by Eugene Chadbourne
Fans of this group will want to know about the cover art, in this case a photo of a blonde tossing her hair around. Is she supposed to be Southern? That would tie in with what seems to be the theme of the &More Memphis& subtitle of this disc. But actually there is no such theme or subtitle, just a style of typesetting that is done in such a way that most people will look and comment, &Oh, this is one where they do their Memphis concept.& So actually, listeners have versions of both &More& -- majestic -- and &Memphis& -- passable -- and a varied program in which there really is no concept of any kind. In this case, the girl could be a waitress, since the listener will be offered a pair of food choices during the program, &Sukiyaki& and &Hot Pastrami,& both contenders for any trimmed-down collection of great moments in the life of this group. There are Ventures fans who prefer the psychedelic-influenced albums, and can once again spot such a phenomenon from the cover art alone, not necessitating a listen. &Let's Go& lacks some of the lustre and sophistication this group would develop in later arrangements and material, coming more from the surf music era. That genre is of course served by the classic &Wipeout& and the title track, not to mention a hardy &Runaway.& &Walk Right In& lacks a sense of swing, as does a Ray Barretto cover, culminating in a kind of stiffness that permeates the lesser moments on this album. Final comment on the artwork: Nokie Edwards sure looks gooney on the back cover.