1. Sweet Little Sixteen    (Berry)    3:00 2. Louie Louie    (Berry)    2:09 3. Do You Wanna Dance    (Freeman)    2:32 4. Moon Dawg!    (Gamblers)    2:13 5. Hully Gully    (Hollywood Argyles)    2:16 6. Riot In Cell Block Number 9    (Robins)    2:59 7. To Know Him is To Love Him    (Teddy Bears)    2:21 8. Graduation Day    (Four Freshmen)    3:01 9. I Don't Want To Cry Anymore    (Hi-Lo's)    2:40 10. Hearts of Stone    (Williams)    2:34 11. Summertime Blues    (Cochran)    1:55 12. Devoted To You    (Everly Brothers)    2:22 13. Bluebirds Over the Mountain    (Valens)    1:44 14. Hushabye    (Mystics)    2:29 15. I'm So Young    (Students)    2:28 16. Deep Purple    (Ward)    2:13 17. Mountain of Love    (Dorman)    2:20 18. Cindy Oh Cindy    (Fisher)    2:58 19. Summertime    (Gershwin)    2:25 20. Put Your Head On My Shoulder    (Anka)    2:37 21. The Things We Did Last Summer    (Stafford)    3:01 22. In the Still of the Night    (Five Satins)    2:58 23. Ruby Baby    (Drifters)    2:21 24. A Casual Look    (Six Teens)    2:17 25. Blueberry Hill    (Domino)    2:20 26. Cotton Fields    (Leadbelly)    2:05 27. The Wreck of the John B    (Kingston Trio)    3:29

The Four Freshman: Capitol Collector's Series Capitol 93197 [CD]; Released January 21, 1999

Or purchase from Amazon.co.uk: Capitol Collector's Series

1. It's a Blue World [Forrest, Wright] 2:56 2. The Day Isn't Long Enough [Carey, Howard] 2:55 3. Poinciana [Bernier, Simon] 3:11 4. It Happened Once Before [Troup] 2:30 5. Please Remember [Gross, Troup] 2:51 6. We'll Be Together Again [Fischer, Laine] 3:09 7. Mood Indigo [Bigard, Ellington, Mills] 2:43 8. It Never Occurred to Me [Coleman, Oken, Persons] 3:06 9. Day by Day [Cahn, Stordahl, Weston] 1:58 10. How Can I Tell Her [Evans, Livingston] 2:38 11. Charmaine [Pollack, Rapee] 2:18 12. In This Whole Wide World [Cascales, Roland] 2:46 13. Angel Eyes [Brent, Dennis] 3:33 14. Love Is Just Around the Corner [Gensler, Robin] 2:02 15. Graduation Day [Sherman, Sherman] 3:06 16. Whistle Me Some Blues [Denison, Holiday] 2:35 17. It Could Happen to You [Burke, VanHeusen] 3:26 18. Candy [David, Kramer, Whitney] 2:16 19. Route 66 [Troup] 2:47 20. Their Hearts Were Full of Spring [Troup] 3:14 21. And So It's Over [#] [Barbour] 2:53

Abkco 7118 [CD]; Released November 12, 1991

Or purchase from Amazon.co.uk: Back To Mono (1958-1969)

Four-CD Box set containing all of Phil Spector's hit single productions from 1958-1969. 100-page booklet with song-by-song/artist-by-artist notes, and additional comments by Tom Wolfe. Bonus CD of entire classic Christmas LP A Christmas Gift For You "Back to Mono" collectable pin. For complete track listing, click here.

Rock Instrumental Classics: Vol. 5: Surf
Rhino/WEA 71605 [CD];  Released March 22, 1994

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1. Pipeline - The Chantays 2. Mr. Moto - The Belairs 3. Wipe Out - The Surfaris 4. Underwater - The Frogmen 5. Misirlou - Dick Dale And The Del-Tones 6. Diamond Head - The Ventures 7. Baja - The Astronauts 8. Surfer's Stomp - The Mar-Kets 9. Bustin' Surfboards - The Tornadoes 10. Penetration - The Pyramids 11. Mr. Rebel - Eddie and The Showmen 12. Fiberglass Jungle - The Crossfires 13. K-39 - The Challengers 14. Point Panic - The Surfaris 15. Let's Go Trippin' - Dick Dale And The Del-Tones 16. Surf Rider - The Lively Ones 17. Soul Surfer - Johnny Fortune 18. The Lonely Surfer - Jack Nitzsche

