'Dropping Anchor with Sun & Sail Club' : In Conversation with 'The Reverend' Bob Balch

Anyone that knows me would tell you that Reverend Bob Balch is by far one of my favorite guitar players of all time. The master of the fuzz riff is back with his merry gang of sailors to produce an album that harkens back to Bad Brains, Ramones and a slice of Devo.

The law office of Reeder, Reeder and Balch have added a new Associate to their renowned firm, Tony Adolescent. The Sun and Sail club has thrown its anchor ashore and has landed on an album that simply blends aggression as a key factor and musician interplay into another. They have woven together an assortment of tunes that will have strolling down a one way street in a not so nice area of town looking like you swallowed a whole flock of canaries.  If you are looking for an album that hits like a ram and takes what it wants, when it wants it, well then, the Sun and Sail Club has delivered such an album.

The Reverend Balch was nice enough to enlighten me about the recording and writing process for the new album. So sit back, grab a brew or 8 and enjoy the way of the Sun and Sail Club.

Gaff) Bob, pleasure as always sir.

Balch) you too,

Gaff) So please tell me how this album came to life, especially how Tony was brought in.

Balch) I didn’t really have much written and I reached out to Tony. I wanted to hear a singer, he was the first person I reached out too, he said yes. I am a huge Adolescents fan, so I wrote almost the whole album in an afternoon. I was so inspired and I wrote a lot of it with him in mind and him singing. I had some other stuff that was vocoder oriented but once I spoke with Tony, I knew I had to write all sorts of shit and what I would love to hear him sing on.

Gaff)  Its way different than the first one.

Balch- It’s not proggy, it’s more straight forward. This one is actually more fuzz. The first one I wrote so many notes and riffs I couldn’t get as fuzzy as I am used too. The first one was more drop A tuning, this one was just down a whole step and I could get really fuzzy on this one.

Gaff) Tonality wise, this is some of the best stuff I have heard you do. It is a straight up wall of sound.

Balch) Yeah, we did drums the same place we did ‘Gigantoid’.

Gaff) At the guy in Moab studio? And these songs are really fast

Balch) Yeah, Andrew, I know how he works so I figured Reeder would get his stuff done and I could get guitars done in a day. It kind of took a little longer than I thought, so by the time I got done with guitars it was about 4 in the morning and we got there at noon, so it’s kind of cool because I did one track on the left side, I was kind of awake and by the time I got to the other side I was kind of falling asleep. I usually go to bed at 10pm and then get up early and surf. So it kind of sounds like two different guitar players. It’s funny, It is not sloppy by any means you probably wouldn’t be able to tell, but I can tell. Like I wouldn’t have held that note as long or it sounds bigger that way.

Gaff) Its way different then the Fu Manchu stuff

Balch) Yeah the song that we put out for metalsucks.net is the most Fu Manchu esque. The rest is panicky, fast, I was listening to a lot of DRI. I like a lot of the faster Adolescents songs like ‘Word Attack’, so I felt it would be rad to have Tony do a bunch of stuff like that. There are some slower songs but yeah, it’s pretty pissed off.

Gaff) It is one of those albums that after a few listens you wanna hop in your car and do 85 mph in a 30 mph zone. How was it working again with the two Reeder’s; were they down for the vibe of the album?

Balch) Yeah, like I said I wrote most of the album in a day, did a few touch ups but yeah, I showed it to the drummer Reeder, and that guy is a monster, we only went through it once. Next thing, we were in the studio for a couple of days and he nailed it. Same thing as the last one, I would call Reeder in the desert and ask if I could come up and have him lay down some bass. He was pretty stoked on it too. He said it was way different than the first album also. When I called him I said it was simpler, because to me it is. The arrangements are simpler, it is faster and the riffs were easier to play. Reeder said, “you said this was easier, this is crazy shit to play”. He got it and was stoked to be a part of it.

Gaff) So what did it take to do the whole thing, a few weeks?

Balch) Let’s see? We did guitar and drums in one day, bass and leads in a day. The vocals about a day, we split it up into 2 times, bass and leads in a day. We mixed it in 2 weekends, so probably 9 to 10 days total. I just stretched it out over a period of months. It is kind of painstaking because you would record and then I did not want to listen to it too much, besides I would think should I change something? So I would just sit on it for a few weeks and then go back in.

Gaff) So did you guys fund the whole thing?

