"Instro Nation" - 21st Century Surf Sounds 1995

"I was contacted in 1995 by tower records japan ('orange records') to assemble a surf instrumental compilation of contemporary bands. I got bands from all over the usa for these tracks, and wrote the liner notes (which I forgot to credit myself for on the cd!). I really think that these tracks represent the best that surf instrumental music had to offer at the time!! Sadly the label is no more, but many of the bands still are..." - By DAVID ARNSON (Los Angeles)Instro fans, hear me now! Get this CD as quickly as you can! There are 15 tracks by 15 bands, and even though you may find yourself wondering where Man Or Astro-Man or Impala went, the talent on this disc is very much from the top of the pool.
The Insect Surfers' Dave Arnson wrote the liner notes, and his band contributes "Stingray" to the project. Every song in the collection is top notch. This CD is also a great introduction to several bands that are somewhat newer to the scene, such as Death Valley, Pollo Del Mar, Galaxy Trio and Satan's Pilgrims. On top of that, you get some great stuff from established bands like The Mermen, Davie Allan & The Arrows, The Boss Martians and Sultans Of Surf. The Hillbilly Soul Surfers offer a very unusual twist, mixing surf with a Stax/Volt inspired dash of soul.
The Volcanos, 3 Balls Of Fire, Shig n' Buzz, Boardwalkers, and The Reventlos all make their marks here as well. Instro Nation is outstanding from start to finish. The liner notes give short and informative bio's of the bands, including, in several cases, email addresses for contacting them. Most important of all, this CD will introduce a lot of surf fans to severa lesser known bands. Bands that aren't going to be "lesser known" for long, because this CD is readily available to the masses. I bought this one at Silver Platters, a Seattle CD store that puts Tower Records to shame, both in volume and diversity. If I could happen across it, so could Joe Public. I predict Instro Nation will bring in a lot of new fans. - DJ Johnsontrax:

1. surf cruiser - sultans of surf 2. stingray - insect surfers 3. el conquistador - death valley 4. el rey - satan's pilgrims 5. moon patrol - boardwalkers 6. swept away - shig n' buzz 7. soul penetration - hillbilly soul surfers 8. pipeline to bagdad - 3 balls of fire 9. top fueler stomp - boss martians 10. western stars - the reventlos 11. krakatoa - the volcanos 12. angel with a devil's heart - davie allan and the arrows 13. insecticide - pollo del mar 14. another odd job - galaxy trio 15. raglan - the mermen