Customer Reviews

Walk Don't Run/Walk Don't Run, Vol. 2 [2-On-1 CD]

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

 

 

I just got this CD and was quite disappointed. The song's of course are great, but the recording quality of this CD is horrendous. I ripped it to disk and analyzed it with Sound Forge and the right channel is highly clipped on many of the songs and that makes the stereo balance favor the right channel too much. I have the LP of Walk Don't Run Vol. 2 and except for the obvious record hiss and scratches, the sound is MUCH more balanced and clear on the LP.

If you can find these albums on a different label, give that a shot because this label definitely destroyed the quality!

The VENTURES are the top selling instrumental group since the 1950's. They are also one of the most influencial bands of the rock era. While having great success in the USA, they are idoled in Great Britain and Japan. Many major guitarists of today trace their beginnings to the "Play Guitar With The Ventures" and these two albums.

The Original "Walk Don't Run" (the first album) is an adaption of a Chet Adkins song, (som of his early works are excellent) and was their first big hit, and caused a rapid succession of copy bands to follow, (Pyramids, Safaris, Challengers, etc). The Ventures were one of the few bands of the 50-60's to release albums of good material, versus one or two 45's with filler. Examples here include the cover of "Raunchy", "Honky Tonk", Caravan", "Night Train" and others

The second album is the Ventures caught at their best, this being one of a series of albums whose production and music where way ahead of their time. ( The Ventures albums "Knock Me Out", " Out of Space" and "Surfing" came at this time.

The new version of " Walk Don't Run '64" is excellent, wih a lot of bass, with a little bit of Phil Spector thrown in. "Diamond Head" is a classic Ventures song, and "Peach Fuzz" and "Pedal Pusher" show up under different names at different times on different albums. The originals are here. "House of the Rising Sun" is awesome, as I used to copy it when learning Bass Guitar.

THIS IS A GREAT DEAL FOR TWO ALBUMS, and is worth the price. If a serious collector, note this album as a major artifact of the rock era. Note this is not heard on radio anymore since radio oldies play the same over and over, and ignore anything not #1 or #2 or motown, (except the "Doo Wop" shows!!!)

If a younger buyer, play Smashmouth's "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" on their "Astro Lounge" CD. Take away the vocals and here the Ventures influence in 1999.

the ventures were true musicians. Unfortunately for some critics, they left out the grunge in their takes on many songs and replaced it with clean, professional, well arranged songs. The driving rhythm and tight drums were present on all their stuff. Definitely more studio than garage!!

This CD remaster hosts two of the best Ventures albums in their catalogue. Walk Dont Run, (1960) and Walk Dont Run Vol. 2. (1964)

Walk Dont Run:

One of the first albums The Ventures put out. It is good, but the band was just starting out, and their sound wasn't as tight yet.

Never-the-less this is still a supreme recording! Once the albums starts off, with Morgen, you pretty much know what to expect with the rest of the album.

This is rock and roll, when rock and roll was young. Many bands had not yet come out yet, and Elvis was still known as the King Of Rock & Roll.

Besides the original version of Walk Dont Run, some other great tunes that appear on this album are No Tresspassing, and the jazzy Night Train.

Walk Dont Run Vol. 2:

With the success of their first album, and hit single, and surf music going all over the country, (originating in California) so The Ventures decided to do a surf version fo their successful classic, Walk Dont Run.

The result was a number 8 single. The Ventures remain the only band in history to have the same song, but in two different versions, on the charts when they came out.

Walk Dont Run Vol. 2 is the birth of a tighter band, due to the addition of drummer Mel Taylor, replacing Howie Johnson. Some classics on the album are, the new hard rocking Night Train, Peach Fuzz, their classic, Rap City, Lonely Avenue, Pedal Pusher and of course, Walk Dont Run 64'.

This CD is quality Ventures. If you love The Ventures, or any one of their recordings, you'll abosultely love this classic CD.

The Ventures' drive changed with the addition of drummer Mel Taylor in mid 1963. His drumming made the group more hard rocking and energetic. Howie Johnson's good, but rather quiet drumming was the reason for The Ventures' slow paced and rather boring songs from 1960-63. This is why Walk Don't Run Vol. 2 is better than the first Walk Don't Run album. The first Walk Don't Run has some good heights like, Walk Don't Run, Night Train, and more, but Walk Don't Run Vol. 2 is absolutely a fabulous recording. The extraudinary Diamond Head appears on this album and so does the rockin' House of the Rising Sun and Walk Don't Run 64'. Some good rockin' hits like The Swingin Creeper, Peech Fuzz, Night Train, and Pedal Pusher also are included in this package. This album or albums are highlights of the Ventures' career and still remain a favorite of mine and yours.

This collection starts off a bit slow, but builds big-time: 3 versions of Walk Don't Run, including a 70's discoesque edition, and some newer material near the end. Very mellow, pure surf nostalgia. Can't really go wrong with the Ventures.