Impressions, The - Lost Legends of Surf Guitar: The Impressions '2024/1970

Tracks list

15 sizzlin’ surf guitar cuts recorded at the crest of the genre! Brothers
Richard and Thomas Frost, more known for their work as Powder, shred through
these surf-rockin’ standards – all tucked away until now!

Turning in a smoking rendition of studio guitarist Jan Davis’ “The
Fugitive,” later covered by the Ventures (and much later, Laika & the
Cosmonauts), they also lay down a hot version of “Opus Twist”
– also by way of the Ventures, written by Tommy Allsup and J.I. Allison
of the Crickets. Three other instrumentals came from the Let’s Hide Away
& Dance Away With Freddy King album: “San-Ho-Zay,” “Just
Pickin’,” and “Sen-Sa-Shun.” He delivers a lovely
“Sleep Walk” sans Santo & Johnny’s steel guitar, and converts
pianist Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date” to guitar.

Balancing out the program are live tracks from Big Al’s Gas House in
neighboring Belmont, showing the emergence of British Invasion along with
credible renditions of R&B warhorses “Linda Lu” and “Come
On.” “Route 66” is obviously the Stones version, with Rich
playing the Keith Richards guitar solo – “and ‘Roll Over
Beethoven,’ you could tell it was the Beatles’ version because my
guitar licks are George Harrison.”

Vividly illustrating the band’s meld of R&B and surf are the two versions
of “San-Ho-Zay” – the relaxed groove in the bedroom versus
the furious live rave. Lord knows what’s going on in “The
Fight” – a typical set-opening/closing riff breaking up a brawl?

Though they never released even a 45, these live cuts and “Bedroom
Tapes” prove without a doubt that they’d have been up to the task
had the opportunity presented itself. Moreover, they’re a window into a
more innocent time, when teenagers played rock & roll for fellow teens, and
major-label contracts and national tours were as inconceivable as landing on the
moon.

– Dan Forte 

Tracklist:
1.01 - The Impressions - Rock The Surf (2:28) 
1.02 - The Impressions - The Fugitive (2:14) 
1.03 - The Impressions - Home (2:13) 
1.04 - The Impressions - Opus Twist (1:52) 
1.05 - The Impressions - Wipe Out (2:38) 
1.06 - The Impressions - Sleep Walk (2:23) 
1.07 - The Impressions - Just Pickin' (2:27) 
1.08 - The Impressions - Sen-Say-Shun (2:09) 
1.09 - The Impressions - San-Ho-Say (2:19) 
1.10 - The Impressions - The Last Date (2:36) 
1.11 - The Impressions - The Fight (Live) (1:48) 
1.12 - The Impressions - Night Train (Live) (2:38) 
1.13 - The Impressions - Miserlou (Live) (2:51) 
1.14 - The Impressions - Green Fields (2:53) 
1.15 - The Impressions - Let The Good Times Roll (3:40)

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