The MG Album Club - #23: The Ventures - Ventures In Space

[lpfreak1170]

The Ventures - Ventures In Space (1963)


One of those groups that is (mostly) best served with a great compilation...this album is one of the exceptions. Their trademark amazing musicianship mixed with some spacey sound effects? Count me in.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Interesting choice - worth the wait

 

[Old Uncle Toe]

I love surf guitar. In fact, one of the albums I didn't pick for 1960 was The Ventures' Walk Don't Run. It's a favorite of mine but I didn't think surf guitar would get any interest from this crowd. I shouldn't have sold you guys short. I'm looking forward to this listen!

 

[Nickyboy]

I love surf guitar. In fact, one of the albums I didn't pick for 1960 was The Ventures' Walk Don't Run. It's a favorite of mine but I didn't think surf guitar would get any interest from this crowd. I shouldn't have sold you guys short. I'm looking forward to this listen!

The "Cowabunga" box set and The Ventures' Christmas album get regular play at our house.

 

[Unsomnambulist]

The "Cowabunga" box set and The Ventures' Christmas album get regular play at our house.

So the Ventures were time travelers? Because Bart Simpson came up with the name "cowabunga".

 

[Nickyboy]

So the Ventures were time travelers? Because Bart Simpson came up with the name "cowabunga".

The "Cowabunga" box is not by the Ventures. It's a compilation, no doubt curated by Bart Simpson.
https://www.amazon.com/Cowabunga-Su...=Cowabunga+cd&qid=1551469820&s=gateway&sr=8-1

 

[Ojai Sam]

Spotify link:

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

The "Cowabunga" box set and The Ventures' Christmas album get regular play at our house.

Me too - couple of Rhino surf comps plus I have albums by Dick Dale, The Lively Ones, Ventures, etc. Surf music is gnarly

 

[Unsomnambulist]

I enjoyed the guitar on this-- it's interesting to see it played with an almost punk attitude in places by nicely dressed, fine upstanding young men in 1963.

 

[Ojai Sam]

This one surprised me greatly, yet another example of a high profile group that I unfairly undervalued. Last.fm tells me I have played The Ventures 48 times but I don't recall ever listening to anything but compilations.

This was the group's 16th album in 4 years . Despite the volume of their output, I appreciate that a lot of creative Space Age production wizardry techniques worthy of Esquivel went into this one. The early 60's were the heyday of sci fi TV so we get the spooky themes from "Outer Limits", "One Step Beyond" and "The Twilight Zone" along with a cover of The Pyramids' "Penetration". The remaining tunes, though mostly unknown originals written by the group, hold up fine against the familiar ones. Lots of variety in sound, tempo and (as Unsom points out) attitude keeps things moving right along.

A great discovery. Thanks, Freak!

on the Sam-O-Meter.

 

[Old Uncle Toe]

I'm already a fan of the Ventures, so this was an easy listen for me.

I enjoyed the hits and originals alike. I liked that even though there was a lot of variety, there was a lot of consistency too. You go from the spooky picking of Exploration in Terror to the upbeat rhythm and chords of War Of The Satellites, then two songs later you're in good old surf guitar country with Penetration and then a slow ballad in Love Goddess Of Venus. There's no obvious flow, yet It all seems to work together. There was never a track where I was hoping it was over. Each seemed to present an interesting riff or rhythm or melody. So I really have to hand it to The Ventures for beating back the curse of the instrumental group. Especially to the tune of 16 albums in 4 years! I had no idea.

I really enjoyed this pick. Thanks LPf!

 

[Nickyboy]

Hey! I never got around to commenting on this. Like others have said, it's a tall order to put out a completely instrumental pop album. But the Ventures managed to pull it off yet again! I like this album and am glad it was posted, or I probably wouldn't have come across it in my travels. What I especially like about this is the hybrid blend of surf guitar with a definite Exquivel and TelStar sound. A good soundtrack for when you are hanging out on the back patio grilling up some burgers!

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

The Ventures Greatest Hits along with The Shadows and my surf collections get regular play. Love this era of music - sure Buddy Holly was dead, Little Richard moved to gospel, and Elvis was back from the army but was getting into movies and recording less radical music. Dylan and the Beatles were just about to make a name for themselves. In this gap, girl group music and guitar focused rock were wonderful substitutes.
I seldom (aside from their Christmas album) go to the original Venture LPs, but this is a fun one. Though guitar gods of the late 60s and early 70s sometimes makes it difficult to appreciate the tighter, shorter solos and guitar effects of this eras, these guys were great. Though some songs are just OK, nice call, LPFreak


I really like this series, in part, because I look at what my picks for the year and relish the choices that are great but so different from the direction I would have gone.