Deep Eddy Records has become the home of the instrumental compilation
over the last few years. The label has consistently released quality
surf-instro compilations with regularity. "Better Than Average Weekend-A
Tribute To Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet" is a better than average
tribute to a better than average band. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet
released three albums in their short existence. That is all that it
took for them to reach the elevated status of legends in the realm
of surf-instrumental music. Even the incredible Ventures waited for
forty years and hundreds of releases before a tribute was released
in their honor. Now that is really putting it into perspective.
So what is so special about this group? They played every kind of
musical style imaginable, and it all sounded great… how is that for
one reason? They also played an awesome combination of instro-rock-alternative-garage-punk
that few have been able to rival. It's too bad that it couldn't have
lasted longer. I can only wonder what this group may have evolved
into if they had decided to keep going. They may have felt that they
reached their potential as a group and it was time to move on, who
knows? We can sit with our mouths agape and marvel at their musical
accomplishments with only one listen to this twenty-two-track compilation
now, even if you have never heard one of their albums.
The crème de la crème of surf-instro-garage pay their
respects on this literal explosion of assorted sounds and reverb.
The first track "Good Cop Bad Cop", starts things off with a brooding
heavy metal guitar riff that's a direct take from Black Sabbath's
"Iron Man." I was just waiting for Ozzy Osbourne to start singing
"I am Iron Man…" And that's just the beginning of one hell of a ride.
The waves of glistening instrumental bliss that will fill your ears
are treasures of the murky deep that will surely satisfy the most
discerning instro expert. You will get one maniacal musical explosion
after another… And it's just the way it should be when a group is
emulating one of the greatest instro bands of all time. This is a
totally absorbing montage of instrumentals. It would be a daunting
task to say the least to write about twenty-two awesome tracks like
this. Find out for yourself, your ears won't lie. If there is one
CD to pick up this year for your surf-instro collection, its this
one. Get it now before the tide subsides, or before you can't find
it anywhere, which ever comes first.
1. Good Cop Bad COP-The Heatscores
2. Zombie Compromise-The Dead Barons
3. Shake Some Evil-The Mulchmen
4. Egypt Texas-The Insect Surfers
5. Customized-The Unknown
6. Harlem By The Sea-The Neptones
7. Having An Average Weekend-Dirk Doom & The Overdrive Orchestra
8. Reid's Situation-Spy-Fi
9. Aunt's Invasion-The Sandblasters
10. Hot Box Car-Derf Zorr & Stella
11. Jackpot -Bass Playin' Ben
12. Ben Hur Picked Off-Popdefect
13. Sister Cinema-The Deoras
14. Unwatchable/Three Piece Suit-The Mill Valley Taters
15. The Wuz Ear Callin' A Horse-Breakfastime
16. Spy School Graduation Theme-Squid Vicious
17. Mecca-The Cocktail Preachers
18. Algoma Reflections-The Sadies
19. Peas Porridge Rock/You Spin Me Round '86-The Surfdusters
20. They Don't Call Them Chihuahuas Anymore-The Fabulous Planktones
21. Off Our Back Conrad Black-Sawney Bean
22. Memories Of Gay Paree-Urban Surf Kings
