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Lee Marshall
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« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2006, 10:18:42 am » |
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A 5. For late '62...a pretty decent first effort. Still like a few of the tunes. It was the first BBs album I ever bought. Got to know it pretty well. There was definitely room for growth...and grow they did...In leaps and bounds.
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"No Wilsons...NO Beach Boys." I find it impossible to argue with THAT.
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donald
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« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2006, 04:14:01 pm » |
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A pretty amazing album to be released by a bunch of neighborhood kids in 1962.
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Conspiracy Jim
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« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2006, 11:12:44 am » |
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Four or five good tunes, but the rest hasn't aged well. Great job for a teen debut though. Hidden gems = County Fair and Heads I Win.
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Are you telling me you don't see the connection between government and laughing at people?
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trfesok
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« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2006, 09:32:13 am » |
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Favorite songs: title track, "409", "Land Ahoy", "Moon Dawg"
I tend to cut this first album a bit of slack -- it's now over 43 years old (!!!) and hasn't dated all that well, I agree. They do sound like a garage band, but an above average one. The naivete of thev lyrics certainly brings out a feeling of nostalgia. "Moon Dawg" proves that Carl Wilson was a pretty good guitarist for someone his age. I do think that Capital ruined "Surfin'" by speeding up the original tape -- the Morgan single sounded fine the way it was.
I unfortunately have to always contrast this with the Beatles' first, but there's a good reason why it isn't as good -- the Beach Boys weren't even together a year before they had to record this, while the Beatles had already garnered quite a bit of experience plyaing in clubs to hone their musicianship. If the BB"s had more time, this album might have been a very different animal.
I didn't know until I got the boxed set that the "SS"/"409" was from a new Murry demo. That was a surprise, since thes two songs sound better than the rest of the album. By the way, does anyone know why the rerecorded version of "Judy" from that same tape hasn't been released? The undeited versions of "SS"/"409" as well as the very first version of "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring
are on the box, and "The Lonely Sea" made it to the next album, but what about "Judy"?
Bob
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topgazza
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« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2006, 09:51:27 am » |
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Not bad at all for a debut album and deserves it place but only a 5. Trouble was it was a white middle class Californian surfing album (I mean thatin the non poilitical sense ). Which due to the nature of the US record industry was all it would ever be. Too compartmentalised and niche because of that and it deserved a wider audience. Though I'm not sure it would have helped the Boys widen their audience and grabbed them the way that Please Please Me did though.
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Wrightfan
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« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2007, 12:58:41 pm » |
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I gave it a 7. Not their best but not the worst either.
Surfin Safari: Nice surf opener to start the album off. 7.5 out of 10
Country Fair: Nice little simple song. Not a quality song but a nice song to listen to on a sunny day. 6.5 out of 10
Ten Little Indians: This was an A side? Who thought that was a good idea? 5 out of 10.
Chug-a-Lug: Similar to Country Fair but hokier. 4.5 out of 10.
Little Girl (You're My Miss America): Nice little love song sung by Dennis. 5.5 out of 10
409: One of the band's most recognizable car song. 7 out of 10.
Surfin': The song that started it all. 7 out of 10.
Heads You Win - Tails I Lose: Another hokey song. 4 out of 10.
Summertime Blues: Nice cover of the popular Eddie Cochrane classic. 6 out of 10.
Cuckoo Clock: Catchy pop song. 5 out of 10.
Moon Dawg: Nice instrumental but there are better. 5.5 out of 10.
The Shift: Ok closer but it could've been better. 5 out of 10.
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Eck Kynor
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« Reply #7 on: April 22, 2008, 09:37:22 am » |
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5/10 from me. I appreciate the album's place in Beach Boys history, but as a listening experience nowadays for a guy who wasn't around in the 60s, it's fairly poor.
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captain wick
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« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2008, 06:58:02 pm » |
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If a group of kids from your street had gone into a recording studio and emerged with the album Surfin' Safari back in 1962, you'd have been pretty impressed. Got to love the rubberband guitar solos of Carl Wilson on great songs like the title tune and "409". Hint of the strangeness to come: "Cuckoo Clock". I'll take this over 15 Dumb Ones. * * *
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Vega-Table
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« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2008, 11:38:24 pm » |
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Rating: 4
Back to the egg garage band Beach Boys laying down the blueprint for "the formula" of their success. All essential elements are already in place, albeit in first draft form. Arguably the first true rock and roll band, America's version anyway (for who would have known that at nearly the very same time across the Atlantic....).
