Densyl - Hanging Eleven

Hear The Track Here

Cast your mind back to that scene in the greatest rock movie ever made where members of Spinal Tap are explaining the unique nature of their amplifiers, what we have here with Densyl is something akin to that. Hanging ten is a well known surfing maneuver and literally means hanging your toes of the board. Well, Densyl went one better, grew an extra digit, got together with Ralph Atkinson and come up with a surfing track. I kid you not. You may remember they also collaborated on Spring Is Here (June 2011) which definitely got my attention and showed that they work well together.

AAhhh, but can they surf the surf?

My early listening years were marked by band such as The Ventures who IMHO were making surf music before it was even called that, although it was obviously The Beach Boys who scored the biggest recognition factor but for me surf music will always be instrumental, and guitar led at that. Stands to reason then that I'm gonna get in a snit if Hanging Eleven doesn't come up to the glory my memory has supplied, given any other musicians there might have been some blood on the floor by now. However, I've had much experience with both Densyl and Ralph in their solo guises and know that neither of them does anything lightly, care and attention as much as fun, ya know?

Special mention, I think, should be paid to Ralph Atkinson who has the sound, tone and delivery of the period down. D-o-w-n. Fact is, Hanging Eleven could soundtrack a surf movie no problem and - as a musical exercise - this is a great track to do, and to listen to. You may have noticed a hint of caution there and rightly so because although I, Densyl and Ralph may appreciate the wonders of the genre there is no disguising that it is a niche, and a small one at that. None the less, if a sun-filled, breezy bolt of guitar driven energy sounds like just the thing, go get some....

Highly Recommended Surf music (I kid you not)