Balch) Yeah, Reeder (the drummer) and myself. Same as last time.

Gaff- It is rare that you get such a transformation from the first album to the second. I really dig this one. I am used to hearing you more into riffing rather than just plugging in and crushing it.

Balch) Yeah all of them will probably be different. I have been sitting on a whole album of Pink Floyd type stuff.  It’s really mellow, a straight ahead jazz album also. It’s just an outlet. Fu Manchu is the main thing and I recognize that and people are willing to do this with us because of Fu Manchu’s notoriety. When the Sun and Sail stuff comes around it’s me just kind of  like, what the fuck,  let’s do this punk record and see what it sounds like or this weird Kraftwerk record.

Gaff) It must keep Fu Manchu fresh

Balch) Yeah, for sure

Gaff) Without an outlet you can go fucking crazy, are you guys planning on doing this live?

Balch) Yeah, yeah we have already been talking. To nail down dates with the 4 of us is a little more difficult than I thought it would be. Tony works full time as a teacher, and when he is not teaching, he is doing Adolescents stuff. His summer is pretty filled with Adolescents stuff. He is going to S. America. We have Fu Manchu gigs. Reeder has Fireball Ministry and studio stuff. We are looking at least doing a couple of shows this summer with The Freeks. Looking at maybe LA, San Diego, Orange County. We have had offers from Spain, Australia and Germany oddly enough, but I had to turn them down as Fu Manchu will be in Europe. Whenever we get a moment where everyone’s schedules don’t conflict, we will get together and play this one live. I think it will be really cool. I would love to see both Reeder’s play in the same room, it will be crazy.

Gaff) This would go over insane live

Balch) People might get injured.

Gaff) With the pure energy a few people might get their noses broken. Maybe a couple of shattered thumbs.

Balch) I would like people to stay safe, in those types of situations, the stage is the safest

place.

Gaff) Very true. There was definitely some pent up frustration racing through these tunes, which is good to release as we get older.

Balch) I was always into Bad Brains. I always wanted to hear a fast album like that but with fuzzed out guitars and huge drums, kind of like Bad Brains playing a set on Fu Manchu’s gear.

Gaff) Like Bad Brains on sedatives with fuzz. Being such a huge Adolescents fan, when Tony said he would love to sing on it, was this some of the easiest stuff to write? Did it seem to just pour out of you?    

Balch) That’s how I kind of write. If I sit down and write riffs, and if it’s not coming, I can’t really force it.   I am not sure where it comes from. Once Tony said he was involved I was so stoked, it was just, I sat down and recorded myself for 3 hours and then just sifted through. At the end of 3 hours I didn’t remember a fucking thing I just did. Then I listened and said there’s a song, there’s a song. Then I took another day to organize it and came up with intros, it was super organic, I find that, people, the songs that you don’t labor over are the songs people like. ‘King of the Road’, we were in the studio; we didn’t even have that written yet. It was just like, here’s a song. You know, people love that one. Songs that we labor over and go over and re-polish it, those are the ones that we are like, yeah, ok, that’s cool.

Gaff) People I think can tell the ones that are contrived as the ones that a band plugs in and it just magically happens, that is what people want to hear

Balch) That is this whole record. I didn’t labor over any of it. I sat down yesterday, because we will be playing it live, it is about 30 minutes. If we wanna have a full set, I’ll have to come up with some more ‘riffs and shit. It’s funny comparing it. I sat down and wrote some riffs and it comes with whatever inspires you.

Gaff) Were you playing your Reverend through your Marshall?

Balch) I used my signature Reverend through my Marshall JMP on one side with 2 Creepy Fingers pedals. The other side I used a Reverend Daredevil and a fuzz factory through a Marshall 800 into a bass cab. Like an old fender bass cab. Those 2 sounds are pretty different but have the same similarities. Like when the chord would sort of fade out, they both had the same sort of crackle that you can hear throughout the record. I do it all the time as it sounds like an old fender, like it is getting choked out. I use both of those to my advantage. For leads I used a different Marshall JMP that I rented for the first Sun and Sail record from Satellite amps. I took it out to Reeder’s. It was cool to do leads at a different studio from the rhythm tracks because you have different mics and it sits a lot differently whereas before I just kind of would do everything in one studio on one cab. This way has opened my eyes. I was like shit, you know I should probably try and do that often to get a completely different sound you know.