REVIEW:  It's difficult to understand why Brian would want to try and break into the surf-music genre in the beginning of the band's career; Brian wasn't a surfer, and "surf music" at that time was dominated by instrumental music, and a handful of R&B artists; there's never really been an adequate explanation of his and Mike's decision to accept Dennis's enthusiastic suggestion to write about surfing unless you accept the concept that the band was trying to come up with a hook that would resonate with teenagers.  And then it's easier to see how The Beach Boys' entry into this narrow genre would change not only its sound, but American music.  This single CD is the ideal starting place to peek into Surf Music at its most successful. The formula for it was simple: jittery guitars set at maximum reverb, barely-restrained drumming, an amphetamene-laced progress which was set to simulate the surfing experience, and the occasional insane laugh inserted to demonstrate a disregard for life and limb.  This was highly sexual music - muscular, taut, and meant to be viewed as dangerous - the entire rock ethos in a two-minute long ride.  There's the creepy wail of "Wipe Out" by the Surfaris, the moody, dangerous progressions in The Pyramids' "Penetration", two cuts by the "King" of surf music, Dick Dale and The Del-Tones, which made the whole genre viable; and then there's the panoramic soul of the surfer laid bare in Jack Nitzsche's "The Lonely Surfer".  Other gems include the echo-drenched "Fiberglass Jungle" by The Crossfires, the surprisingly sophisticated stylings of "Baja" by the Astronauts, the grinding "Underwater" by the Frogmen, and the haunting, unforgettable "Pipeline" by The Chantays.  It's clear by listening to this that The Beach Boys were never really "surf music" artists - they took what they heard, and changed it into something new.  And if you want more, here's a deeper look into Surf music

Jan & Dean: All The Hits - From Surf City To Drag City  EMI Records 8 53730 2 [CD];  Released November 12, 1996

In the beginning, the Beach Boys were lumped together with Jan & Dean as a sort of "surf and drag" genre.  And for the most part, that was true;  The Beach Boys and Jan & Dean ran in the same circles for several years, singing and performing each other's songs, and hanging out together.  It's no secret that J&D's biggest hit, "Surf City" was given to them by Brian Wilson, and Dean was an uncredited singer on one of the Beach Boys biggest hits, "Barbara Ann."  But for all that, Jan Berry and Dean Torrence were really no match for the Beach Boys, as this comprehensive compilation proves.  Whereas Brian Wilson felt constricted by the Car and Surf labels put on him, Jan & Dean revelled in it.  They started out as sort've cut-rate Everly Brothers, doing two-part teeny-bopper love songs like "Jenny Lee" and "Baby Talk" that had heavier doo-wop rhythms than other aritsts, but eventually hooked into the surfing scene and had tremendous success with the aforementioned "Surf City," "She's My Summer Girl" and "Ride The Wild Surf."  They also heavily mined the Car and Drag circuit with "Drag City," "Three Window Coupe" and the prophetic "Dead Man's Curve" (the very curve where Jan Berry nearly lost his life.)  They also had no compuction against recording novelty numbers like "Sidewalk Surfin'," "The Little Old Lady From Pasedena" and "The Anaheim, Azusa & Cucamonga Sewing Circle, Book Review And Timing Association" which knocks them down a couple of notches in most respectable rock 'n' roll circles.  What may surprise those who haven't investigated Jan & Dean are how they evolved much like the Beach Boys in the sound, especially during 1965-'66 when Jan Berry began to write and produce songs that were richer and meatier in their subject matter, like the excellent "You Really Know How To Hurt A Guy," It's A Shame To Say Goodbye" and the "Dead Man's Curve" retread: "A Beginning From An End."  Jan and Dean were also able to utilize Phil Spector's backing musicians, dubbed "The Wrecking Crew" for most of their recordings, which makes them sound much better and polished than the typical surf-rock music that was being released.  But for all their success, Jan & Dean never really outgrew their light surf-rock stylings, and it's here, on this double-CD compilation, that their best-known and best loved hits can be found.  Jan & Dean have a simple sound, two-part harmony with songs that lean heavily on surf guitar and revving car engines, and they still have the power to hearken back to a simpler time that evokes good vibrations for many fans.  For a more complete look at their discography check out my related artist page on Jan & Dean.