The major difference between the Beatles debut, Please Please Me, and this album is experience and chops. The Beatles time in Hamburg is evident in their performance, while The Beach Boys are still obviously a bit wet behind the ears.
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Louie7
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« Reply #10 on: November 15, 2008, 02:21:33 pm » |
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NOTE ~ For me, the word FILLER doesn't exist. If a track is good enuf for Brian, it's good enuf for me.
Of course I have my favorites - and I will elucidate accordingly from a guitar players viewpoint.
FIRST AWARENESS ~ I had already purchased the Surfin' Safari 45 in October of 62, and Surfin' USA and Surfer Girl too. But for some reason the local music store didn't offer the BB Lp's until much later. In September of 1963, as a freshman in H.S., I was shopping a record store in Milwaukie Oregon when I was shocked to discover a whole album of BB material - a jacket and everything! So I bought it on the spot - probably with my lunch money.
IMPRESSIONS ~ As a budding electric guitarist and a way cool landlocked teenaged surfer wannabe, I took this album in and it became part of me. At this early date, I still hadn't seen a Fender guitar up close and so I stared longingly at the pictures on the back cover. Somehow, I felt an immediate bond with these guys...like they were distant cousins or something. Hard to explain.
THE MUSIC ~ Primarly the two best things about this album is the infectous rockin' rhythm of the Beach Boys beat and the boss guitar solos that grace almost every song. I love the solo trade offs between the organ and the lead guitar. As I said, for me there really aren't any filler tracks. It's all valid. Probably my least favorite track is Little Miss America; it seems a bit sloppy. Ten Little Indians seems a bit contrived, but again, I love the backing track and solo. Everthing else is terrific. I must have played Moon Dawg more than any other track. It's just wonderful.
AFTER COMMENTS ~ This album invariably gets careless reviews, low ratings and disparaging remarks. I can only say, it's a great album for the time, and it's real Beach Boys music. It's my impression that if you can't dig it, you probably weren't there at the beginning.
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Louie Seven
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Paulos
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« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2008, 05:23:38 pm » |
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I gave it this album a 6, nice starter and not too bad considering how long they had been playing together as a proper group.
Surfin Safari: Great energetic surf song which gets the album off to a good start. 7/10
Country Fair: For some reason I can't quite define I really like this song, it just seems so innocent and sad! 7/10
Ten Little Indians: Dont like this song, find it kinda irritating and a stupid idea for their second Capitol single. 5/10
Chug-a-Lug: OK song but but not very strong either 5/10
Little Girl (You're My Miss America): Nice song sung by Denny though he didnt get to sing lead again for 4 albums! 6.5/10
409: Great car song that stays with you all day after hearing it! 7/10.
Surfin': Raw sounding but the song that got the ball rolling and I think its pretty impressive that the very first song they did together got to be a hit single 7/10
Heads You Win - Another sweet little tune with a slight melancholy feel. 5.5/10
Summertime Blues: Nice cover of the classic Eddie Cochrane song, after hearing this version I went and got an Eddie Cochran best of CD and love it! 6.5/10
Cuckoo Clock: Strange but catchy pop song. 5/10
Moon Dawg: Nice instrumental, quite good for a 15 year old guitarist. 6/10
The Shift: Dont really like this track, doesnt seem to go anywhere. 4.5/10
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“I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out.”
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Jon Stebbins
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« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2008, 12:13:05 pm » |
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Paulo wrote:Little Girl (You're My Miss America): Nice song sung by Denny though he didnt get to sing lead again for 4 albums!
Not true - Dennis sang lead on Surfers Rule on the third BB's LP(Surfer Girl)...so he only had to wait for two...which in those days was like six months.
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Paulos
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« Reply #13 on: December 16, 2008, 01:26:27 pm » |
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Paulo wrote:Little Girl (You're My Miss America): Nice song sung by Denny though he didnt get to sing lead again for 4 albums!
Not true - Dennis sang lead on Surfers Rule on the third BB's LP(Surfer Girl)...so he only had to wait for two...which in those days was like six months.
You are right of course, how did I overlook this?!  |
“I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out.”
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