Gaff) I think it’s great, especially for solos using different heads and cabs, it makes you feel like a kid

Balch) Yeah, recording at 3 different studios has given it really a nice sound.

Gaff) Sometimes when you record at 3 different studios, it sounds like you recorded at 3 different studios. This one really has a nice organic feel to it.

Balch) Yeah, drums can sound different because of the rooms, so we did all the drums in one spot. Yeah, the guitars and vocals are at different spots. I am super stoked at the end product, it’s really rad.

Gaff) It completely caught me off guard in a good way, it has a punk attitude with Creepy Fingers fucking blaring. It has a really nice match with Tony’s vocals and the sonic destruction with Reeder playing drums and the different guitar tones, they really sit together and the vocals seem to ride on top of the guitars bass and drums.  The sound of this especially vocally is nice as you can hear him singing.

Balch) I was also really stoked on his lyrics, Tony has some rad lyrics. I didn’t know what he would bring to the table and I was like shit what if he does something and I don’t like that, I heard the lyrics for the first tune and I knew this was going to be so much fun. It was perfect. I tried to ask him, ‘hey what are you going to be writing about’ and I would never get a response. Any other time I would email him, he would get right back to me, oh yeah I’ll be there at 1. I would say ‘where are the lyrics’ and it would be like, chirp chirp. He got in there and fucking nailed it. I am really stoked to have him on the album. I mean I grew up listening to the Adolescents. Even just hanging with the dude I was just tripping out.

Gaff) Lyrically it is pretty heavy but it works. How has it been when listening back to it.

Balch) I was really stoked to listen to it mixed and mastered. For the guys in the band to like it. Really for them to be happy to put their names on the record, had me stoked, ha.

Photo by: Jerry Miller

Gaff) The great thing about you guys playing live,  is that  it will be fun.

Balch) Yeah, the first album to do live, I found another guitar player and he rips, learned it note for note without much of my help. Getting the vocoder to not feedback was a nightmare. Every venue is different and you don’t know what the hell is gonna happen. I would like to do that album in the future but this one is a no brainer, we can kill it. It would be rad.

Gaff) You see yourself doing the third soon

Balch) I would like to record 3 7 inches. Really weird shit and then put them together in a special package. Once the kid is here, I will have a lot on my plate. I was thinking of that while recording. ‘Mannequin’ took a bit and this one was easy, so I am glad I got them both finished and am stoked on it.

Gaff) Best of luck with the newborn my man

Balch) Thanks very much

Bob and the boys really created a piece of music that blends the old with the new. That is the meaning of true musicianship. 4 guys coming together for the good of an album. It shows in the tunes, the structure, the lyrics, and most of all the foundation of fun.

Rarely do you get 3 musicians with the god given ability to do whatever they want on their instruments to not step on each others toes and create such a nice platform for an amazing vocalist. The idea of putting out an album that was done in fun and for fun is a thing that is almost a hint of the past. With this type of work, I have a keen feeling the branch of Reeder, Reeder, Balch and Adolescent will be taking cases with a grin. 

Words by: Gaff

Sun and Sail Club - 'The Great White Dope' (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 12/05/2015

Label: Satin Records Recordings

‘The Great White Dop’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Krokodil Dental Plan
02. Dresden Fireball Freakout Flight
03. Baba Yaga Bastard Patrol
04. Migraine With A Chainsaw Reduction
05. Level Up & Shut It Down
06. Fever Blister & The Great White Dope
07. Full Tilt Panic
08. Alien Rant Factory
09. Inside Traitor Outside View
10. Cypherpunk Roulette

Sun and Sail Club is:

Bob Balch | Guitars
Scott Thomas Reeder | Bass
Scott Reeder | Drums
Tony Adolescent | Vocals

Review:

It might be the Sun and Sail club, but you'll find no yacht rock here. Instead of Michael McDonald, we have Bad Brains. Kenny Loggins? Hall and Oats?  More like Matt Pike and Lemmy Fucking Kilmister.  The new album, featuring members of Kyuss, Fu Manchu, and the Adolescents, contains 10 riff-filled tracks of high energy, bullshit-free punk and sleaze.

