Phantom Surfers - The Great Surf Crash of '97 - 1996 (1998)

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Phantom Surfers - The Great Surf Crash of '97 - 1996 (1998)

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Biography: Surf music revivalists the Phantom Surfers formed in early 1988 around the lineup of guitarists Johnny Bartlett and Mel Bergman, bassist Mike Lucas, and drummer Danny Seelig. Originally founded at the 11th hour to fill a cancelled gig at the University of California Santa Cruz, the group quickly emerged as an underground favorite, famed for their mystery-kitsch image (Lone Ranger masks were de rigeur) and carefully choreographed stage act; the debut Phantom Surfers LP 18 Deadly Ones followed on Norton Records in 1991 amidst a flurry of 7"s, and in the years to follow, the band remained frighteningly prolific, issuing albums and singles on over a dozen different labels (including discs with guitar legends Dick Dale and Davie Allan). In time, Seelig left the group to join the Hi-Fives and was replaced by drummer Russell Quan; in the wake of The Great Surf Crash of '97, Bartlett also handed in his resignation, with Maz Kattuah assuming his guitar duties. 2000's XXX Party featured contributions from comedy legends Rudy Ray "Dolomite" Moore and Clarence "Blowfly" Reid. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

* Genres: Rock, Surf Rock
* Representative Albums: "XXX Party"
* Representative Songs: "Sidewalk City", "Banzai Run", "Curb Job"

The history of the Phantom Surfers is fairly uneventful. They have been consistently pay homage to Los Angeles's surf music and to the North West's garage-rock. Formed in the San Francisco Bay Area and led by guitarists Johnny "Big Hand" Bartlett and Mel "Frostbite" Bergman, they debuted with the EP Banzai Washout (Estrus, 1991), whose title-track would remain one of their live staples, as will the following single, Besame Mucho. The early singles were collected on A Decade of Quality Control (Secret Recipe, 1999). 18 Deadly Ones (Norton, 1991) is a set as derivative as possible (Pleasure Point, Legend Of The Phantom Surfer, Theme From Dead West , Twist Off ). Play The Music From The Big-Screen Spectaculars (Estrus, 1993), featuring Trent "Big Drag" Ruane of the Mummies on guitar, is a collection of even more vintage covers. The mini-album The Exciting Sounds Of Model Road Racing (Hobby Hut, 1994), their first concept, is humorous but frequently too predictable. The singles Fuck Surf Music (Planet Pimp, 1995) and Istanbul (Lookout, 1996) fare batter, but the band is firmly anchored to its retro` program, as proven by The Phantom Surfers and Dick Dale (Crown, 1996). The Great Surf Crash of '97 (Lookout, 1996) shows no progress. Joined by 1960s' guitar legend Davie Allan, the band celebrated its tenth anniversary with Skaterhater (Lookout, 1998), an instrumental rock opera which is the ideal sequel to Noel Black's cult movie SkaterDater, the first widely-released skateboarding movie (Sidewalk City, Skate And Bait, Murder Can Be Fun). Another surf musical, XXX (Lookout, 2000), sounds a bit more punk-rock.

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Phantom Surfers - The Great Surf Crash of '97 - 1996 (1998)

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Review: It is a fun easy CD to put in and just let play. CD is good from beginning to end. I love a band that makes fun of itself and dosnt take its music too seriously! I bet these guys are a blast at a live show. If you like surf music, this is a good one to add to your collection.

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Phantom Surfers - The Great Surf Crash of '97 - 1996 (1998)

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Phantom Surfers - The Great Surf Crash of '97 - 1996 (1998)

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