ALBUM REVIEWS : M,N,O

Note : Due to regular updating these reviews are not in strict alphabetical order

It's kind of difficult knowing quite how to classify this offering. After all, it is really no more than an off-beat surfing comedy album - but it offers so much more than the standard novelty fare offered up by the likes of the Silly Surfers or Mr Gasser's Surfink crew ... After all, writer and producer Jack Marshall was a highly respected jazz guitarist, composer and producer in his own field - but what on earth tempted him out of the smokey L.A. jazz clubs and over to sand-laden beachside haunts must be a bizarre story in its' own right (but one we can sadly not account for here ...).

Side One of this release features six 'comedy skits', taking the viewpoint of interviews with everyday members of the so-called 'surf-crowd'. All are fairly amusing little sketches, with novelty voices thrown in for effect, whilst the waves lap against the shoreline - with perhaps the simple views of the Old Oceanographer coming in the strongest. Side Two comprises of a typical early-60's 'Battle Of The Bands' scenario - with six novelty numbers as performed by six imaginery surf-bands - with the surf-folk Dingston Trio's "I Left My Love At Rincon" being the funniest by far ...

  "I left my love at Rincon, hot-doggin' with a punch

  Her figure really stoked me, but her face was out to lunch ..."

... whilst Daddie Ho's "Surfing Is My Life" is the closest musically to the gen-u-ine thing.

All in all, this is a wonderful example of original surf culture - and a highly prized item in any surf-fiend's collection - even if perhaps some of the humour has been washed away by the tides of time ...

Whilst Gary Ushers name may be forever associated with this particular trilogy of albums, it was a collection that he always tried to distance himself from – regularly pointing out that the was no more than a ‘hired gun’ for the sessions. Understandably so – for whilst many of the novelty albums that appeared during the initial phase of the surf/hot-rod genre (Silly Surfers, Ghouls, Weird-Ohs) managed to raise a smile on more than one occasion – these releases barely manage to conjure up a single grimace, which appears all the more bizarre seeing that Capitol’s sales figures indicate that sales topped 100,000 apiece, which ultimately assured the continuation of the series …

With the initial concept for the releases being laid at the door of Capitol’s own Fred Rice, production credits afforded to Jim Economides, and songwriting duties shared between the Klimes brothers, Dave Crandall, and hot-rod designer/artist/enthusiast Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth, these releases STILL gather extortionate collectors prices over forty years later …

Musically, all tracks are competently performed by Capitol’s top session teams (including future superstar singer/songwriter David Gates) and, in truth, one or two of the songs are not all that bad – “Hot-Rod Hootenanny” from the debut offering swings along in fine form, the ballad “Lonely Stocker” from the second release (later re-recorded by Usher for the Knights album) is extremely pleasing on the ears, and “Finksville USA” from the final album is a great little production - but the overall banality of the remaining melodies are summed up perfectly by such outrageously naff compositions as “There’s A Ding-Dong Ding In My Ding-Dong Board” and “Ballad Of Eefen Fink”. In fact, the only thing really going in favour for these albums, much to the initial chagrin of Gary Usher, was the ‘bonus’ inclusion on the third release of a free 7” single by The Superstocks!

As noted, the actual performances during the sessions may be A-OK, and the packaging may be superb, with wonderful cover art supplied by Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth … but the quality of the actual compositions within is sadly all-too close to stinksville USA.

Note: For those of you out there with a weird enough disposition to attempt to purchase all three Fink-offerings then they can all be found on the 2-CD collection “The Rat-Fink Collection” issued by One-Way Records

The long-standing story tells us that the band, formed in Fullerton CA (east of Long Beach) and originally known as The Customs, and then more famously as The Surfaris, were legally forced to change their name yet again, this time to The Original Surfaris, when another surf band, this time hailing from Glendora CA and also calling themselves The Surfaris, hit paydirt when their instrumental hit “Wipe Out” smashed into the higher echelons of the US charts. Despite this band being the originator of the name, a chart hit guarantees status and this line-up were forced to live in the shadow of their more successful counterparts.

Sadly, the recording output of the ‘original’ band was considerably less aswell, and despite a number of obscure single releases, and various cuts appearing on numerous compilations (something the band had no control over whatsoever) they only had only album ‘officially’ released during their time together … and bizarrely, that release only features ONE cut by them. The remaining tracks are performed by a series of unknown acts (none of which have ever come forward to claim fame), all managed, as were the Original Surfaris themselves, by one Tony Hilder, a local record producer. And it shows …

“Delano Soul Beat” is a sax-driven belter, with crashing cymbals, muffled guitar runs, and a driving bass line … and it is to the Original Surfaris credit that their only offering is the only real reason to put the disc onto the turntable. A couple of rockabilly influences, some unsuccessful surf-sounding numbers and some bluesy wailing fills out the rest of the vinyl – and it’s shame that the band didn’t get a better opportunity to air their own musical abilities at the time.

Legend tells us, truth or otherwise, that they were preparing a further release, a collection of true ‘surf instrumentals’ including versions of the much-covered tunes “Latin’ia” “Church Key” “Intoxica” and “Steel Pier” … and their own piece de resistance – the awesome Larry Weed composition, “Bombora” (issued as a single in March 1963), but this collection never appeared, the band folding during early ‘65. Whatever the truth behind the recordings and intentions for these tracks the collection DID finally appear in 1995, courtesy of Sundazed Records, the re-issue specialists … and man, does it rock in places. “Surfari” “Boardwalk” “Down Under”, along with the previously mentioned cover versions … and of course “Bombora” itself, pull together to make this a wonderful sounding collection. Yes, there a few disappointments and downbeats – the smoochy “Surf Angel” for one, pleasant but unessential. But does it all warrant inclusion here ? After all, it wasn’t an ‘official’ release during the surf-era … but, heck, who cares … I rate it – it rips.

Note: For those interested out there - the version of "Wipe Out" (which originally appeared on a various artists collection entitled "Beach Party") is NOT a take on the 'other' Surfaris composition. This is a rendition of a tune originally recorded by yet another local surf outfit, The Impacts, who also felt a touch p****d off by the success that the Glendora-based Surfaris had achieved, having cut their own composition first ...

Wild and frantic guitars, thumping, droning basslines, frenetic drums and cymbals … it’s all in there on this one, and I remain genuinely perplexed as to why this hasn’t achieved more acclaim over the years. Maybe it has something to do with Messina virtually disowning these tracks forty-plus years later, who knows – but I’d certainly rather listen to these great numbers than any collection of Loggins & Messina !

The driving staccato of “The Breeze And I” starts things off, and it sets the mark for the fantastic fretwork that is to follow, the majority of which is penned by Messina himself (in a distinctly Dick Dale-style). A version of the old classic, “Raunchy” (a top 10 hit for Bill Justis) is next on the agenda, after which it starts to go a bit wild. “No Name Dragster” and “High Voltage” (complete with draggin’ sound effects) have everything you’d want from a hot-roddin’ instro, whilst “Yang Bu” just kicks. The version of “Honky Tonk”, also adds a new slant to the tune, especially for those who are more familiar with the rather lame Beach Boys version (off the “Surfin’ USA” album), and personally I love the adaption of the traditional Mexican rhythm sounds on “Chihuahua”. All in all, it really makes me realise just how exciting surf’n’drag music can be once you put aside all the pleasantries that some of the more established ‘surf’ bands liked to play …

Note: It has long been reported that future Eagle Glenn Frey was a principle member of The Jesters, and co-writer on many of these tunes, but at that period he was still living and growing up in Detroit, Michigan and he didn’t move out to the west coast until the end of the decade. Scotch that rumour …