If you heard their 2013 debut, ‘Mannequin’, you might recall that they stirred the waters of the rock scene a bit with their over-the-top use of the vocoder.  Normally reserved as a special effect, they put that shit on every damn line of every damn song-- with great, but also very experimental sounding results.  The song writing on ‘The Great White Dope’ steers away from the experimental direction of their previous release, and it's laser focused on one thing: unapologetically rocking your face off. The vocoder is gone and they've recruited singer Tony Adolescent, who delivers balls to the wall vocals with no added effects or frills. The production, like the music itself, is loud, heavy, and beautifully simple.

Standout tracks include album opener ‘Krokodil Dental Plan’, a 2 minute scorcher that kicks ass right out of the gate, with big riffs and in-your-face drumming from Scott Reeder. ‘Dresden Firebird Freakout’ keeps up the high energy pace, also clocking in at 2 minutes. ‘Fever Blister’ and ‘The Great White Dope’, a longer track for this album, lets rip with an unaccompanied guitar solo. No rhythm guitar, no bass, no drums, just killer riffs spraying freely all over the place like a loose fire hose. The band then keeps you guessing by launching into a nice juxtaposition between slow, sludgy doom with melodic vocals and uptempo punk rowdiness. ‘Cypherpunk Roulette’ closes the album with a trance-inducing loop that makes a good soundtrack to a lava lamp.

Overall, the album is a solid offering that, in my opinion, has all the ingredients for a good time: tightly crafted songs, stoner riff worship, and punk rock attitude.  The album, courtesy of Satin Records, is available now in digital format. CD and vinyl are available for pre-order, with no official release date set at this time.

Although I see no mention of any touring yet, these songs are going to translate well live. Expect to have your beer spilled if you're up front, this shit is rowdy.  I would love to see them tour with Valient Thorr, Municipal Waste, High on Fire, or Satan's Satyrs.  I will most definitely be picking this up on vinyl, whenever it comes out.

Words by: Doza Hawes

‘The Great White Dope’ is available here

Gigantoid, The Recording Of A Massive Album by Fu Manchu. An Interview with Bob Balch & Scott Reeder of Fu Manchu

(c) Andrew Stuart

It is not every day you get excited regarding an album.

Also, it is not every day one of your favorite bands enters the studio to work on a new listening pleasure. I was thinking about what you would need to make an album with massive riffs, tasty solos, a shit ton of low end and a drummer with a pocket as deep as the abyss. I was able to sum it up in three syllables, Fu Manchu.

The Reverend Bob Balch and the man that hits the Ludwigs like only he can, Scott Reeder  took time from mixing their album to converse regarding how the process flowed into a meteor of rock n roll so huge, it had to be called Gigantoid.

So sit back, relax and enjoy my conversation.

Q) Bob, do you mind sharing with me how long it took to track this album. Balch, “The bass and drums were done in a day and a half each. The guitars and vocals were both done in three to four days.”

Reeder, “This has been stuff we had been working on since last summer that we had been refining. The method is that Hill and Balch would come in with riffs, a lot of the songs are long and heavy, which is pretty rad. One of the songs Davis was playing and it was almost like, I don’t wanna say jazz, but it was quiet, I could see Chris Squier playing it. I tried to do my best Bill Buford. It is an eight minute song, and there is a lot of cool stuff on this album.”

Balch, “Davis killed it he has a huge bass sound on the album. Hill did all the singing and he is a master at doubling vocals. The vocals are laid back he totally does the Scott Hill thing here.”

Reeder, “I think it is really interesting vocals.” 

Q) Did you sing at all Scott, “I do a really long scream on one of the songs.”

Q) Obviously a big part of the sound is the interplay between bass and drums. How great is it to be able to play with Davis? Reeder, “We really like each other, which really helps, having a mutual respect is great, I really want the guys to be able to rely on me. I never want to fall short of that. We don’t over think shit, we have a blast.”

Q) How does this album rank in terms of tone of the guitars? Balch, “Tone wise it is one of my favorite albums. I was using my 73 SG, 78 SG and my Reverend. I feel that my playing has really improved from teaching so much, this time when I was doing a solo, I was really able to improvise, and most of the time we kept the first one I did. Scott Hill was playing his Fender Jaguar and the rhythm sounds are amazing.”

Q) Scott, were you using your Ludwig, “I actually brought out the rototoms for this album. That is actually one thing I didn’t rehearse on this album. I would be dicking around it would sound ridiculous, we said fuck it, lets’ keep it.” 