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The Four Seasons: The Very Best of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons  Rhino Records 74494 [CD]; Released January 14, 2003

For a little while, Brian Wilson considered not the Beatles, but the Four Seasons as the Beach Boys' main artistic rivals.  At first glance, this makes sense; both groups were formed around the sound of a high falsetto lead voice, with rich backing vocals covering a rock 'n' roll beat.  But that's where the similarities end.  Where the Beach Boys were carving out a distinctive West Coast sound to go with their reshaping of the California image, Frankie Valli and the Seasons were pure East Coast, and their songs had a hard-edged swagger to them that Brian Wilson never had.  And despite their similar harmonic structures, Valli's falsetto was far more poweful and punchy than Brian's, where brian was a flute, Frankie was a soprano sax: he growled more in his phrasing, and vocally seemed to carry a large chip on his shoulder.  The songs that they sung, mostly written and produced by studio wizard Bob Gaudio, were street vingnettes of the city - and had their roots in New York Doo-Wop tradition that emphasized rhythm and masculinity over the prettier ballads of the crooners.  These songs are still great, from the declaratory "Walk Like A Man" to the tear-your-heart-out cry of "Sherry" and the street smart attitude of "Big Girls Don't Cry" the Season pioneered a sound like no one else.  But whereas the Beach Boys music grew richer and more relevant in the mid-to-late Sixties, the Seasons music grew more and more irrelevant as the decade progressed, being too locked into the late-50's doo-wop style that they never really abandoned.  But still, the Seasons' best is very good indeed, and it's all here from their first big hit to their surprising 70's combacks "Who Loves You" and "Oh, What A Night."  Great singing and great songs.

Or purchase from Amazon.co.uk: The Definitive Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

The Honeys: The Honeys Collection  Collector's Choice Music CCM163-2 [CD]; Released June 21, 2001 

A page on artists related to the Beach Boys simply couldn't be complete without at least one CD of The Honeys - I mean one of the members was married to Brian Wilson and is the mother of Carnie and Wendy Wilson - it just doesn't get more familial than that!  The Honeys were formed by two Rovell sisters, Marilyn (nee Wilson) and Diane, as well as Ginger Blake.  Their early material was written and produced by Brian Wilson, Gary Usher, and Diane himself, as well as many others, and their early sound was consciously styled to be a compliment to the Beach Boys, with the songs glamorizing the California "two girls for every guy" surfer ideal.  Therefore you have songs like "Shoot The Curl," "Surfin' Down The Swanee River," "Pray For Surf," and "Three Surfer Boys" dominating the first third of the disc, and while they all bear the inimitable stamp of Brian Wilson's production flair, none of the songs are really top-notch, and a few are pretty dumb "(Oly Oxen Free Free Free) Hide Go Seek") - but all of them have that early-sixties charm that you can find in practically any Gidget movie; a throwback to a more innocent time.  But there are a couple of knockouts here that rank with any of the best Girl Group songs out there: "The One You Can't Have" and "He's A Doll" are sparkling gems that deserved greater chart play than they received, with Brian's deft production touches pushing the fine songcraft over the top.  Other tunes also come off very well, with a wall-of-soundish "In The Still Of The Night" benefiting from a thick three-part harmony arrangement and dense backing track, and for collectors, the inclusion of the rare Glen Campbell song "Guess I'm Dumb" (which the Honeys provided backing vocals for) is a real treat.  This collection leans most heavily on tracks from the mid-sixties, with just a couple of extremely rare cuts culled from The Honeys 1983 album Ecstasy.  Unfortunately, the producers have missed some fine cuts from the 1972 album Spring, when the Honeys were calling themselves American Spring, which prevents this album from being a truly comprehensive overview of this often overlooked Girl Group.

