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Dick Dale - King of the Surf Guitar: The Best of Dick Dale and His Del-Tones
- They call Dick Dale the "King of Surf Guitar" for a reason. He helped invent the sound in California and was one of the pioneers of the genre.
His staccato guitar picking echoes the sound of surfers riding waves. The danceable backbeat boogie intensifies the wet sound created by the electric reverberated guitar.
A primal part of this genre is the use of trumpet, piano, and handclaps. The strange thing about Dale's playing is that he plays the guitar with the strings on backwards to get different sounds from different chord positions created.
His sound is one that many have tried to imitate but few have been successful.
Dick Dale didn't play for the sound itself but to a vision he saw. He lived on the beach, saw surfers riding waves, people parting, and the beauty of an endless summer.
If there is one song that nails the "wet" sound of surf music it is "The Wedge." This song takes you inside the barrel of the wave and spits you out at the end. Background harmonies echo the infinity that exists in such a timeless place with Mother Nature.
This CD gives you an idea of some of his best material. The heady rump of "Hava Nagila" along with the intensity of "Misirlou" depicts some of his guitar prowess.
Dick Dale actually met Leo Fender, the creator of Fender Guitars and the Fender Stratocaster, in 1950's California. Dale and Fender created the reverb effect for the amplifier which further distinguished him by friends and followers as the "King of Surf Guitar."
Reviewer: Stefan Julian
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Added: 20-Jun-2009
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