Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

2012 August 03 • Friday

Here's another one I got at Nickelodeon in San Diego. I like this better than Twangy Guitars.


I never heard of Billy Mure before. No other musicians are named. The liner notes are kind of amusing.

Supersonic guitars blast out of RCA Victor studios and break sound barrier. Guitars were seen and heard flying at sonic boom speeds … Pilot Billy Mure reports Gretsch Guitars and Amplifiers are taking air stress with no rumble …

Mure reports to engineering groun crew — echo taking over but tape reverberator holding steady …

After leveling off and returning to base, Mure states that Supersonic (Side 1, Band 1) moved at exciting speed with tweeters and woofers wide open …

During flight test Mure observed also that Malagueña (Side 2, Band 1) bounced through atmosphere emitting fiery sounds …

Mure also stated that Grass Shack (Side 1, Band 4) came in with smooth landing.

On this flight Mure utilized four guitars with amplified rhythm, two drums, one bass and loads of oxygen.

Asked about future supersonic plans, Mure said that he was ready to soar with his equipment at even faster speeds and wilder heights.

WARNING: Look out for shattered windows and cracked ceilings on take-off of supersonice guitars!

It's interesting that Gretsch gets a mention. There's a photograph of Mure posing with his Gretsch but at least two of the other three guitars appear to be Gibsons.

I like that clock in the background.

Also on the back cover is a cool bit of art that reminded me of Jim Flora's work.

The record's really good. Nothing mind-blowing, but nice tunes, great sounds, excellent playing. "Cherokee" gets a trite "war dance" intro and outro but is otherwise quite agreeable. Good take on "Caravan". "Supersonic" is very good and it's great to hear a recording of "Misirlou"that isn't influenced by Dick Dale.

This record is from 1957, two years before Dick Dale's first single and five years before his recording of "Misirlou" was released as a single. Billy Mure plays Misirlou partky as a slinky and moody piece of exotica with conga and some inappropriately perky elements to the arrangement and partly as a relaxed swing tune.

Does the album live up to the cover? Well, no, I guess not. But what album could?