Much like '60s garage rock, there seems to be an inexhaustible supply of great surf instrumental sides from the classic era still waiting to be rediscovered, and the fourth volume in Sundazed's superb Lost Legends of Surf Guitar series features 20 great sides that have somehow avoided being anthologized to death (in fact, three cuts on this compilation have never been released before). Opening up with the amazing reverb abuse of Zorba & the Greeks' "Shockwave" (and no, that's not a joke -- just check out that glorious noise), this compilation offers up some lovely examples of surf guitar in the classic style (check out the moody "The Truant" by the Truants, "Volcanic Action" from
the Bel-Airs, and the reverb-drenched "The Hearse" from
Al Casey), as well as a few entertaining oddities (the amusingly ominous "Fall Out" from the Stage-Men, the glorious
Ventures rip of Jan Davis' "Verti-Go-Go," and a hard-stompin' cover of "Walk Don't Run '64" by the Teemates). As you'd expect from Sundazed, the track selection is choice, the audio is excellent, and the liner notes from surf archivist John Blair are entertaining and fact-filled. Lost Legends of Surf Guitar: Shockwave is a real treat for non-hodads everywhere -- grab your board and toss this disc in the player while the waves are up! ~ Mark Deming