I love instrumental rock. You know, like The Ventures, surf music, Dick Dale, Duane Eddy, Link Wray, etc. I can't get enough of it. And I love Pete Weiss, long time contributor to Tape Op and head of Verdant Studio in rural Vermont. So where does one go to record when they own a studio? Not your own place, as it appears this outing. Pete and the band headed down to Memphis and the legendary Ardent Studios (issue #58) to join up with producer/engineer/nice guy Jeff Powell (we HAVE to interview this cat some day) to cut these four smoking songs in one day. It sounds great (that room sounds great), and the "Ode to Billy Joe" cover should be on every bar jukebox around. And guess what, Pete did sneak back to his own studio for additional overdubs and mixing. I knew he'd do that. Mastered by my friend and yours, Jeff Lipton, with Maria Rice at Boston's Peerless Mastering. (www.weisstronauts.com) -LC

Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.

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