Or purchase from Amazon.co.uk: The Honeys Collection

Ronny And The Daytonas: G.T.O. - Best Of The Mala Recordings  Mala 4001 [LP] Sundazed Music 11406 [CD]; Released February 13, 1997

Ronny and the Daytonas were another "manufactured" group that hung onto the coat-tales of the Beach Boys, but this time hailed from Nashville, Tennesee!  Comprised mostly of John "Bucky" Wilkin and producer Bergen White, who although he hated rock 'n' roll music, agreed to produce Wilkin's single "Little G.T.O." which became a huge hit, and an album was quickly recorded to capitalize on its success.  Although the songs are mostly second-rate Beach Boys wannabes, there are a few real gems, from the corny "Tiger-a-go-go" to the too-obvious homage "Beach Boy" to the dreamy and wonderful ballad "Sandy" (which was recorded on their ballad-heavy second album).  In fact the second half of this album is far more enjoyable than the first - sort of like the Daytonas version of The Beach Boys' "Today!" album, which had a rocking first half and the second half veered off into more introspective ballads.  Although John Wilkin's sentiments never dug as deeply as Brian Wilson's (whose did?) it's still expertly produced, beautifully composed ballads that push this compilation above the average hot-rod/surf bands that were springing up in the early-Sixties.  In the informative liner notes John Wilkin admits to trying to copy the Beach Boys' sound, and to some degree (and in a way he probably didn't realize) he succeeded.  A real find, and worth checking out for the startling contrast of styles in evidence.

Or purchase from Amazon.co.uk: Ronny And The Daytonas: G.T.O.

The Rip Chords:  Hey Little Cobra And Other Hot Rod Hits  
Sundazed Music 6098 [CD]; 
Released August 20, 1996

Or purchase from Amazon.co.uk: Hey Little Cobra

1. Hey Little Cobra 2. Here I Stand 3. Queen 4. 409 5. Trophy Machine 6. Gone 7. Little Deuce Coupe 8. '40 Ford Time 9. She Thinks I Still Care 10. Shut Down 11. Drag City 12. Ding Dong 13. Karen - (bonus track) 14. Bunny Hill - (bonus track) 15. Don't Be Scared - (bonus track)

The Rip Chords:  Three Window Coupe
Sundazed Music 6099 [CD];
Released August 20, 1996

1.Three Window Coupe 2.Bonneville Bonnie 3.Gas Money 4.This Little Woodie 5.Hot Rod U.S.A. 6.Old Car Made in '52 7.Surfin' Craze 8.Beach Girl 9.My Big Gun Board 10.Surf City 11.Summer U.S.A. 12.Big Wednesday 13.One Piece Topless Bathing Suit - (bonus track) 14.Wah-Wahini - (bonus track) 15.Red Hot Roadster - (bonus track)

The Rip Chords:  Summer U.S.A.!  The Best Of The Rip Chords
Sundazed Music 11168 [CD];
Released August 20, 1996

1. Hey Little Cobra 2. The Queen 3. Trophy Machine 4. Here I Stand 5. Karen 6. Gone 7. Three Window Coupe 8. This Little Woodie 9. Hot Rod U.S.A. 10. Surfin' Craze 11. Beach Girl 12. My Big Gun Board 13. Summer U.S.A. 14. One Piece Topless Bathing Suit 15. Wah-Wahini 16. Don't Be Scared 17. Red Hot Roadster 18. Wiameah Baby (previously unreleased) 19. Sting Ray (previously unreleased) 20. X.K.E. (previously unreleased)

