READING REVIEWS 3

Whilst not quite the most comprehensive, or in all honesty, the most impressive book in the surf music genre, this is a nice little 72-page accompanying read to a basic 14-track introductory CD. Ideal for those who haven’t heard much surf/hot-rod music before, and who really don’t know that much about it either …

The CD includes contributions from Dick Dale, The Chantays, The Beach Boys, The Rip Chords, Bruce & Terry, The Surfaris, The Challengers etc etc (although the addition of the rather obscure “Draggin’ Wagon” by The Surfer Girls in a nice addition) and is really the first dip into the proverbial ocean, whilst the book gives some brief biographies of some of the acts included, along with a few scene-setting articles on surf terminology, the Wrecking Crew studio set-up, hot-rods, skateboards and the independent record labels – many of whom were the lifeblood for the industry.

All in all, this is definitely a non-essential item, but a well presented addition …

Hmmm … not quite sure how this publication really qualifies here, especially in comparison to a number of the other tomes detailed in this section. Nevertheless, this ‘book’ does appear periodically in reference lists on ‘surf music’ and so justifies a mention, if little more.

Truthfully, this is really no more than a gathering of articles and clippings, copied and compiled into a mere 60-page, soft-cover collection – and whilst I personally have a great deal of time for the author (he’s assisted me greatly over the years with my own collection) – this really is a strictly unnecessary item for the shelves, although undoubtedly when it first appeared sufficient coverage on the surf genre was somewhat thin on the ground …

There are some half-decent articles featured within, but sadly the presentation is poor and the quality of the pictures and photographs (mere photocopies at

best) leaves a lot to be desired. Check out either of this author’s superb publications dedicated solely to The Beach Boys instead (“Back To The Beach” or “Pet Sounds : The Greatest Album Of The Twentieth Century”) to understand how important his role in surf/California journalism really is ... and maybe pass on this one.

This book is without questionable doubt the most widely acclaimed book that has ever appeared on … Brian Wilson. Despite the initial claim of the title, the main focus of the text falls not onto the legendary group as a collective, but directly onto Brian himself, the creative genius that was the driving force behind their phenomenal success.

Unfortunately for the remaining group members, much to the publicised disapproval from one or two of them, whatever contribution they may have made to the saga, be it good or bad, their activities are constantly overshadowed by the ever-increasing circumference of the Wilson belly.

Nevertheless, this is an astonishing read, and is widely

accepted amongst journalists, critics and afficionados as being the book that ranks head and shoulders above all other publications that have dared concentrate on the groups' lengthy, and at times tragic career. Indeed, it was this book, initially in its 1978 soft-cover format, that allowed Leaf into the ‘inner’ circle of Brian’s acquaintances, a lofty position from which he remains to this day (everyone should see his masterful 2004 Wilson-documentary “Beautiful Dreamer”).

Even today, either version of this book, inexplicably now out of publication, can demand figures in excess of $100.00 for a copy in pristine condition, and whilst the short 15-page ‘coda’ that appeared in the subsequent 1985 repressing brought the story up-to-date, and included the tragic 1983 drowning of brother Dennis, it still rates as the definitive biography, despite the many subsequent claims of more recent offerings …

What distances this book from most others on the Beach Boys is that this publication, by noted music historian and former editor of both Billboard Magazine and Rolling Stone, the late Timothy White, widens the scope of research, to take in the influences and surrounding experiences that the Wilson brothers, their cousin and friends, grew up surrounded by. Surf music, hot-rods, the beach culture, are all briefly analysed and incorporated into the tale, and suitably intertwined with the Wilson-saga as it unfolds, although perhaps at times you are left wishing for that little bit more detail on either the actual progression of the group as recording artists, or the individual genres and cultures that encapsulated their surroundings. Sometimes a summary of events just doesn't offer enough ...

Nevertheless, well written, supremely researched … but not for the faint-hearted reader who is after a simple, biographical read – it’s almost one step too far .

Perhaps one of the more satisfying reads to come out of the CMusic publishing house has been this astonishingly well researched publication, initially put out as two individual books, then ultimately combined into one impressive, hardback tome. Collectively, this comprises of twelve individual chapters, each one concentrating on specific main-players and characters from within the original surf and hot-rod genre, and each one filled with the detailed information that we have by now come to expect from the author.

Accepted, I personally could have done without the twenty or so pages dedicated to the one-hit wonders The Frogmen ... and I would love to instead read a detailed biography on the Surfaris story, but then again that's a personal opinion, and I certainly wouldn't wish to overly criticize a book that gives such wonderful insight into the Bruce Johnston/Terry Melcher story, or the Gary Paxton/Buzz Cason collective works ... or the Hondells, the Honeys, The Survivors and The Tradewinds.

This is justifiably one of the major works on the genre to date, and it rightly holds its place in any researchers bookcase - but it does make you realise just how many tales there are still to be told ...

One of the more-in-demand publications in recent years has been Brad Elliott’s impressive listings of all Beach Boys related releases, neatly combined into this one 490-page clothbound book. So much so, in fact, that after fetching ludicrous amounts of money on the collector’s circuit a much-in-demand re-pressing (sadly, not updated) hit the shelves during 1991.

The enormity of research that went into this project cannot be underestimated, and despite access to information coming a lot more freely during the following two decades since the initial publication, this is still very much THE starting reference point for research.

A full chronological discography makes up the majority of the work, but sections on (then)-unreleased recordings, promotional releases, contributions and productions, radio appearances and bootlegs also fill out the pages.

As noted, with twenty-five years of additional research-time now available, an updated version of events would be greatly appreciated amongst Wilson-watchers, and even the ocassional correction wouldn't go amiss, although the elusive Elliott has now reportedly moved on and is supposedly working on a new definitive Beach Boys session guide. We await with baited breath …