Alan Taylor - PIPELINE INSTRUMENTAL REVIEW - (2004)

The Surfin' Gorillas return in more ways than one. This is there second album, the long awaited follow up to the new adventures Of ... which I enthused over in Pipe line 46. It also marks the return of lead guitarist Clive Osborne from Sweden to the UK, and fortunately, he has brought the gorillas with him ( the all new uk line up ). The group is a guitar four - piece, enhanced by Clive doubling on occasional sax or steel guitar. The instrumental to vocal count is slightly higher this time at around two to one, and again there rockin vocals are no let down. Growling bass drives Batman which is boosted by a touch of organ and authentic spoken injections. A ringing reverb lead is the feature on a mighty Misirlou where trumpet and piano complete the fine Deltone styling. Save The Waves ( The Mysterons Revenge ) is a basic surf track from The Surf Dusters where the chord and toms chorus and the middle eight are the main attraction.   Rumble remains faithfull to the origional right down to the walking bass, and Jack The Ripper is a joy with its dynamic lead and superbly rounded rhythm guitar. Then ( they sure know how to pick 'em ) theres Banzi Washout, Steve Douglas' classic surf single with studio mob The Catalinas. Theres a third Link Wray number in Ace Of Spades, which has a mighty biting delivery, and then a convincing sax feature in the shape of Dave Burgess'  Lowdown. This has a good balance between Clives sax and the meaty backing which is boosted by piano. The album winds down with Cafe Exotica, a whistle led stroll through Mel Torme's Comin' Home Baby. welcome back Surfin Gorillas, and a special welcome back to the UK. We haven't got enough bands playing instrumentals - your country needs you.

Davy Pecket - NEW GANDY DANCER # 72 - (2004 )

"And we never knew they'd been away. The four piece Gorillas are perhaps the bastio (what did they call us) of raucous UK surf. The classics are here - really well played versions of links      Ace of spades, Jack the ripper and Rumble; a wonderfully tongue in cheek and naughtily arranged Batman; a virtually unrecognisable Steve Dougas's Banzi Washout; a rowdy misirlou all rounded off with some spunky vocal tracks and a delicious off the wall exotica composition Cafe Exotica. A lot of fun went into this album recording we imagine and great for us, that fun regenerated back to the listeners of whom we hope there are many, just fab all round." 

THE NEW GANDY DANCER # 74 - (2005)

Moving away from the Americas acoss the Atlantic to England, we encounter  THE  SURFIN' GORILLAS continuing to unleash their unique mix of garage / rock'n'roll& surf / rock instumentals on there second CD ' The Return of... the Surfin' Gorillas ( Foot Tapping FT 017)  There's a Canadian connection on here as the band energetically reprise my band THE SURFDUSTERS ' Save the waves' with a spoken intro by fellow Canadian instrumentalists.... THE MYSTERONS. If you are a fan of the  SIR BALD DIDDLEY sound, you will enjoy the similar crunchy surf guitar on this band's covers of 60's instros like LINK WRAYS ' Ace Of Spades' , THE CATALINAS ' 'Banzi Washout' & THE CHAMPS' Lowdown'. 

DINGWALLS CHRISTMAS REUNION - (2004)

2009 - THE SURFIN' GORILLAS