Dale’s second album dilutes the guitar sting of his debut

Dick Dale’s second album was his first to be issued on the Capitol label, and though his guitar playing is solid (as is his saxophonist’s), the song selection isn’t as inspiring as his debut, Surfer’s Choice. The Blossoms, featuring Darlene Love, back Dale on the title track and the guitarist sings lead on “Kansas City,” “Dick Dale Stomp,” and several other tracks. The covers include R&B, Soul, Folk, Country and International tunes that aren’t always the best showcase for Dale’s immense instrumental talent. Or at least they’re not always arranged to leave space for his guitar. The second half of the album offers more charms, with staccato flat-picked shredding on “Hava Nagela” and “Riders in the Sky,” fancy picking on “Mexico” and a low twangy groove on “Break Time.” Sundazed’s CD reissue adds two bonus tracks, both instrumentals that offer up samplings of Dale’s six-string craft, but on balance there’s more singing and sax than belongs on an album titled “King of the Surf Guitar.” This album leaves you wanting more of Dale’s picking, which just might have been the idea at the time. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Dick Dale’s Home Page
Dick Dale’s MySpace Page

Third and best album from Dallas-based ‘60s pop-rock vocal group

For their third album, following up their chart breakthrough with “Western Union,” the band thickened their arrangements, deepened their harmony singing, and scored an additional Top-40 hit with the pro-USPS, “Zip Code.” The group continued to write most of their own material, including eight of the album’s original ten tracks, and took over production from Dale Hawkins. The results are a great deal richer and more varied. The opening “Stop Light” lowers the organ from the high sound of earlier albums to bassier church notes. There is country, light psych, bubblegum and blue-eyed soul, and the Kinks-styled “Black is White” adds hot guitar leads to the melodic hook swiped from the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life.”

The band’s baroque pop, such as on “Sweet Bird of Youth,” fits nicely with songs from the Left Banke’s first two albums, and the folk-rock “EVOL-Not Love” sounds like the Vejtables and Beau Brummels. A cover of the Rascals’ “Come on Up” is played straight, but the Spencer Davis Group’s “Somebody Help Me” is given a group vocal arrangement. Like so many one- hit wonders (though, technically, the Five Americans were three hit wonders), there was more than met the Top-5 eye, and this album shows off their high-quality songwriting, singing and playing. As with their previous album, Western Union, the stereo fidelity here is excellent; these albums were better recorded, and the master tapes better preserved than one would expect. Casual listeners might start off with the group’s Best Of, but fans of ‘60s music will want to hear this full album reissue. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Zip Code
The Five Americans’ Home Page

Second album from Dallas-based ‘60s pop-rock hitmakers

This Dallas-based quintet broke into the Top 40 with their bluesy garage rocker “I See the Light” in 1966 and followed the next year with their biggest hit, “Western Union.” Both songs were group originals, which was a trend that continued on this second album. The title track is a catchy pop-rocker with bouncy bass and drums, tight harmony singing and an unforgettable falsetto hook. The rest of their originals are organ and guitar-based with light arrangements, terrific vocals and the occasional country tinge. Highlights include the harmony-rich ballad “Now That It’s Over,” the folk-rock “Sound of Love,” the fuzz bass and beat heavy “Reality,” and the Ohio Express styled bubblegum bonus track, “Lovin’ is Livin’.” The album’s three covers are more interesting for their range of material than their actual performances. “I Put a Spell on You” (written by the album’s producer, Dale Hawkins) suggests the Animals, but isn’t as heavy, nor as sinister as the Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Worse, the vocal on Roger Miller’s “Husbands and Wives” sounds like a goof rather than a finished take. Sundazed has done a tremendous job re-mastering this into a surprisingly crisp CD. Casual listeners might be better off with the group’s Best Of, but fans will relish this full album reissue. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Western Union
The Five Americans’ Home Page