Fathoms - Fathom This!
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CD Details
Artist: FathomsEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2007-11-20
Music Label: Musick Recordings
Soundtracks:
- Fathom This!
- Aqua Beat
- She's the One
- The Palomino
- Castle Island Dream
- Dagger Bones
- Dark Secret
- Leap Froggin'
- Mimi's Theme
- Midway A-Go-Go
- Panito
- Pony Expresso
- Rat Bike
- Tail Waggin'
Music reviews of Fathom This!
Music Review: Fathoms resurface from the depths with a rousing 3rd helping
Rating: 5 Stars
The Fathoms are an on-and-off again Boston surf instrumental group spear-headed by "Cranky" Frankie Blandino. Although often fronting Rockabilly or Western Swing bands, Frankie took the post-"Pulp Fiction" plunge and assembled the first Fathoms lineup in the mid-90's, releasing a debut disc "Fathomless" on the Atomic Beat label in 1996. This (currently out of print and very expensive on the aftermarket) disc was a total retro trip back to the sound and spirit of reverb-drenched, sax-honking west coast surf instrumentals circa 1963. (The sax was provided by ex-Barrence Whitfield and the Savages cohort Dave Sholl, who also had a concurrent instrumental project going called Four Piece Suit.) Frankie demonstrated an uncanny ability to write great surf melodies, some of which almost sounded like instrumental versions of songs bearing lyrics. A great example from the first disc is "Shadow Of A Doubt"--it sounds like a lost latin-tinged, pre-British Invasion single from the likes of Bobby Vee, but with Frankie's Fender Jaguar providing the melody line instead of a voice.
Sometime after releasing a nearly-as-fine follow up disc called "Overboard" in 1998, the Fathoms were put on ice as Frankie focused on his other projects. In about 2005 though, a new lineup of Fathoms was resurrected and began gigging in the Boston area. We finally have a studio project from this band in the form of "Fathom This!", and it's clear from the get-go that Mr. Blandino has lost none of his ability to churn out those memorable surf melodies and whammy-bar workouts. Other than Frankie, Dave Sholl is the only returning musician from the old days, adding his familiar gritty sax riffs to around half of the tunes here. Former Fathoms (and Cranktones) bassist Johnny Sciascia shows up with a "mastered by" credit, but otherwise it's a new rhythm section and second guitarist driving the proceedings behind Frankie's leads and tasteful instrumental coloring, which even includes piano and organ on a song or two.
The fourteen song menu has a smattering of strictly-surf-sounding songs, but "Overboard" demonstrated a branching out to other instrumental styles, and that trend is continued here abundantly. Throughout the disc, one can spot non-surf influences such as the Shadows ("Dark Secret" and part of "Pony Express"), Les Paul crossed with Boots Randolph ("Leap Froggin'), Davie Allan & The Arrows (the FuzzRite pedal is switched on for "Rat Bike") The T-Bones ("Tail Waggin'") and Duane Eddy ("Mimi's Theme" and part of "Pony Express"). The Latin stylings demonstrated in previous Fathoms songs such as "Turquoise Blue (And Primer Gray) " or "El Toro" are reflected here in "Panito".There's another "wasn't that a song from Bobby Vee?" moment with "She's The One".Trumpet shows up for the first time on a Fathoms song with "The Palomino", which could have accompanied a horse-galloping scene from a Sergio Leone spaghetti western.
This is a rousing, uptempo menu of instrumental stylings that are, above all, just plain fun to listen to, and stand as a further illustration of the quality one can expect when the Fathoms name is attached to something. This disc comes highly recommended for those with who get a kick out of retro-sounding instrumentals. Welcome back, Fathoms---missed ya!
More Fathom This! free music reviews:
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Description of Fathom This!
The Fathoms return with their first record in almost 10 years titled FATHOM THIS! Known to many fans of instrumental rock as one of the best modern surf bands in the world, The Fathoms, take the classic 1960s' surf sound (think The Astronauts) and infuse it with early UK beat (think The Shadows), rockabilly (think Johnny Burnette & His Rock 'N' Roll Trio), fuzz-garage (think Davie Allan & The Arrows) and even a bit of 50s Latin rock (think Ritchie Valens' early instro sides). Coming from Boston, renown more for clam chowder than for "hangin' ten," The Fathoms are the brainchild of guitarist Frankie "Crankie" Blandino whose infectious guitar picking is simply amazing with its wet-reverb tones and southern-fried twang. Blandino is joined by the rest of The Fathoms, who, like Frankie, are all musicians of the highest caliber: Jerry Miller on rhythm guitar, Paul Tomasello on bass, Doug Hinman on drums, and the band's secret weapon: Dave Sholl on saxophone. Sholl's distinctive sleazy sax gives the band a layer of rhythm & blues that not only sets The Fathoms apart from the run-of-the-mill surf groups, but makes them the most authentic-sounding band in the genre. Listen to the 14 brand new tracks on Fathom This! and you'll swear it's the summer of 1963 all over again!Alternative Rock CDs
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