The Ventures - Swamp Rock

I'm back from vacation and ready to take on some more records. It's a massive task. I just realized that not only do I have that whole record shelving unit to go though, but there's a bunch more in one of John's closets and in a record cabinet that haven't been "rotated into" the general population yet. I'd better get crackin'.

Tonight's record, The Ventures. Like most of these records I've been pulling out, I can't say I know all that much about The Ventures. But, being all instrumentals and being a group that has been around for so long, I wonder how many personnel changes there have been.



This record had to have been released around the late 60's, I would guess. I've never been a fan of "Swamp Rock" myself. Never cared for CCR, and I HATE "Honky Tonk Woman" by the Stones. (I know, I know. Terrible, right?) I don't like "Brown Sugar" either. Go figure. Not my sound.



Track Listing:

Side A:
Carry Me Back
Honky Tonk Woman
Muddy Mississippi Line
Jambalaya
Swamp Rock
Niki Hoeky

Side B:
Green River
Suspicious Minds
Catfish Mud Dance
Proud Mary
Gumbo
Plaquemines Parish

Overall, this isn't an album I'd probably listen to again. The Ventures are pros, of course, but it's just not for me. I do like, however, that they covered "Suspicious Minds", one of my very favorite Elvis tunes.

I give it two and one half stars.

John?

Where did you buy this record and when?

"It was before I was working at Izzy's...so probably '94 or '95. It's cool to see Izzy's handwriting again..."




Do you own it in any other format?

"No"

What is your over-all impression of this album?

"It's not one of my favorite Ventures albums. This is probably the first time I've listened to it since I bought it. Very countryish. I quite like 'Gumbo'."

Favorite Track?

"Gumbo!"

How many stars out of five?

"Three stars for 'Gumbo'...the rest of it's kinda bland."

The Electric Firebirds - Dance Party Time

Electric Firebirds...

Electric Firebirds...

THE Electric Firebirds...

I Googled, I allmusic.com'd...Electric Firebirds? Nothing to be found.

Well, I'm sure there's something to be found, but I just don't feel like searching that hard.

Tonight's listen was this album:



Just looking at this cover from a distance, it looks fairly cool. Kinda groovy-60's chick with some records. This could be good. However, upon closer look, yep...you can see some boobage. Can't say I care all that much about that. So, obviously marketed towards (mostly) men, I'm sure.



Track Listing: (Record doesn't have a track listing on the back cover, only song listings on the record label itself...and doesn't indicate, as far as I can tell, which is side A and which is side B...not that it really matters here, so I'll just list them by the side I listened to first and it shall ever more be.)

Side A:
1. Let's Make It
2. Live Cream
3. Moon Right On
4. Troubled Earth
5. Electric Fireworks

Side B:
1. Heavy
2. Doors Time
3. Out of Town
4. Woodstock Hour
5. Nice and Easy

My guess? These are studio musicans, perhaps? They're all instrumentals and there's no songwriting credits on any of these listed. Thus, my conclusion is the the names of the songs were all created to fit the times. So...this came out, hmm...'68ish?

The music isn't bad. It's better than most instrumental party albums I've heard. And that's what it is. Music to put on for your 60's fun-time party. Something you can dance to, or ignore.

"Electric Fireworks" kind of sounded like "If I Had a Hammer."

My Five Thumb - All Thumbs Rating: 2 tiny thumbs up

Now, on to John:

Where did you buy this record and when?
At one of Izzy's record shows in Springfield, NJ around the late '90s, early 2000's.

Do you own it in any other format?
No

What is your over-all impression of this album?
It's a budget label. Grocery store record. They're studio musicans, and the record company releases these same songs over and over again with different titles and different covers. Might by Jerry Cole somewhere on there.

Favorite Track?
Overall, just a fun album for the "cheese" factor.

How many stars out of five?
Three