The New Ventures* – Rocky Road

What Done Happen?.....
I've been a loyal Ventures fan since the beginning. While going through my LP, Cassette, Reel to Reel, 8-Track collection, including Japanese, German, UK, etc, pressings, I found that I did not have a copy of "The New Ventures, Rocky Road". So I recently bought a mint condition stereo Lp version on EBay. After listen to just first two tracks I'm thinking that the music Gods may have for all these years been stirring me away from buying it.

First of all, through all the years including pre-Nokie Edwards, Jerry McGee, Don Wilson, Bob Bogle, Mel Taylor, then assorted drummers, with Mel's son Leon Taylor finally getting the gig,...Oh, and least we forget a few keyboard players thrown in for that 80's 90's synth sound, all the recordings had that true Ventures sound! Now comes Rocky Road! Maybe aptly named! I mean there were a few recordings in the Disco era that had some merit, but Rocky Road should have stayed in the can!

I'm sure the Venture's members who were alive at the time of this recording got a slice of the pie, although strangely enough none of them play on this.recording. There is a group shot on a photo insert that shows Don Wilson looking like "Disco Danny" clad in a white John Travolta suit standing with what may be some studio muscians with the exception of a drummer in a Prince Valiant hair due that actually took over drumming when Mel Taylor died. When you look at the liner notes the two founding members Don & Bob, along with Nokie Edwards & Jerry McGee are not in the musicians listed. Lead guitar credits go to Larry Carlton, a great studio session picker along with Ray Parker, another picker known for Funk & Soul. So this session really smacks of something done by the infamous "Wrecking Crew". This really surprises & disappoints me and I get the distinct feeling that UA (United Artists) told the boys to sit this one out and take a check. I would venture (pardon the pun) to say that this album had the lowest sales of the Ventures library. Like I said, I stopped listening after the first two cuts.

If you're a true Ventures fan, pass on this Big Time! .......It's even mediocre by true Disco standards!

A very unusual record to have the Ventures name attached to. All disco songs that seem to have no involvement from any members of the Ventures, other than co-writing credits on track B2.

The musicians are top notch studio guys - Larry Carlton's guitar is very evident - but it's not really a guitar-centered record like you would expect from a Ventures record.

Track B1 - -was actually released as a single under The Ventures name