Feb 14, 2009

DICK DALE & HIS DEL-TONES - GREATEST HITS 1961-1976 (GNP-CRESCENDO)



Dick Dale wasn't nicknamed "King of the Surf Guitar" for nothing: he pretty much invented the style single-handedly, and no matter who copied or expanded upon his blueprint, he remained the fieriest, most technically gifted musician the genre ever produced. Dale's pioneering use of Middle Eastern and Eastern European melodies (learned organically through his familial heritage) was among the first in any genre of American popular music, and predated the teaching of such "exotic" scales in guitar-shredder academies by two decades. The breakneck speed of his single-note staccato picking technique was unrivalled until it entered the repertoires of metal virtuosos like Eddie Van Halen, and his wild showmanship made an enormous impression on the young Jimi Hendrix. But those aren't the only reasons Dale was once called the father of heavy metal. Working closely with the Fender company, Dale continually pushed the limits of electric amplification technology, helping to develop new equipment that was capable of producing the thick, clearly defined tones he heard in his head, at the previously undreamed-of volumes he demanded. He also pioneered the use of portable reverb effects, creating a signature sonic texture for surf instrumentals. And, if all that weren't enough, Dale managed to redefine his instrument while essentially playing it upside-down and backwards -- he switched sides in order to play left-handed, but without re-stringing it (as Hendrix later did)...[net]
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There are a lot of great tunes here, but some of the songs on this compilation are not the originals (Misirlou, The Victor, Surf Beat, Mr. Peppermint Man, The Wedge, Let's Go Trippin', King Of The Surf Guitar), but are re-recordings from the GNP Crescendo sessions produced by Jim Pewter in 1975. These re-recordings are OK, but certainly they are not like the originals.
But there are several of Dick's "Checkered flag" 1964 Capitol album cuts, also some Del-Tone 1962 album cuts and rare 45's...
Here

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Only one thing to say"King of the surf guitar".

mscmichael said...

Surf music at its best. Thanks...