Simen Stubbrud,
Norway
What can I actually add that has not been said about these psychosurf-kings.
Man, they`re
wild!!! Before I`d heard this CD, I had heard so much great things
about them, and I was really
curious, if it was possible to be THAT big and bold. I mean to
play Dick Dale off the stage,
you`ve got to have BALLS! So I ordered it, and put it into the
player, and I gotta tell that by
the very first hearing I actually went slightly disappointed
(can you believe it).Cause it may
sound a little strange the first time you listen to it. I mean
; this ain`t actually normal
blues-progression,goddammit! BUT, after a few listenings ;yer
lost...believe me. Lotsa double
picking action, HIGH energy, groovy way of usin` the organ, ATTITUDE,
showmanship ,great
melodies are only some of the keywords while talkin about this
crazy bunch. Faves; Joop
Walvis hangs ten(have did they come up with that rad progression),
Surf Dracula (this one`s
moaning), Shake your hoover (GROOVY), Bahareba (they know how
to take care of the
classics,not bully them, only speed them up), El Tortura (real
psychoish intro) You don`t have
to think twice to get your hands on this one (No I`m not representing
the record company).
This is probably the best surf combo nowadays along with the
Satan`s Pilgrims. Does anyone
know if they`re still playin`?
Pipeline Magazine
# 28 by Dave Burke
Hallelujah! lt is the
second coming and we are all saved ...... SAVED, brothers and
sisters! lt seems there is a whole new generation of surfers
out there who are no longer content to just faithfully run through
a stack of dusty classics as though they were carved in stone,
but who want to blow them up, throw them in the air, and see
how they come down. Yes, it is 1976 all over again, only this
time it’s not Johnny Rotten and his mates but bands like
The Apemen and Man Or Astroman who have come to re-define the
meaning of rock’n’roll. And it is great! This CD explodes
open with “Cor Steijn Rides The Wild” - a Dick Daled
theme over a hammered beat that has your mind frantically racing
just to keep pace with it, midway the guitar drops away to leave
just that solid rhythm and all manner of strange rushing sounds
that whoosh past like a cloud of burning asteroids - brilliant!
“Het Grote Surffeest” is really The Astronauts’
“Surf Party” given a good seeing to and is breathlessly
followed by a band original - “Tokonado” - which adds
more of that dark, dominating guitar rampaging over the fastest
rhythm section in Europe! “Joop Walvis Hangs Ten” continues
the manic pace with touches of organ amidst the mayhem and includes
some well arranged climactic passages with bass, organ and guitar
competing for the honours. Organ has the whip in “The Wip”,
first mustering a sort of see-saw rhythm and then joining in
a knockout battle against some brutal guitar work. “El Rey
Del Surf’, despite being the CD’s sole vocal, is one
of the best tracks. After a spoken introduction (in Spanish?)
the band launch into a rousing re-write of Chuck’s “Johnny
B Goode” in a kind of chanted Dutch, but what makes it so
good is the killer guitar break which goes straight for the throat
and leaves a trail of blood dripping from the strings! Traditionalists
should be delighted with the band’s red hot versions of
“Babareba” and “Anestesia”, whilst Gary Paxton’s
“Space Race” is a real top drawer find. This is a wonderful,
wonderful -EXCITING- CD/lp by a fabulous, fabulous band.
KFJC's Phil Dirt
16 killer tracks from the Dutch Masters of Surf! This is one
of the BEST and LOUDEST bands EVER! This CD is not as well produced
as their last. Too much general track reverb, which takes away
from both their edge and their incredible energy. Still, there
are few better bargains than a new Apemen CD. This is a must-have
CD. Get the idea I like these guys? Pure, unadulterated supersonic
surf rage! The Trashmen's “King Of The Surf" is delivered
as "El rey del Surf" in Dutch.
COR STEIJN RIDES THE WILD: Can you spell "raging?"
"Cor Steijn Rides The Wild" races a long at a blinding
pace, with big chords and a genuine garage feel. More rock than
surf, this is nonetheless a solid anthemic instro. HET GROTE
SURFFEEST [SURF PARTY]: "Het Grote Surffeest" is actually
the Astronauts' "Surf Party." High powered delivery,
shredding lead guitar work, and blinding speed over drum thunder.
TOKONADO: "Tokonado" is actually "Toronado,"
dedicated to the classic Oldsmobile. The thick over reverbed
sound masks some of the intense energy of this amazingly well
written surf pounder. A melodic and rhythmic riff drives this
home. The keys are suitably low in the mix for the most part.