Q) Is this a heavy pocket album, Reeder, “In the parts that it needs to be, I hope so. I enjoy having fun, try and stretch my playing. If a big heavy riff needs space, I wanna make sure I am out of the way. There is slow spaced out stuff and some really aggressive shit and definitely longer tunes.”

Q) Do you get involved with the mics that are being used to record your kit? Reeder, “I don’t get involved, I know how I want them to sound. We are all like that.  We all know the tone we are looking for. I like my drums to sound if you are in the room with them. Really what I want most is to hear my snare and kick. Basically we are always trying to make things sound like a better Fu Manchu.

Balch, “Reeder came up with some ridiculous fills. We all love to try to make each other laugh and ninety percent of the album is the first takes of the songs.”

Reeder, “I would say to Davis, hey I got this part, let’s record it and see how it sounds. I will usually defer to Davis and ask if I should do more or less here. We are all interested in the end, the whole product. It is a very Democratic process. Hill writes the lyrics that end up sounding a certain way. When all the songs are written and the finished project, it all paints a whole picture.”

Balch, “I was a huge fan before I joined the band and the way Hill sang on this album really brought me back to those days. We really didn’t hear the lyrics until we were in the studio. Scott would sing and then double his vocals so effortlessly. Some of it reminded me of Mark Arm but not as hard. I think the album as a whole is us letting ourselves play and not worrying about fixing everything. We just went in and played. We definitely were more into the groove and energy, which a big thing.”

Q) How does your playing differ on this album, “Balch, I played a lot of leads, trippy guitar stuff, using a lot of simulators, tap tempo delays, super fuzz, creepy face, and big muff. It is extremely fuzzy, Hill and I wanted that Godzilla sound.

Reeder, “It is funny to talk about a Fu Manchu album and talk about heavy guitars, but 

Balch and Hill really sound huge on the album. The solos are amazing.”

Q) Where does this album rank, “Reeder, overall, I am happiest with this one. You want your most recent stuff to be what you are most stoked about. If we are working on something and it happens cool, we respect each other so much that we can easily say if we like it or not. We look at the greater picture, the sonic quality you are working on and see how everything fits together. I am looking at the end result for this album, people grooving, moving their heads and getting lost in the sonic picture. Bottom line, we are all fans of music and are so lucky to be able to play music every day.”

Q) Now you guys are mixing the album, how is it going, Balch, “We have been mixing on Friday, Saturday and Sundays. We are pretty close to getting the Sound.

Reeder, “We are hoping to be done in a few weeks.”

Q)Are you guys going to be playing this live, Reeder, “We will try and throw a few into the set.”

Q) How did you guys come up with the name, Reeder, “Hill had it for a song title, then we thought it would be a great name for the album. We looked it up and it read that it is a description for something huge, which perfectly describes what happens when you hear the first song.”

Q) When will this be out, Reeder, “The album will be released on 4/28/14 in the UK and Europe and on 4/29/14 in the us.”

Q) Well, rather excited to hear it and thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedules to speak with me regarding the recording of this album.

Balch, “Anytime, thanks a lot.”

Reeder, “My pleasure, thank you for taking the time and speaking with us.”

Gigantoid will be released on At the Dojo Records. Please make sure you get out there and pick this album up.

From the chat with these two, this album will be blaring from speakers worldwide. Make sure you get your copy, put on the head phones, enter that place where you can zone out, and let the Gigantoid sound of the Fu take over and release an audible assault on your eardrums.

Cheers,

Gaff

Thanks to Bob and Scott for talking with us, here at The Sludgelord.  Big thanks also, to your resident Bostonian correspondent, Marc Gaffney for hooking up this interview.  Good work my friend.

Gigantoid will be released April 29 via the band’s own label, At The Dojo.

For more information :

