The Fathoms - Fathomless (Atomic Beat)
"That circa '62 sound is so faithfully reproduced in every detail that in a blind taste test you'd be hard-pressed to tell Fathomless from your favorite original surf-era collection."
I would never buy a full-length CD for one song, but the title cut from this disc would almost justify such a purchase. All of the tracks on here are great, but the lead-off tune on here is simply amazing. It was written by The Fathoms, yet sounds just like an outtake from The Astronauts Surfin' With... LP. Sixteen of the seventeen tracks on here are originals, each of which has been drenched with layer upon layer of reverb. This has got to be one of the top three surf albums of 1996. Atomic Beat scores again! (The Continental #1)

The Fathoms - Overboard(MuSick) * * * * *
It's been a long wait since their last CD released by AVI in 1996, but their second effort is a doozy! The tone and energy of the first CD is still there, but they've added a few new sounds to their bag of tricks. It seems like a few of the tunes have been inspired by the down n' dirty instro sleaze sound (as found in the Las Vegas Grind series) and others by spy film themes. The guitar and sax work on here are amazing…hell, so are the drums and bass. All of the songs here are originals, 'cept for an amazing version of Lee Hazelwood's The Hearse (recorded by The Astronauts). (The Continental #5) (Click here to buy this CD.)

Ferrante & Teicher - Blast Off (Varese Sarabande)
"These recordings represent the avant-garde experimental stereo sounds period of Ferrante & Teicher's career, and are quite different from the easy listening sound they were later known for."
In my years of scouring thrift stores, record stores, and garage sales I must have seen thousands of their LPs. They didn't look that interesting to me, since all of them were from their easy listening phase. I never saw this one though. Based on the cover alone I would have snatched it up in a second. On this reissue there are 16 experimental piano tracks, a mix of standards and original compositions. This should appeal to experimental music and exotica fans alike. Tunes like I Got Rhythm, 'S Wonderful, and The Continental are mixed with spaced-out originals like Va Va Voom, Chopstick Cha Cha, and Hurdy Gurdy. (Continental #4)

Four Piece Suit - Ready To Where? (Ocean Music)
"What you will hear here is a rather unique spin on Exotica/Lounge/Cocktail/Surf music."
Four Piece Suit have come up with a fifteen track collection of sax and guitar driven instrumentals, bouncing between several genres. There are some unlikely covers performed here, such as Neil Young's "Hey Hey My My (Out Of The Blue), but they also do a couple of Mancini tunes, a John Barry tune, and a couple of traditional songs. While the production is more modern than I usually like for this type of music, if you like any of the genres listed above you will probably like this disc. (Ocean Music, 1600 Falmouth Rd. #150, Centerville, MA 02632.) (Hmmm...#7)

Frigg A-Go-Go - The Penetrating Sounds Of… (360 Twist)
Excellent garage rave-ups complete with grinding guitars, vintage organ, and snotty vocals. The lead track is a mid-tempo chugger called I Don't Wanna Be Your Man. It's great, but doesn't prepare you for the madness of the next track Highway 389, which is what The Makers would sound like with a little organ added to the mix. If you dig hi-energy rock n' roll fueled by cheap beer and cigarettes check out Frigg A-Go-Go! (Continental #4)

The Bobby Fuller Four - Never To Be Forgotten (Mustang/Del-Fi) * * * * *
I just about crapped my pants when I got this for review from Del-Fi - 3 CD's packed with rare, live, and unreleased Bobby Fuller Four material from the Mustang years (1964 - 1966). The first two CD's contain 44 amazing tracks - Our Favorite Martian, I Fought The Law (2 versions), King Of The Wheels, KRLA Top Eliminator, The Phantom Dragster, Jenny Lee, Angel Eyes, Never To Be Forgotten (2 versions), Thunder Reef, and many other faves. The third disc is the previously unreleased Celebrity Night At PJ's live record, which was set for a 1966 release, but was eventually scrapped by Bob Keane. "We just weren't happy with the sound overall, and we were going to re-record there again after the beginning of the year, but we just got busy with touring and everything." So here it is, 19 amazing tunes recorded live on the faboulous Sunset Strip. All of this amazing material is packaged in an ultra-deluxe foil box, with a 64 page booklet and a separate mini-jacket for the live CD. Absolutely essential for any fan of rock n' roll. (The Continental #5)

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