Album Review:

Born on March 18, 1943, Johnny Fortune was only 12 when he received his first guitar. Just four years later, at 16, Fortune would cut his first single; 'Soul Surfin'. The following album featured some surprisingly good surf rock from an Ohio native. 

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The title track, 'Soul Surfin', is an excellent early surf rock composition. 'Midnight Surf' is a dynamic piece with plenty of stops and starts. 'Chinese Surfer' is a downtempo number that adds a tinge of country twang to the album. 'Surfer's Trip' is a very Lively Ones-sounding track and could have easily appeared on Surf Rider or Surf Drums. A ghostly 'Lone Surfer' features a lone trumpet. A tepid cover of 'Wild Weekend' is a bit of a snooze fest, while the seminal 'Surf Rider' is a capably performed rehash. Johnny's own composition, 'Sunset,' is a quirky little ditty and an album highlight. 'Soul Traveler' is a sweet yet unassuming track. 'Moonglow and Theme From Picnic' falls into Chet Atkins' early 50s country style more than surf music. Ernesto Lecuona's 1927 song 'Siboney' had been most recently covered by Connie Francis and, despite some classic surf guitar bends, also seems like filler. Squealing tires kick off  the only hot rod-themed track on the album, 'Dragster.'

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Fortune's style is certainly rooted in his Midwest background; there are plenty of twangy rockabilly flairs on this record. Nevertheless, there's exceedingly more than enough surf rock here to warrant seeking out this release.