“The Absolutely Essential 3CD Collection” is one the recent compilations of all-time instrumental hits by THE VENTURES, an American four-piece group that pioneered Instrumental Rock music in the late 1950’s and still remains the best-selling instrumental rock group ever with over 110 million albums sold worldwide. The band enjoyed their greatest popularity and success in the 1960’s making 34(!) chart albums and designated as the 6th “Best pop album-performer” for that decade. Released in 2017 through Big3 Records imprint, “The Absolutely Essential” 3CD Set definitely lives up with its title proving that THE VENTURES is if not the greatest, then the most successful instrumental act of all times and nations. The Set features 60 tracks spanning the period of 1959-1962 and clocking in at over 130 minutes. The original music is digitally remastered and sounds amazing, much better than the most of the band’s previous CD-collections. Someone can argue that this compilation if far from being comprehensive and representative as the band’s classic line-up of Bob Bogle (initially lead guitar, switched to bass), Don Wilson (rhythm guitar), Nokie Edwards (initially bass, switched to lead guitar), and Mel Taylor (drums) was active until 1968 and created many more instrumental hits. Moreover, the band more or less successfully continued through the 1970’s adding new blood of guitarist Gerry MacGee and drummer Joe Barile. That’s all true. However, the most exciting period of THE VENTURES’ creative rise still accounts for the years 1960-1962. There were not so many tunes written by the band’s members that time (of 60 tunes featured in this compilation only about a dozen was written by The Ventures themselves), but the band’s ability to re-imagine and re-arrange in their own way pop and jazz standards (like “Caravan” by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington, or “Besame Mucho” by Consuelo Velazquez, or “Summertime” by George Gershwin) as well as traditional songs was really phenomenal. Long story short, if you want to know why THE VENTURES earned the reputation of “the band that launched a thousand bands” (far beyond Surf-Rock subgenre, by the way), and what the nature of their instrumental virtuosity and inventiveness was – “The Absolutely Essential 3CD Collection” is just what you need. The only, yet rather serious flaw of the Set is its absolute inconclusiveness – there is no booklet included or just liner notes printed on 6-panel digipak, just track-list with composing credits and recording year. Still, the album is worth its money and can be recommended.