REVIEW:  You gotta admire the hubris of Sundazed Records with regards to their promotional blurbs for this album: on the back cover of this release, the writer unabashedly proclaims that "No group epitomized the sun-soaked California sound better than the fabulous Rip Chords." Oh, really?  Ever heard of another little group called... The Beach Boys?  Well, setting that aside, there's also the matter that for a group that only ever had five charting singles, Summer U.S.A.: The Best of The Rip Chords boasts a saber-rattling twenty tracks, from the falsetto shrieking of "The Queen" to the singles "Hey Little Cobra" and "Hot Rod U.S.A." the Rip Chords had a distinctive sound, as supplied by Terry Melcher and Bruce Johnston, as well as vocalists Ernie Bringas and Phil Stewart.  The sound was produced by compressing everything on their primitive (even for the time) recording equipment.  But despite their lack of consistent chart success, this album is probably the best way to hear the very real appeal of The Rip Chords, which was always filled with a fun and professionalism that other groups lacked.  And where groups like Jan & Dean and The Fantastic Baggys seemed to be feeding off the Beach Boys sound, The Rip Chords, although mining the same subject matter, doesn't often sound like anyone else; there's a cold, silvery element to their sound that transforms a normal drag song like "Three Window Coupe" into something that demands to be listened to.  The harmonies are unearthly in their precision and grace that lends the song a classy undertow unmatched by any other group.  Part of it is the shimmering quality the voices achieve by being layered atop one another, much the same way that Brian Wilson would double-track lead and backing vocals in order to make them "rub against" each other in sometimes abrasive ways; here, that same technique, combined with the compressing and echo added by Terry Melcher and Bruce Johnston give everything a punchier sound.  If you're looking for the best sampler of The Rip Chords, this is it.

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The Tokens: Wheels and More Hot Rod Rarities
RCA Victor LPM2886 (Mono) LSP2886 (Stereo) [LP]; Teen Sound 64635 [CD];
Original LP release: 1964; CD released March 29, 2005

1 Let's Go to the Drag Strip 2 Little Deuce Coupe 3 Two Cars 4 Little Hot Rod Suzie 5 Shut Down 6 My First Set of Wheels 7 Dirt Track Twister 8 My Friend's Car 9 My Candy Apple Vette 10 409 11 Little Snow White Coupe 12 Drag City bonus tracks: 13 The Wreck of the John B 14 Michael 15 Shenandoah 16 Big Boat 17 Jamaica Farewell 18 The Riddle 19 Lonesome Traveller 20 Saloogy 21 Sunset See My Sadness 22 Grey City Day 23 For All That I Am 24 If I Were A Carpenter 25 Beautiful People 26 Green Tambourine 27 Wake Up Little Suzy 28 Picture In My Wallet 29 Don't Worry Baby 30 Barbara Ann 31 Tribute to the Beach Boys 32 The Lion Sleeps Tonight 33 Wimoweh

The Astronauts: Competition Coupe/Astronauts Orbit Campus
Collectables 2708 [CD];
Released October 21, 1997

1. Little Ford Ragtop   2. Competiton Coupe   3. Hearse, The   4. '55 Bird   5. Devil Drivers Theme   6. Happy Ho-Daddy   7. Our Car Club   8. Devil Driver   9. Chevy Scarfer   10. 4:56 Stingray   11. El Aguila (The Eagle)   12. 650 Scrambler   13. Johnny B. Goode   14. Be-Bop-A-Lu-La   15. Good Golly Miss Molly   16. Let The Good Times Roll   17. Linda Lou   18. Bony Moronie   19. Diddy Wah Diddy   20. Roll Over Beethoven   21. Shop Around   22. Greenback Dollar   23. Summertime   24. Sticks And Stones

REVIEW:  The Astronauts, a surf band who were contemporaries of the Beach Boys, were typical of the plethora of instrumental bands who dipped their toes into vocal tracks after the Beach Boys began to hit it big.  In fact, in many ways these five guys from Boulder, Colorado were best known for their one big hit, the instrumental "Baja."  In fact, this group can almost be considered the flip side of the Beach Boys; whereas the Beach Boys were primarily a vocal band who occasionally recorded instrumentals, The Astronauts were instrumentalists who occasionally tried out vocals, and it's on this representative two-LPs on one CD album that you can hear The Astronauts give their most comprehensive vocal workout ever.  Competition Coupe is by far their most vocal album ever, and with its drag racing theme closely echoing the Beach Boys' own "409" vibe, Beach Boys fans might just want to check it out.  From the R&B of "Little Ford Ragtop" and "Competition Coupe" to the jumping "Our Car Club" (not the Beach Boys version), it's apparent that The Astronauts hewed much closer to the true spirit of surf and drag music than The Beach Boys ever did.  The Astronauts had a far greater affinity for R&B than Brian Wilson, and when they sing, the harmony vocals are mixed much more into the background, allowing the lead singer to belt out hot covers of hits by Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Gene Vincent.  You'll hear this especially on the "live" album which comprises the second half of this CD, with the Astronauts breaking loose in full-out white-soul ecstacy in front of a appreciative crowd.  Strangely, the Astronauts sound far rougher and spend far less time churning out instrumentals in their live set, concentrating almost exclusively on vocal covers of R&B classics.  Still, this is a great party CD, and a look at why several surf/rock bands simply weren't in the same league as the adventureous, far more complex Beach Boys.  If you like what you hear on this CD, check out their comprehensive box set: The Legendary Group at Their Best on the Collectables label. 

