ight now it's just a pipe dream, but couldn't the recent discovery of water on Mars conceivably mean that, sometime in the distant future, interplanetary tourists might find themselves walking along red-sand beaches or frolicking in scarlet seas? If and when that time arrives, surf-rock legends The Ventures are prepared: their album Space 2001 is devoted entirely to astronautically inspired songs and reverb-soaked renditions of well-known science fiction movie melodies.
Opening with a twangy interpretation of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" that incorporates a fragment of "The Blue Danube" waltz--both used in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey--the disc showcases peppy versions of the main themes to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek and Star Wars. The band even performs a playful reading of the "Ewok Celebration/Lapti Nek Overture" from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
Other numbers include an updated take on the group's 1963 hit "Telstar" (inspired by an early communications satellite), along with four additional instrumentals celebrating famous space vehicles: "Columbia," "Gemini," "Skylab" and "Apollo 11." There's also an energetic ode to interstellar travel titled "Journey to the Stars" and a slower, contemplative composition dubbed "Sand, Sea and Love." The collection concludes with "Out of Limits," an upbeat cut with a weird, processed vocal track and a riff based on The Twilight Zone theme.
Space 2001 was one of a series of discs issued in Japan last year to honor The Ventures' 40th anniversary. The liner notes, which are printed in both English and Japanese, include a brief commentary from the group and the lyrics to "Out of Limits." Although not widely distributed in the United States or Europe, the CD is available through various import specialty dealers and the band's Web site (www.theventures.com).
"Venturized" SF classics
Since The Ventures first formed in 1959 (only two years after the launch of Sputnik!), they have sold over 90 million albums. And while they've recorded hundreds of original numbers, many of their more recent platters have largely contained repackaged or re-recorded renditions of older tunes.
Space 2001 is one of those recycled efforts, incorporating highly orchestrated interpretations of melodies that, for the most part, were first presented together in 1983 on the group's NASA 25th Anniversary Commemorative Album.
Nonetheless, it's fun to hear "Venturized" versions of classic SF movie compositions. Reverberant guitars and laid-back drums imbue the Star Wars theme with an easy-going atmosphere that--enhanced with a brief, synthesizer-driven snatch of the cantina band's tune--readily alters the sonic setting from a galaxy far, far away to a serene seaside luau. Close Encounters of the Third Kind is equally charming, with a guitar echoing the tune's familiar five-note leitmotif.
"Journey to the Stars" mimics a jaunt through outer space, mixing a mellow surf-guitar sound with resonant electronic effects. The other songs are entertaining too, although "Out of Limits"--the only work with a full vocal track--features band cofounder Don Wilson warbling in an utterly ridiculous, Alvin-and-the-Chipmunks-like voice. Combined with insipid lyrics ("There's a place for me, far beyond the crowds, past the clouds to eternity"), this cut closes the collection on a distinctly sour note.
Yet, other than this single misstep, Space 2001 remains an enjoyable album. Although the disc lacks any material previously unrecorded by the ensemble, their impressive surf-rock style, united with the sheer magic of the music, results in a disc that offers both nostalgic sounds and memorable science fiction motifs.
