Another French review. I am not quite sure what to make of this, but I think he likes it. What he sees as defects, I see as strengths.
The original post can be found HERE
Rating: 6.0/10 Merrell Fankhauser is what it is common to call a legend in the field of Surf Music. A member of reference groups such as The Revels, The Impacts, The Exiles or HMS Bounty, the year he scored 60 in the typical style of the Southwest United States. Unfortunately for him, if the genre is entered into history, it is not really a profitable business perspective. Incurable melancholy of this holy period, Merrell has launched the production of a television program entitled "Tiki Lounge", allowing it to continue to promote this music and his golden years. It's a best of these productions that we present through two boxes each containing a DVD and CD 6 emissions recapitulating some songs performed by the master of places and friends through the various episodes. From the first images of a generic very cheap , you soon realize that the means are not equal to the passion of man. Even the Hawaiian dancers have clearly not enough repeated their short speech. In style, the video for the song "Excited" performed by Fankhauser with his son and some friends in his living room and filmed by a camera at the center of a circle formed by the musicians, or the 1991 concert immortalized by a single fixed camera with camcorder sound, are only the most striking examples of hyper-amateur side of what is being proposed. Vertices are also achieved on the occasion of the show called "Show with Stars from the 50's and 60's" combining several songs performed by Merrell with a soundtrack and only a drummer and a bassist does not know clearly that they play in playback, and artists performing such a radio talent, their interpretants as their former success in playback without always to remember the words. Yet, sincerity and naturalness of Fankhauser end up making the whole endearing, especially since in addition to being an excellent guitarist, the guy knows how to surround. Indeed, the famous concert in 1991 representing the second proposed issue, it is neither more nor less than Nicky Hopkins on keyboards, who has played with the Stones, the Who, the Kinks, John Lennon or Gary Moore to name them! We also find Merrell along with Willy Nelson and Willy K during a concert at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, an event organized by the group of New Age, Planetary Bandits, and the program which also featured Francine Reed. It is amusing to note the contrast between the voice and charisma of the famous blues singer and all the surfers in Hawaiian shirts, even if they remain sacred musicians!Other shoes crossing swords with Fankhauser, drummer Ed Cassidy, former sidekick Randy California of Spirit within, which group is dedicated the last issue of this first box. Although he blithely exceeded the 80 spring the divine bald yet has demonstrated a sacred groove in interpreting some titles in the company of Merrell. Finally, although much less known, we will draw attention to Tim, the son Fankhauser, who turns out to be a sacred left leg combined with a strong singer when he takes the microphone on the occasion of the resumption of "Lucille "Little Richard. This is a great time mixing freshness and naivete, which is offered with the first best of "Tiki Lounge". The most critical remarks will be divided between hysterical laughter and bitter face of so many blunders and so few resources. The most tolerant to let go before such sincerity and such a pleasant return to the past. Expect Volume 2 to see if the defects have been erased, or at least mitigated.
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