Album Review:

Jack Nitzsche was a prolific composer and arranger in the 60s who worked closely with Phil Spector on many recordings. Notable hits with Nitzsche's mark are the Crystals' 'He's A Rebel', Ike and Tina Turner' 'River Deep, Mountain High' and co-wrote 'Needles and Pins.' The Lonely Surfer was released as a single and reached it's highest chart on the Billboard 100 at #39 on September 9, 1963.

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The volatile 'The Lonely Surfer' is one of the landmark tracks of the surf genre. The ultra-surfy guitar, coupled with the chugging rhythms backed with a powerful orchestra, makes for one exciting journey. 'Puerto Vallarta' is far less commercial, while the lone trumpet on 'Stranger On the Shore' causes it to sound like a lost Herb Alpert track. 'Theme From "Women of the World"' is about as much fun as a funeral march. Nitzsche's own 'Old Town' pulls heavily from Latin music but it's not surf music - or even that interesting. The marginally beach-associated 'Ebb Tide' features the haunting low twang of Tommy Tedesco's electric guitar before strings take over as it settles into the easy-listening genre. 'Theme From "Mondo Cane" (More)' is a snoozefest. Frank Capp's drumming breathes some new life into 'The Magnificent Seven.' It's not until 'Baja' that we reenter the surf genre. Overall, it's a faithful cover of the Lee Hazelwood song, benefitted by a strong orchestration. Another Nitzsche original, the sappy 'Theme For A Broken Heart' is best skipped. 'Beyond the Surf' is another excellent composition - why couldn't the whole album be like this??? The record's oddest moment is Nitzsche's reimagining of his original arrangement of 'Da Doo Ron Ron' into a requiem - a move that does not add anything to the composition. 

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The Lonely Surfer has some great moments ('Beyond the Surf', 'Baja', and the title track. It, unfortunately, has some terrible moments too, and those far outweigh the positive ones. 

SpectrumCulture.com summed it up best when it said:

"For all of Nitzsche’s undoubted rock ‘n’ roll credentials...The Lonely Surfer is ultimately more like one of those old 1950s hi-fi LPs designed to show off the range of sounds that modern technology could capture than it is a rock album."