King Pelican

It's not often that an album of mostly covers, especially a live album, rates four stars, but this is an exceptionally good release with genuine surf instrumentals throughout.

Picks: Rockin' Pelican Twist, Western Satellite, Yellow Jacket, Apache, Surf Rider, Bustin' Surfboards, Penetration

Rockin' Pelican Twist
Surf Instrumental (Stereo)
An enthusiastic crowd screams to bring on "Rockin' Pelican Twist," which is a uniquely Texan instro with reverb. Surf with Stetsons and chaps, glissandos, a catchy riff, and stinging whammy. Very coo track!

Western Satellite
Surf Instrumental (Stereo)
Sultry chords and shallow whammy set the stage for a moody exotic number that's just wonderful! Tribal, sensual, swimming in island whammy, and very emotional. "Western Satellite" is a rock-solid surf instro with shimmer and liquid flow, and the drums are superb!

Yellow Jacket
Surf Instrumental (Stereo)
Engines race and the crowd digs it. The Ventures' "Yellow Jacket" rocks gently as the V-boys did, but smoother. Very nicely done.

Apache
Surf Instrumental (Stereo)
Wonderful tom toms and shimmering tremolo, ringing chords and lovely dueling guitar lines merge with sultry bass for an exceptionally fine rendering of Jerry Lordan's best instrumental. While not too unusual, it nonetheless stands out as one solid cover of this song. The rhythm guitar is pretty original in lots of places, and the dribbling double picked lines are tangy!

Surf Rider
Surf Instrumental (Stereo)
The crowd digs "Surf Rider" right from the start. It's a tad faster than the classic Lively Ones version, but is otherwise quite reverent. Big twang, stinging whammy, a great break, and rich imagery.

Bustin' Surfboards
Surf Instrumental (Stereo)
Not many bands cover The Tornadoes' "Bustin' Surfboards." Too bad, because it's a serious piece of surf history and a great surf epic. King Pelican recreate the tape echo delay on the intro chords by repeating the chords, which is very effective. Very cool!

Penetration
Surf Instrumental (Stereo)
This is a pretty straight forward cover of The Pyramids' "Penetration." Rich and full and very surf! the second guitar does some really nice work here. - Phil Dirt - Reverb Central