Go Go with the Buddies
The Buddies
// 1965 on Mercury Wing Records (SRW 16306 W / MGW - 12306 W)
8.0
Little Iddy Biddy Buddy Rider / Skateboard U.S.A. / I'll Surf Around the World / Ski Jump / Wanda On Her Honda / Ski City U.S.A. / Sickle Riders Rule / Sidewalk Surfin' Scene / The Surf Is In / Mean Little Monza
Album Review:
The second Buddies album released was Go Go with the Buddies and, unlike the previous offering, this release has no appearance from the Compacts.
The cutesy 'Little Iddy Biddy Buddy Rider' was written with obvious commercial objectives. While the lyrics are well-crafted, 'SkateBoard U.S.A.' is a cool Davie Allen instrumental that had been previously released in 1964 as 'War Path.' 'I'll Surf Around the World' is a strong vocal number, while 'Ski Jump' is a bleak organ-driven winter tune with Allen again providing some engaging guitar work. The same backing track was given vocal overdubs on the earlier The Buddies & the Copmpacts Lp.'Wanda On Her Honda' is charming enough as it breezes through a few key changes. 'Ski City U.S.A.' sounds as if it had been composed as a title number from an unrealized AIP Beach Party picture. The awkward 'Sickle Riders Rule' suffers from a case of too many lyrics in a short amount of time. Davie Allen's 'Unknown Rider' is rechristened here as 'Sidewalk Surfin' Scene' and is an instrumental highlight. The same tune was used on the Wild Angels Soundtrack. One of the best of the later surf tracks, 'The Surf is In,' has just about everything that makes the genre so infectious. The instrumental 'Cycle Chase' from The Hondells gets lyrics added and becomes 'Mean Little Monza' - a brief yet fun bike track that could've fit nicely on any Hondells release.
Go Go with the Buddies is a solid release. The stereo mix is extremely washed out with far too much delayed reverb across channels, so if you're looking for one - mono is the route to go.
CHOICE CUTS:
THE SURF IS IN / SKI CITY U.S.A. / WANDA ON HER HONDA / I'LL SURF AROUND THE WORLD / MEAN little monza