The Cornells were an L.A. band that consisted mostly of sons of various Hollywood celebrities. Peter Lewis (later to shine in Moby Grape) was the son of actress Loretta Young; Jim O'Keefe's dad was actor Dennis O'Keefe; Bob Linkletter was the son of Art Linkletter; and Charlie Correll's dad, Charles Correll, starred on the Amos 'n' Andy radio show.

​

'Aqua Caliente' is a breezy tune that seems loosely based on 'Sloop John B.' The title track, 'Beach Bound, ' features some cool low twang and plenty of sax. The familiar 'Caravan' gets a surfy, albeit milk toast makeover. Dick Dale's 'Miserlou' gets some life drained from it, though is performed cleanly. Neither 'Night Train' nor 'Cinnamon Cinder' are of much interest and are pretty tame instrumentals by even 1962 standards. The western-sounding 'Detour' gallops along rather aimlessly. Possibly the most inspired track is 'Malibu Surf' with its playful muted electric sound and sharp drumming. 'Lone Star Stomp' feels like filler and is basically a rewrite of 'La Cucharacha.' 'Shanghied' is another smart composition played with more passion than most of the other tracks, though the lame sax break doesn't help distinguish it from its peers. 'Stompin' After Five' is your basic surf jam. 'Surfers' Stomp' is a genial cover of the Marketts' classic and suits the Cornells' style well. 

​

Beach Bound may be one of the rarest and most costly surf albums out there, but it's far from the most interesting. Yes, there are some fine moments, and it is one of the earliest surf albums, but all these tunes are played without much grit or passion. If you're looking for this one, my advice is to check out the 1968 Canadian Surf Riders release Ten Tons of Wet, which is a repackaged collection of these tunes (and a few alternate takes) at a fraction of the price.