The Ventures Play the Greatest Surfin' Hits of All Time

The Ventures

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 28, 2001)
• Original Release Date: August 28, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Varese Fontana
• ASIN: B00005NHLW
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,622 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #3 in	Music > Rock > Rock Guitarists > Surf Guitar
  #13 in	Music > Rock > Oldies & Retro > Surf Rock

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
If there's irony in the fact that the founding fathers of surf rock the Ventures hail from quarters not exactly renowned as bastions of sun-drenched wave-riding (Portland, Oregon, and Tacoma, Washington), it only stands to reason that their inspirations weren't exactly baggy-clad and bushy-blond-coiffed, either (Les Paul, Chet Atkins, Duane Eddy). But those unlikely roots did indeed spawn a 40-year career for the band as international stars and, more important, instrumental rock's first and foremost preservationists.

This album replicates much of the Ventures' longtime tour repertoire, drawing on their own considerable hits ("Walk, Don't Run," "Perfidia," "Hawaii Five-O") as well as covers that range from Richard Rodgers ("Slaughter on 10th Ave.") to prime '60s bands like the Surfaris ("Wipe Out"), Marketts ("Out of Limits"), and Astronauts ("Baja"). All are performed with the verve and solid craftsmanship that has long characterized the band. Longtime fans should note the presence of guitarist Nokie Edwards (the band's most fabled soloist from their heyday) on most of the tracks, as well as Leon Taylor, who ably fills the drum throne of his late father, Mel. Later guitarist Gerry McGee's Nashville-influenced licks are featured on "Five-O" and "Bambora," with former Steely Dan-Doobies fretman Jeff "Skunk" Baxter also taking a solo turn on the latter. While some can't quite measure up to the originals, this collection often succeeds on the band's still-driving momentum and the obvious joy they continue to find in the material. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surf's Up, Ventures Style, June 13, 2002

By	Mike Vegas King (Taunton, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

For those of you who thought that this CD was a repackaging of songs recorded in the sixties, let me set the record straight. "Surfin' And Spyin' " was recorded by the Ventures in 1981, and all of the remaining tracks were recorded between 1996 and 2000. For those of you who thought that the Ventures might have lost something with age, let me set your mind at ease. "Walk Don't Run '64" starts the CD off on a strong note, and the music never falters from first song to last. A particular standout is "Baja" from 1996, featuring Don Wilson, Bob Bogle, Gerry McGee and Mel Taylor. "Diamond Head" and "Pipeline" are outstanding surf instrumentals. Those versions were recorded with original member Nokie Edwards instead of Gerry McGee on guitar, and with Leon Taylor replacing his late father Mel on drums. "Surf Rider," written by Nokie Edwards but here credited to Wilson/Bogle, is alone worth the price of the CD. Voting members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should buy this CD. I guarantee after one listen, they would vote to induct the Ventures immediately!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surf is definitely UP!, April 7, 2003

By	C. Reilly "Frantic Ctiy" (Shelton, CT United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This disk is highly recommended for anyone who really grooves on the inspiring sounds of surf guitar. I bought this by accident because I looking for a disk with "Pipeline" and "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" the other tunes weren't important at the time. Well I was in for a surprise! Just the three-song run from "Penetration" to "Mr. Moto" to "Out of Limits" is enough to turn any landlubber into a devoted surf head. As far as the people who think that the newer recording sound is not authentic as compared to the old noisy scratchy originals.... Your all wet...This is the bomb. Look out Dick Dale theres a lot of variety here not just Spanish sounding songs with single string leads......

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The musicians preserve the original style., June 8, 2004

By	Tom Brody (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Walk Don't Run '64 is an astonishing composition, and abundantly easy on the ears. Like many of the tunes by the Beatles, Walk Don't Run '64 is simple, and playable by countless high school students. Moreover, as with the Beatle tunes, the sum of what is set forth in Walk Don't Run '64 is greater than its parts. Walk Don't Run '64 on this compilation is slightly different than the original, and I tend to prefer the original. In the current version, the opening bass line is essentially a series of percussive notes, with a sound similar to the percussive notes found in Kraftwerk's Computer World. In other words, the opening bass notes tend to lack a clearly defined position on the musical scale -- the bass player's palm was pressed against the string, muffling it to a greater extent in the current version than in the original. Another difference is that the opening drum beat contains a subtle triplet, and the guitar arpeggios contain an added trill. Moreover, in the ending in the current version, the expected "signature" tremelo is absent. Continuing with the description of the current version of Walk Don't Run '64, the bass line is a bit beefier than found on the originally recorded vinyl. Fortunately, the subtle accompaniment of the second guitar is preserved, and the chirpy, Del Shannon-style organ accompaniment and organ lead are magnificently preserved. By preserved, I mean the current style is the same as in the original release of Walk Don't Run '64.

Most or all of the other songs are a wonder, and best of the genre -- the musically simple and musically primitive genre known as: "surf songs." Even impatient teenagers will have little trouble learning by heart the fine, jazzy, lead guitar riffs from this album. Out Of Limits contains the castanets that you remember from the original. Penetration and Pipeline are guitar powerhouses. The Ventures' Wipe Out does justice to the whimpy version originally done by the Surfaris. A final note: This is not a recreation of the entire, original Ventures' Surfin' album, so please don't expect to find all the songs found on that album. Only a couple of songs from the Ventures' Surfin' album are found in the present production. I do miss Windy and Warm, and Diamonds, from that earlier album. Lonely Surfer, noted for its catchy but tediously repeated tune, is a fine member of this compilation. The Ventures' version lacks the instrumental buildup found in Jack Nitzsche's original (strings and horns), thus making one more aware of this number's repetitiveness.

Again, it came as a relief that the musicians had preserved the original style of these surf songs. Thankfully, there was no attempt to convert the songs into dance, disco, or techno numbers. I only saw the Ventures once. This was at Merlyn's on State Street in Madison, Wisconsin. During intermission, Nokie Edwards made his way through the audience and, in passing by, politely placed his hand on my shoulder and then continued on through the crowd. And so, it was at that one, brief moment in 1982 or 1983, that I had the hand of an actual Rock-God on my shoulder.

Children tend to like the Ventures due to the catchy tunes, the pleasant bell-tone sound of the Mosrite guitars used by the Ventures, and the total absence of mushy lyrics.