The Ventures - Perfidia-Walk Don't Run (Remastered, 2011)

See For Miles reissued the Ventures' first two albums, Walk -- Don't Run and The Ventures, on a single disc in 1995. The two records wrote the blueprint that the Ventures followed throughout the years -- balancing a hit single with a number of covers of contemporary pop and rock tunes, plus several traditional pop songs. To many listeners, this might all sound a bit samey -- the band established a signature, reverb-drenched sound early on and never departed from it -- but for hardcore fans, the pleasure is in the nuances, even if they're hard to come by. These two records were made before the Ventures began making concept albums, and while they're uneven, they remain among their better records, featuring such hits as "Perfidia," "Ram-Bunk-Shush," "Lullaby of the Leaves" and, of course, "Walk -- Don't Run." Even if these two records are among their better albums, only devoted fans need to search these out, since a Ventures hits collection will feature the best moments from this disc and won't boast nearly as much filler.