.Tapp, told me that it was 50 cents. At that time, I was sure that she was overcharging me, because she knew how excited I was. But now, I am not so sure of my perception. There is no way that I can find out for sure what Mrs.Tapp was really thinking. It is likely that she passed away decades ago. At any rate, I still like the song, I'M GOING BACK TO GRANNY'S.

This is the most complete collection of Viceroys material I have ever seen on any recording. The sound quality is better than the L.P.'s I have in my collection.