Dick+dale

In the half-century since he began his reign as King of the Surf Guitar, Dick Dale has remained one of rock’s most innovative and influential axemen. A bold pioneer in the use of speed, volume and sonic texture, the charismatic Dale invented surf music, and in the process permanently altered the role of the electric guitar in rock ’n’ roll. Of all the surf guitarists who would follow in Dale’s wake, none could match his prodigious technique, his fierce showmanship or his restless inventiveness…

In the half-century since he began his reign as King of the Surf Guitar, Dick Dale has remained one of rock’s most innovative and influential axemen. A bold pioneer in the use of speed, volume and sonic texture, the charismatic Dale invented surf music, and in the process permanently altered the role of the electric guitar in rock ’n’ roll. Of all the surf guitarists who would follow in Dale’s wake, none could match his prodigious technique, his fierce showmanship or his restless inventiveness…

In late 1963, California's King of the Surf Guitar left the shore for the strip and created one of the classic albums of the hot-rod music genre. Dick Dale's Checkered Flag is heavy with white-hot Dale instrumentals ("Night Rider," "Ho-Dad Machine") and vocal car tunes from the pens of pop's songwriters (Gary Usher, Gary Paxton, Carol Connors). Helping Dale stir up the nitro fuel are L.A. session stars Plas Johnson, Steve Douglas, Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer. Checkered Flag is tough stuff, an unyielding trophy-run down the asphalt aisle. Make way!

In late 1963, California's King of the Surf Guitar left the shore for the strip and created one of the classic albums of the hot-rod music genre. Dick Dale's Checkered Flag is heavy with white-hot Dale instrumentals ("Night Rider," "Ho-Dad Machine") and vocal car tunes from the pens of pop's songwriters (Gary Usher, Gary Paxton, Carol Connors). Helping Dale stir up the nitro fuel are L.A. session stars Plas Johnson, Steve Douglas, Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer. Checkered Flag is tough stuff, an unyielding trophy-run down the asphalt aisle. Make way!

Richard Anthony Monsour (May 4, 1937 – March 16, 2019), known professionally as Dick Dale, was an American rock guitarist. He was the pioneer of surf music, drawing on Middle Eastern music scales and experimenting with reverb. Dale was known as "The King of the Surf Guitar", which was also the title of his second studio album…

Basically, this is a retitled reissue of the 1963 Hangin' Twenty album, with a couple Myers & the Surftones' tracks from the 1963 compilation album KFWB's Battle of the Surfing Bands! added as bonus cuts. For most people a Dick Dale best-of will suffice as a representative slab of this kind of music, but if you're enchanted by Dick Dale-style instrumental surf and want some more records in the same style, this should certainly be on your list. Although Myers did R&B-surf blends well, of more interest are the more exotic items, like the minor key "King's Surf," "Aquavelva" (motored by a walking bass and spooked-out, icy reverb lead), and "Moment of Truth," which recalls and stands up to Dick Dale with its staccato lead guitar and snaky middle eastern horn solo. In fact there's pretty good Dale-style guitar throughout, although without as much of the fury or wattage. ~ Richie Unterberger

It’s Fender Jaguar guitars ahoy on the new release “Death by Fender” by a Duluth quartet called the Fractals.
Led by the talented axe-wielding duo of Jimi Cooper and Barry Pirkola, the Fractals draw on the seminal sound of the Ventures and surf guitar god Dick Dale, then combine that with the sonic rumblings of the legendary Link Wray and the British rock of the early Who to come up with a sound that is referenceable as well as their own…

This double CD 60 track compilation is an overview of rock 'n' roll from the west coast of America. As is the norm with such releases from Fantastic Voyage, the selection of tracks ranges from well known classics such as Eddie Cochran's 'Twenty Flight Rock', Gene Vincent's 'Lotta Lovin', 'The Worryin' Kind' by Tommy Sands and 'La Bamba' by Ritchie Valens through popular selections like Bob Luman's…

The second release from Famous Flames is all about the power of melody and the marvels of the juxtaposition of saxophones and guitars. 'The Backbeat Of Rock and Roll' brings together the great songs that didn't need a sing-along chorus or a life-defining one liner in their lyrics. This wordless journey includes the infectious grooves and finger-popping hits that relied on twangy guitars, syncopated rhythms, all-consuming organs and honking brass stabs…

Joe Satriani, one of the most prolific and well-respected guitar players of our time, is back with another amazing album called Shapeshifting. It is hard to believe that this is his 18th album…