Album Review:

Not much is known about the Nep-Tunes other than they were based in New York. On this, their only album, the obscure group treats listeners to a handful of sax-driven originals over top of a consistent surf beat.

​

A muted Fender bass opens up 'Pyramid,' a fairly simplistic number with dueling saxes and guitars. 'Cockles and Mussels in the Surf' very much resembles the first track, adding some jazz-tinged flourishes in the horns and a motto ritard at the end. 'Breakwater' doesn't do much to define itself from the other tracks, while 'Blue Planet' covers some new ground in its sleepy trance-like state. The uptempo 'Odd Ball' is very much in the same gear as the opening tracks though a cover of Dick Dale's 'Hava Nagila' (mistakenly spelled 'Havah-Nagilah') does offer something new from the group. Side one concludes with the less-than-average 'Last Tide,' which features some Duane Eddy-styled picking. 'Surfer's Holiday' is a decent track in its own right, while bouncy 'Hot Line' strays a bit from the album's central theme of surfing. 'Marauder' combines classic rock and roll rhythms with a catchy Chuck Berry-esque guitar riff, and 'Crest Riders' returns to its surf roots. An uninspired cover of the Dovell's 'Bristol Stomp' mimics the Mar-Ketts version. 'Bamboo Surf' has no defining characteristics to set it apart from the other tracks though the slow 'Coral Beach' does supply a good conclusion.

Surfers' Holiday isn't the most original album ever though it does merit some attention as it is one of the earliest instances of an East-Coast band trying a hand at the West Coast genre. However, for fans, this album may have a little too much sax and not enough twang.