http://www.fu-manchu.com/

http://www.rrise.com/store/fumanchu/

http://www.backstreetmerch.com/official_fu-manchu_merchandise/

https://www.facebook.com/FuManchuBand

Fu Manchu tour 2014
April 30—Bottom Of The Hill—San Francisco, California
May 1—The Alley—Sparks, Nevada
May 3—Dante’s—Portland, Oregon
May 4—El Corazon—Seattle, Washington
May 6—Club Sound—Salt Lake City, Utah
May 7—Marquis Theatre—Denver, Colorado
May 10—Subterranean—Chicago, Illinois
May 11—Small’s—Hamtramck, Michigan
May 13—Ace Of Cups—Columbus, Ohio
May 14—Grog Shop—Cleveland Heights, Ohio
May 16—Lee’s Palace—Toronto, Ontario
May 17—Cabaret Mile End—Montreal, Quebec
May 19—Mercury Lounge—New York, New York
May 20—The Sinclair—Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 21—The Barbary—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 23—Rock & Roll Hotel—Washington, D.C.
May 24—King’s Barcade—Raleigh, North Carolina
May 25—The Earl—Atlanta, Georgia
May 27—Red 7—Austin, Texas
May 28—Gas Monkey—Dallas, Texas
May 31—Pub Rock Live—Scottsdale, Arizona
June 14—The Casbah—San Diego, California
June 21—The Troubadour—Los Angeles, California

Sun & Sail Club - Mannequin (Album Review)

Album Type :  Full Length

Date Released : 19/11/2013

Label : Satin Records Recordings

Mannequin, album track listing :

1). Lagrimas de Dios 00:28

2). Held Down 04:31

3). Whites Of Your Eyes 03:11

4). Gang Justice 03:26

5). It’s All Your Fault 04:17

6). La Muerte De Un Planeta  0:55

7). I’m Not Upside Down 02:52

8). Season In Hell 03:40

9). Inside The Machine

10). Hunted 04:30

11). La Risa De Satanas 01:47

The Band :

Bob Balch | Guitar, Vocoder Vocals

Scott Reeder | Drums

Scott Thomas Reeder | Bass, Vocals

Review :

Wow, what to say about this album by Sun and Sail Club, Mannequin. This group is comprised of Bob Balch on Guitar | Vocoder (Fu Manchu), Scott Reeder on Percussion (Fu Manchu) and Scott Reeder on Bass | Vocal (The Obsessed and Kyuss.)

First off this is a musical seminar on how to play guitar, drums and bass. This is a devastating 11 song compilation that will make you groove, thrash, stage dive and want to skateboard all within a poignant timeframe.  There are elements of Wes Montgomery, Slayer, Television, Pink Floyd and ELO all wrapped up in a musical bow. Also, it solidifies why Bob Balch is my favorite guitarist out there these days.

                               

The album was recorded and engineered by Scott Reeder at his own Sanctuary Studio. J Robbins was at the helm for Mixing and Mastered by Dan Coutant.  Reeder, Reeder and Balch, (which would also be a great name of a law firm) have assembled an album that is unlike anything you have heard.  Sure, anytime you get 3 virtuosos together there can be butting of heads. This friends, is an album of pure respect for what each artist brings to the studio.

Even during the most kinetic riffing, there is still a sense of space and it is that space that I believe sets this album apart. Each instrument is full of life and can be heard meshing very elegantly with the others in a harmonious and melodic landscape.  Starting with the first song, Lagrimas de Dios, it is jazz in its purest form. Picture Bob wearing a suit, probably rocking an ascot for good measure, playing in front of an audience of heavy jazz hitters and they are totally on board with what he is doing. Ripping free form jazz that is so scrumptuous.

               

We march into the second tune, Held Down, with its Queen like intro, they had me at hello. The breakdown is rifftastic, you also get drumming and bass playing from hell. This tune knocks you out right off the blocks, bam. The percussive chugging on this tune is worthy of a Dave Grohl comparison, it is that good. Then, we got straight into Slayer vibe at the end. A spectacular ride of fury.  Therefore, you know the rest of the album is going to rip and rip off the hizak it does.  I could go thru each tune on the album but I will not, as this would be 35 pages long,  Because  there is so much goodness in this album, I could write eloquently for days.

               

So, I will pick out a few that literally made me chuckle like a little kid, waiting to take my first roller coaster ride, and then never wanting to get off.  On we go to song # 4, Gang Justice. The beginning riff on this is one that words would do no justice too. You need to listen for the grandiose vibe it will bring to your ears. The accenting Reeder is laying down on percussion is amazing. The bass playing of Reeder keeps this tune afloat with low end so heavy, you are listening in quick sand. Fans of Mastodon would absolutely get off on this tune. The chorus is true melody with its easy segue into harmony country. I can picture the 3 playing together, such a huge and cohesive blend of riff and roll.

