The Ventures inspired me to learn to play the guitar – not just play, but play TASTY. They had a style that was easy to imitate (but never duplicate) even in the days of vinyl records when the best way to learn a lick was to play a 45-rpm record at 33-and-a-third. If you had a really old record player, you might even be able to buy the 33-and-a-third long playing album (LP) and play it at 16 rpm.
I owned just about every LP they recorded in the 60s. My band learned all the really big hits – Walk Don’t Run, Telstar, and several surf tunes. I played rhythm guitar most of the time in that band, the equivalent of The Ventures Don Wilson persona.
When I heard they were coming to town, I had to seize the opportunity to see them live.
A lot of thoughts went through my head – how old are they, how many members of the original band are still around, will they stand or sit, will the songs sound the same or better or worse. Being a good geek, I did some research on the Web and found that three of the original four members were still alive. Two of them played the show that I saw (Albany, NY, June 12, 2008, Riverfront Park, Alive at Five) – Nokie Edwards, lead guitar and Don Wilson, rhythm guitar and more or less front man, corny jokes and cliches.
But, DAMN! They still play really well! Their licks were clean, their volume didn’t overwhelm the venue or the audience, and their sound and style were still 100% Ventures. I had a hard time picturing them in their younger, leaner days playing an energetic live show before 100,000 screaming fans in Japan. But here they were in Albany, playing before about 4,000 fans who were, if not equally enthusiastic, very happy to see them. Several times the band mentioned what a great crowd we were.
Nokie Edwards did sit through most of the show but his playing was fabulous. Don Wilson stood, danced, jumped around, and told some really corny jokes. But as he said at one point during the show, “Hey! I’m a rock n’ roll guitarist.” I guess that means you can get away with some things that ordinary folks can’t. Yes, he and the rest of The Ventures are extraordinary because they are in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame and on the Rolling Stone magazine list of the top 100 guitar songs of all time (number 82, Walk Don’t Run).
For me, their sound is reminiscent of happy days bringing back fond memories of playing music with my good friends.