JOOP WALVIS HANGS TEN: Spooky keys, merciless guitar attack,
and high power aren't enough to overcome the nearly non-melodic
riff. DE WIP: This is a Northwest riff rocker with a flying lead.
Again a minimal melody band a jam backtrack are not enough to
make the grade. SURF DRACULA: Rhythmic eastern block feel and
flying surf leads work well together. Images of dancing Cossacks
and shortboard surf bunnies is irresistible. LOS BROODJE: Big
dark and rhythmic, this melodic tune speaks of journeys along
the coast highway at night. It's trotting beat and soothing lead
line invoke dark shorebreak images dimly lit from automobile
lights. Subtle keyboards and infectious rhythm. BONGO BONGO:
"Bongo Bongo" rides over a Northwest backtrack. The
lead is sad, or maybe slightly mean. Very fast and bouncy. SHAKE
YOUR HOOVER: Northwest rhythms and organ lead with more energy
and power than most such tracks. It's way fun, but not very memorable.
SPACE RACE: This Gary Paxton number appeared on the Ventures'
"In Space" album. There it was light and childish.
Here it's heavier and more playful, slightly weird and definitely
more enjoyable. The whirling keyboards are way cool. BAHAREBA
[BAHA-REE-BAH]: The Trademarks' wonderful "Bahareba [Baha-Ree-Bah]"
is shredded mightily. Fast and poundy, driven like there's no
tomorrow. The organ carries the mariachi horn lines, and the
lead guitar rages at 90 miles an hour. Excellent! EL TORTURA:
"El Tortura" defines surf sludge! It's huge, lumbering,
intense, majorly dark and mean. Riff surf a la Link Wray at Waimea.
Thunder, monster tubes, and pure evil. QUEEN JACULA: A very playful
surf riff, speedy attack, rhythmic bed, and pounding surf beat
drums. Really well concocted, and more than just a riff. It drives
and grins. ANESTESIA: The Nation Rockin' Shadows issued this
thirty some years back. The Apemen recreate it as only these
mad Norsemen can. It's big and darker than the original. WHEN
JOHNNY COMES WRECKIN' HOME: Not since the Lancers brazen garage
surf epic of the early sixties has this Civil War classic been
so powerfully pummeled. Shreddin' lead guitar, and thick crunch.
Ultra review by
Kris Fagot
Sick of the surf-revival?
Tired of having to face all those pseudo-rockers who only seem
to know Elvis besides Dick Dale? Yes, this really is 1995 and
it's been 30 years since surf was invented and the genre really
has changed a lot since then. These days there are plenty of
bands that try to do something original with surf, bands such
as the Vice Barons, Man or...Astroman?, Huevos Rancheros...,
bands that deserve far more attention than they most of the time
get. One of the bands that has played and still plays an important
role in the survival and innovation of surf, are Neerlands onbeschofsten:
the Apemen.
Imagine you're looking at an x-rated version of Planet Of The
Apes while listening to some Phantom Surfers. That's exactly
the main feel behind the Apemen's second lp Surfvival Of The
Onbeschofste. Where Man or...Astroman? go for the more spacey
approach of surf, the Apemen deal with the below-the-belt aspects
of day-to-day life. Song titles such as De wip, Shake your hoover
and Queen Jacula help you to get the picture. El rey del surf,
the only song with vocals, tells us about the beach-adventures
of some gigolo. Guess this must be the first Spanish-sung surf-song
ever (actually it's a cover of the King of Surf by the Trashmen).
Yes these guys really got a lovely kind of humor. The titles
of the songs are witty, like Cor Steijn rides the wild, Joop
Walvis hangs ten or Los broodje.
As to their sound the Apemen remain a typical surf-band, they
use lots of reverb and staccato, skin-driving beats, an organ
and their tunes sound real wild. Still the Apemen don't copy
the big examples. The originality is mostly due to the expressive
guitar play of Jeroen van de Sande and the psychedelic keyboard-interventions
of Appie-happy organ-Benier. Even the samples that Joep Dale
uses, sound great. It's been said that on their gig in the Noorderlicht-venue
in Tilburg the Apemen simply blew the headliner Dick Dale off
stage. I guess that that fact raises no doubt if you compare
Surfvival Of De Onbeschofste to Dick's current FM-surf.
This lp is definitely worth your money, moreover it received
unanimously positive reviews by authorities in the field of surf
and garagerock such as Dave Crider of Estrus.
Surfvival Of The Onbeschofste is released by Nitro! records,
a subdivision of the Belgian Demolition Derby label and one of
the last supporters of vinyl (but then I wonder why the cd has
got an extra song).
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