Various Artists: Surf Bunnies & Hot Rod Honeys
Phantom Sound & Vision SB200 [CD];
Released November 21, 1996

1. He's My Surfin' Guy - - Beach Girls 2. Surf Bunnie Beach - Surf Bunnies 3. Our Surfer Boys - Surf Bunnies 4. You Can't Take My Boyfriends Woodie - Power Puffs 5. White Lewis - Majorettes 6. Love Those Beach Boys - Sea Shells 7. Sammy The Sidewalk Surfer - Surfettes 8. Skiing In The Snow - Beach Girls 9. Hot Rod High - Surf Bunnies 10. Dance To The Surfing Band - Hal Blaine 11. I Miss My Surfer Boy Too - Westwoods 12. Califorina Surfer - D.D. Hope 13. Surfer's Memories - Fashions 14. What Does A Lifeguard Do In The Fall ? - June August 15. Chu Sen Ling - Bermudas 16. Surfin' Sally - Petticotes 17. Go Go G.T.O. - Carol & Cheryl 18. Black And White Thunderbird - Delicates 19. Don't Drag No More - Susan Lynn 20. Yum Tum Yamaha - Carol Connors 21. Draggin' Wagon - Surfer Girls 22. Daddy, You Just Gotta Let Him In - Satisfactions 23. A Swingin' Summer - Carol Connors 24. Go Back Go Back To Your Pontiac - Darby Sisters 25. Hot Rod City - Marie & The Papaya Girls 26. Sport Car Sally - Bernadette Castro 27. Baby Blue Mustang - Petites 28. The Cycle Set - Donna Loren 29. Bad Motorcycle - Storey Sisters 30. Get Your Daddy's Car Tonight - Petites 31. Motocycle Michael - JoAnn Campbell 32. In His Car - Robin Ward

Glen Campbell: The Capitol Years 65/77
EMI International 821834 [CD];
Released December 14, 1999

Features: 46 tracks from Campbell's twelve years at Capitol Records Hits include: "Gentle On My Mind", By The Time I Get To Phoenix", "Rhinestone Cowboy", "Witchita Lineman,"  "Southern Nights" and many more. Rare b-sides and singles, including the Brian Wilson-penned "Guess I'm Dumb". To see complete track listing, click here.

REVIEW:  I haven't had anyone, in all the years I've run the site, really ask about Glen Campbell, who played on several of the Beach Boys studio session in the early-to-mid sixties, and who filled in for Brian on tour before embarking on a solo career.  To be honest, I've never paid him much attention either, always lumping him in with other early country-crossover artists and MOR singers from the 1970s.  But this double-disc import CD has changed my mind about  Campbell, and about his talent.  I was surprised to hear strong likenesses to the early folk-pop of John Denver, as well as the Country-Rock music co-pioneered by former Monkee Michael Nesmith.  Along with these likenesses, there are also powerful art-pop influences in these story-songs, with lots of Cambell's powerful, supple singing and sensitive guitar work that made him so invaluable as a session player for the Beach Boys, and on stage.  Of key interest to Beach Boys fans will be the song that Brian Wilson penned as a "thank-you" to Campbell for his help with touring - the art-rock song "Guess I'm Dumb" which prefigures some of the extraordinary work that Brian would bring to Pet Sounds and Smile.  And while there have been numerous other compilations which try to touch all the bases in Campbell's incredibly strong catalog, it's this double disc import that remains strong from beginning to end, with nary a weak track in the bunch.  If you're a big fan of The Beach Boys music from Today through Pet Sounds, I'd recommend you give these tracks a listen - it's powerful music that's worth hearing.  I'm seriously considering checking out more music from his catalog as well.