               

Next is #5, It’s All Your Fault.  This is a drummers choice. Reeder shines as he pummels his set but with the utmost groove and sophistication. This song could be heard at a Modern Drummer Convention, the drums are so bad ass. Drummers if you need a tune to woodshed, this is a perfect choice. Followed by a smoky breakdown with Thin Lizzy harmonies. As I stated, there is such deliciousness on this album that it cannot be categorized into just one genre. Which leads me to my favorite jam on the album, I’m not Upside Down, #7.

               

Remember why got you into Pink Floyd and why you truly loved them, well these three deliver that cosmic vibe on this trip and kill it. Reeder’s vocals and playing are standout on this track. Everything cascades into one person, one being on this song. Funny, I had an eerie feeling that Jeff Buckley would have loved to have been asked to sing alongside Reeder on this. It is dark and yet uplifting all at the same time. This song made me ask myself, “How can I turn up the quiet.”

               

Ending the album is a true piece of jazz brilliance. In terms of smooth, if you were listening at a club and a waitress asked what you would like to drink, you would respond with, “ Martini and leave the olives on the side because they take up too much booze.” This tune also shows that these three are not playing the game of putting all one style of music into an album. They close with a jazz instrumental after an ass whooping and groove oriented song #10, Hunted.

               

In closing, if this album does not solidify these three as some of the most ferocious motherfuckers out there in rock, then the world is spinning on a convoluted axis. The only thing I can think of, in terms of virtuosity on this record for a three piece would be the Band of Gypsies.

               

If you love music, all different types and want an album that will take you through many emotions and mountains of the moon, get this album and truly let the journey begin.

Eat a peach,

Gaff    

Words by :  Marc Gaffney 

You can buy it here

For more information :

https://www.facebook.com/SunAndSailClub

http://www.playthisriff.com/

Interview with Bob Balch & Scott Reeder (Sun & Sail Club)

 

 

 

My delightful chat with Bob Balch and Scott Reeder of the Sun and Sail Club.

First of all, the band should not be Sun and Sail Club; it should be named Larry, Daryl and Daryl. How many times do you have two guys named Scott Reeder in your band? Also, throw in one of the best guitarist out there and you have the line up for Sun and Sail Club.

For those of you who are new to this venture, it is guitarist Bob Balch and drummer Scott Reeder from Fu Manchu and Scott Reeder, engineer of Sanctuary studio and bass player of The Obsessed and Kyuss.

These three musicians  alone,  have set the fuzz pedal world on fire, made drumming a thing of groove and pure ass whooping, bass tones that engulf you like the monster from Beast Master, and made the desert not just a place for Spaghetti Westerns to take be shot in.

To begin, these three gentlemen are crucial to many musicians like me that enjoy this wonderful genre of music. These three are musical icons in their own right, and yet are humble and grounded as if they were just three guys playing cover tunes in Frankie and the Snakelovers. This was a pure privilege to chat with Bob and Scott. Bob is indeed one of my favorite players and I told Scott that for me chatting with him was like speaking to Berry Oakely.

So sit back and relax and I hope you enjoy my interview with these two influential monsters of rock.

 

Gaff - Bob, how did this project come about?

Balch, “I had been writing riffs, sent Reeder from fu Manchu riffs and tried to confuse him with riffs, asked him what he would play on certain things and it came out rad. Reeder (fu manchu) and I recorded basic tracks, went to Sanctuary and Scott (Engineer, ex Kyuss) said, “I’ll give it a stab” and I was totally psyched that he wanted to do it. So Scott would send me the tunes and he sang on one. So I was totally psyched to have the bass player from Kyuss not only engineering but playing on it.

Scott (Kyuss), “I heard the stuff and my jaw hit the floor, but obviously, I was very cool about it. I was so psyched to play bass on it. We would work on it and it was done in 4-5 months.  I was psyched because I think Bob is one of the best guitarists out there.” I basically worked out the tunes, some tones I wanted droning, some low and flopping. From start to finish it was a very laid back and a great process to be involved in. When Bob bought in the Vocoder, I loved it, he ran his clean guitar through the Vocoder and we filtered the voice. Bob was doing some really intricate harmonies. For overdubs, Balch was just sitting on my couch in the control room, ripping. He was playing some amazing stuff and he was so relaxed while doing it.”

Gaff  - Riff wise, guitar wise and gear wise, did you guys switch it up from your regular gear,

Balch, “I kept a fuzz tone but didn’t want riffs to be buried because some of the riffs are faster with a lot of notes.  I used a JMP with creepy fingers fuzz and an 800 with a tube screamer, used that to keep definition to stay on top of the fuzz.

