by Richie Unterberger
Few listeners need to dig deeper than a greatest hits collection for The Ventures, but this early effort is an arguable exception. The group embellished their trademark sleek guitar instrumentals with creepy, then-futuristic production effects, sounding at times like a mix of surf music and the incidental music to Star Trek. The ghostly, theremin-like sounds on several tracks are actually produced by top session player Red Rhodes on steel guitar. The British instrumental group The Tornados (of &Telstar& fame) did this kind of stuff better, if you're looking for this kind of thing. The CD reissue combines this album and the 1962 LP The Ventures Play Telstar -- The Lonely Bull and Others.