Bruce Johnston’s second album, Surfin Round the World is noticeably more polished than his first. Yet even more interesting than the extremely high production values is the amount of instrumental experimentation Johnston employs on the record. While Surfer’s Pajama Party was an unblemished musical document of the pre-Beatles American music scene, World finds Johnston playing with a plethora of new sounds and musical ideas; looking into the future of the surf rock genre. What is perhaps most remarkable, though, is how accurately he predicts future musical tastes. The upcoming Beach Boy explores the roots of budding genres such as Hard Rock, Latin Rock, Grunge, and even Disco, all while blending them into early 60’s Surf Rock. Unsuspecting record buyers in 1963 would have never heard anything like the crunchy bass lines in ‘Jersey Channel Islands – Part 7’ or the brassy discotheque rhythms of ‘Virginia Beach' before.

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A single shot from the drummer opens up the ‘Surfin’ Round the World.’ Jam-packed with saxophones, wailing guitars, and backed by a chorus of girls, the composition finds the future Beach Boy utilizing every trick and lick he can imagine - making for one groovin’ track. ‘Makaha At Midnight’ is a little more subdued than it’s predecessor but still retains an edgy sound with a trembled Rhodes underneath a duo between a gritty guitar and sax. The second vocal track, the brass-laden ‘Down Under’, retains much of the feel of the first track but with a prominent 1950s bass-line. The instrumental ‘Cape Town’ features Steve Douglas’ signature loose-reed saxophone as well as some steady cymbal crashes a la’ Hal Blaine. The brassy ‘Biarritz’ rocks hard and sounds almost like a ‘Green Onions’ rewrite. ‘Jersey Channel Islands – Part 7’ (???) has to possess one of the hardest rocking backing tracks of the early sixties. The ‘Hamptons,’ another girl-powered vocal number, is again in the style of the previous vocal tracks. Johnston really looked ahead in musical tastes for the disco-styled ‘Virginia Beach.’ Complete with a fuzzed-up bass, Rhodes, cowbell and incredibly punchy brass, the track could’ve sat comfortably on any Earth, Wind & Fire or Keith Mansfield album. The brief, yet imaginative ‘Surf-A-Nova’ is an up-tempo rocker with gentle salsa interludes interspersed among the tune while the pertinently titled, ‘Hot Pastrami, Mashed Potatoes, Come On to Rincon-Yeah!!!’, has Johnston shredding his vocals over an maniacally loud rhythm section. Amusingly, the relatively restrained ‘Malibu’ also features a tough-grooving beat reminiscent of ‘Jersey Channel Islands.’ An entire eight measures of drums and sleigh bells open up the albums’ definitive number, ‘Surfin’s Here to Stay’; a Dion and the Belmont’s styled song with a sloppy double track and Johnston’s ‘surfer girl’ impersonation.

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    An oddity for it’s time, Surfin Round the World is a healthy starting place for those who may doubt the musical sophistication of the whole surf-rock genre. 

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