For the solos, I used a Buzz Around and I used a wah in a set position. Was playing reverend guitars on the rhythm tracks, tuning was standard and drop a. A lot was in drop a and the rest were in fu Manchu tuning, for the drop a I used used rev, for the fu, used an Armstrong, one particular rev, daredevil, was used a lot, it’s the red one. This one you hit a note and it blooms, it goes wahhhh.”

Gaff - Scott, what gear were you using on this session?

Scott “I was using my Hartke cabs and my Sky Valley, 1970 SVT.”

Gaff - Did you use the SVT on the Dave Grohl project?

Scott “yeah, I brought it in and Butch Vig was like, that is the one we are using.”

Gaff - Bob, who did the singing? 

Balch - “not really singing, playing guitar through a Vocoder, a lot of the shit that’s on there, is complex harmonies, I am putting jazz chords on top of heavy riffs, Reeder(engineer) sings on one song.”

Gaff - Scott, how did you go about singing on the album?

Scott “I just wanted something that I could stick with and sounded good. Kept it clean and it worked out well.”

Gaff- I asked Bob if he was aiming for Wes Montgomery meets Slayer.

Balch - “That is exactly what I was going for. Bob, you ever listen to Soulive, “those guys are fucking rad, totally dig those guys.”

Gaff - How many songs are on the album?

Balch “11 but 3 are solo jazz guitar pieces, I didn’t plan on doing it but Reeder has a Chandler preamp that was used on a lot of Floyd stuff, plugged directly into it and it fucking sounded so amazing, 20 minutes of me fucking around, just one take, didn’t even know what I was doing, thought it would be cool to mix up the album with the jazz stuff”

Gaff - Scott, can you talk to me about this wonderful pre-amp?

Scott - “It is a limited edition, re-issue Chandler, matches the one that was used on Dark Side and a lot of the Abbey Road recordings.

Gaff - Did J Robbins mix the album?

Balch,” I love that album Mother Teacher Destroyer, that was J. He worked with Clutch also... I texted Tim from Clutch and asked how it was working with J and he said I am sitting next to him right now. “I loved the last Sword album and the Clutch album, J mixed our album in 8 days, came out rad.”

 

 

 

Gaff - Who mastered the album?

Balch - “Dan Coutant, he has worked with J Robbins, and he was way into the album. It was mastered in 3 days and we all loved it.”

“The stuff you are hearing is basically the second time we played it. Reeder (Fu Manchu) and I have played with each other so often that we know what to expect from each other.”

Gaff- How did you meet Scott Reeder (Kyuss)?

Balch “ I went out to Sanctuary to interview him for PlayThisRiff.com, 3 years ago, he showed me how to play a couple Kyuss riffs, thought it would be cool to come out here and have him one day play on some stuff.”

Gaff - How did you like his bass tone, the first time you heard it?

Balch “I never heard him play in front of me.  “It came out fucking awesome, his bass tone is awesome.”

Gaff - Are you guys going to perform live or just a studio thing?

Balch - “Just a studio thing right now, would need to find a guitarist to do the rhythm thing. We will probably do it later as we are writing for the new fu album

Scott - “I would love to get a chance to do this live. It was such a great project and everything felt so right, live would be definitely something in the future.

Gaff - When does Mannequin come out?

Balch - “ November 19^th, Really excited for it to be out.”

Scott “excited for the album to come out. Was a great album to engineer and be a part of musically?”

So get yourself this album on November 19^th. It will be a great stocking stuffer or an album that will make you wish your chops were like Bobs. I believe the pussy cat dolls heard the album and re-wrote their hit song to, “Don’t cha wish your boyfriend had fucking chops like Bob, fucking don’tcha, what’s that pistol dick, fucking don’tcha.”

Eat a peach,

Marc Gaffney from Gozu

Goes without saying a massive thank you to the legends that are Bob Balch and Scott Reeder for talking to us here at The Sludgelord.  Sincere thanks guys.  Also Marc Gaffney, you’re bad motherfucker.  Cheers hombre. 

You can preorder their debut album here and it is available to buy November 19^th 2013 on CD and Vinyl.  You can listen to it in full below

 

 

For more information :

https://www.facebook.com/SunAndSailClub

http://www.playthisriff.com/