The Fantastic Baggys: Anywhere The Girls Are!  Sundazed Music 11084 [CD]; Released December 19, 2000

The Fantastic Baggys (named after the popular shorts that surfers wore) were, like The Rip Chords and Ronny and the Daytonas, a completely manufactured group (and remember, this was years before the Monkees!) which consisted of songwriters Phil "P.F" Sloan and Steve Barri who had notable success recording as a fictional band styled after The Beach Boys.  The songwriters weren't shy about blatantly ripping off other songs, as you can hear on the lead-off track "Surfin' Craze," which is so similar to "Surfin' USA" in sound and performance it could almost be an alternate take from the Beach Boys' vaults!  And since the Baggys were a one-album phenomenon, there is no artistic growth to be found, but there is lots and lots of Surf/Sun/Girls/Cars to be found in this generous 28-track compilation.  It doesn't hurt that the lead singer is a vocal ringer for Mike Love, right down to the too-nasal delivery, or that the Baggys have a disturbingly high ratio of phallic-themed songs: "This Little Woody," "Wax Up Your Board," "A Surfer Boy's Dream Come True" and "Big Gun Board" all tout the <cough!> attributes of these one-track-minded surfers.  Putting all that aside however, the Fantastic Baggys have an impressive sound, nearly matching in tone and style The Beach Boys themselves - and if the songs are stuck in surf/car mode throughout, well, you can blame it on Summer.

Or purchase from Amazon.co.uk: The Fantastic Baggys

The Many Moods of Murry Wilson
Capitol ST-2819 [LP], Released 1967; Toshiba EMI (Japan) 66037 [CD], Released 2002

1. Love Won't Wait (Murry Wilson) 3:14 2. The Happy Song (Eck Kynor) 2:06 3. The Warmth Of The Sun (Brian Wilson) 2:46 4. Broken Heart (George Kizanis) 2:11 5. Leaves (Murry Wilson) 2:41 6. The Plumbers Tune (Eck Kynor) 2:23 7. Painting With Teardrops (Murry Wilson) 2:35 8. Island In The Sky (Rick Henn) 2:54 9. Just 'Round The River Bend (Don Falke/Deeda Patrick) 2:12 10. Italia (Alan Jardine) 2:31 11. Heartbreak Lane (Murry Wilson) 2:41 12. Betty's Waltz (Murry Wilson/Audree Wilson) 1:49 Arranged and conducted by Don Ralke Conceived and Produced by Murry Wilson

REVIEW: Sometimes, you just have to wonder what genetic pool Brian Wilson's talent springs from.  Much like Mozart, Brian's paternal heritage seems to be the only logical source, and, much like Amadeus, Brian's talent far eclipsed his father's, which seemed an unending source of gall to Murry Wilson.  Biographers contantly point to his one published song: "Two-Step Side Step," which was recorded by none other than Lawrence Welk, as Murry's single claim to fame.  Murry used that single song to claim dominance over his son in the studio, in songwriting ability, and in lording over Brian at every chance he got.  But it's in this 1967 LP that regular folks really got a chance to see the senior Wilson could do.  To be honest, The Many Moods of Murry Wilson isn't a terrible album, it's simply unmemorable, old-fashioned, and for the times it was released in, hopelessly square.  None of the songs here really make an impression, unless it's the familiar melody of Brian's "The Warmth Of The Sun," or the cool spy jazz intro to "The Plumbers Tune" which then devolves into horrible, tweaky organ solo with seasick strings gulping behind it.  If this album had been released in, say, 1959 - it would have fit right into the generic lounge slush which was being produced en masse at the time, but in 1967, not only was this album hopelessly anachronistic, it was doomed by the association to the then-sinking Beach Boys, who were in full flame-out mode with Smiley Smile.  And how does Al Jardine's "Italia" fare?  Well, to be honest, it fits in perfectly, which is pretty damning - it's a cutsy, cloying, bouncy piece of nostalgia which sounds like nothing else he's ever written.  My favorite track on the album is the comparitively moody and subtle "Islands In The Sky" by Sunrays member Rick Henn, which sounds slyly cool and subdued.  But the bulk of the album is swirling strings, fluttering organ, and pedestrian melodies.  For completists only.