Guitar Beat

{{Infobox album

| name = Guitar Beat

| type = studio

| artist = The Raybeats

| cover = Guitar Beat cover.jpeg

| alt =

| released = 1981

| recorded = April 1981, Woodcottage, Goring-On-Thames

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Surf rock, avant-garde

| length =

| label = PVC/Passport

| producer = Martin Rushent

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = It's Only a Movie!

| next_year = 1983

}}

Guitar Beat is the debut album by the neo-surf band the Raybeats. It was released in 1981 and produced by Martin Rushent. The album features ten original instrumentals, plus a Jan and Dean cover.

In tongue-in-cheek fashion, the original LP sleeve characterized the first side as the "listless, spotty & wasteful side" and the second as the "brave, clean & reverent side". The record sleeve also featured on the front a hand-colored photo of the band by photographer Laura Levine.

Reception

{{album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/guitar-beat-mw0000098798 |title=Guitar Beat – Raybeats | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic |website=AllMusic |accessdate=May 13, 2016}}

| rev2 = Trouser Press

| rev2score = favourable{{cite web |url=http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=raybeats |title=TrouserPress.com :: Raybeats |last1=Young |first1=Jon |last2=Robbins |first2=Ira |website=TrouserPress.com |accessdate=May 13, 2016}}

}}

AllMusic called it "a magnificent, echo-drenched set of concise and atmospheric riff-driven tunes that in a better world would have turned up as the soundtrack for a James Bond movie directed by David Lynch."

Track listing

All compositions by Pat Irwin, Jody Harris, Don Christensen and George Scott III except as indicated.

=Side one=

  1. "Tight Turn"
  2. "Big Black Sneakers"
  3. "Tone Zone"
  4. "The Backstroke" (Irwin, Harris, Christensen)
  5. "B-Gas Rickshaw" (Jan Berry)
  6. "International Operator"

=Side two=

  1. "Searching"
  2. "The Calhoun Surf" (Danny Amis)
  3. "Piranha Salad"
  4. "Cocktails" (Irwin, Harris, Christensen)
  5. "Guitar Beat" (Irwin, Harris, Scott, Amis)

Personnel

References