Album Review:

You guessed it - Ricky Vale and His Surfers were not a real band. Also, most assuredly the kids on the cover are not the players on this album either.  It's certainly the same combo that played on Sonny and the Demons' Drag Kings album. Possibly, these are simply outtakes from that session, for there are barely enough tracks here to make up an E.P. - a measly six in total. 

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Some low twangy guitar ushers in the spooky 'Ghost Surfin (Parts I & II).' The jazz-infused saxophone and organ 'Surfin' Succotash (Parts I & II)' is easily the pick of the bunch. The melancholy organ vibe, coupled with the reverb-drenched lead guitar, makes for a unique sound unmistakably akin to the aforementioned Demons' album. 'Soul Full of Surfin' (Parts I & II)' holds a surprising flute solo in the middle and some Les Paul-like guitar work but could have had its running time cut in half. The shortest tune of the bunch at 2:50, 'White Cap Surfin' (the only track without a second part), has a lazy fade-out that hints at a lost, extended section. Simply titled 'Guitar', the penultimate track features a great deal of organ over a simple boogie-woogie riff. 'Safari Harry' could've easily been lifted from a Beach Party movie and is a fun listen.

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Despite the horrible cover art, lack of tracks, and the budget feel of the packaging, Everybody's Surfin' is an album I find myself returning to semi-frequently. It's great early-60s background music for a party or basically any other activity that doesn't require conscious listening. The lengths the back cover goes to in proving Ricky Vale and his band are a real group are also pretty entertaining.