Album Review:

By 1965, the surf-rock craze was represented only by a few dying embers in the form of local garage bands, budget label reissues, and the rare offshoot from the usual suspects (Brian Wilson, Gary Usher, Bruce and Terry, and Jan Berry). Latecomer songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri had just released one album under the moniker of the Fantastic Baggys and decided to give one last stab at the whole surf craze with this release. Arguably the first 'karaoke' album, the concept was to mimic the original backing tracks of some top 10 surf hits from the previous year and have lyric sheets printed on the inner sleeves enabling buyers to sing along with them. Ironically, many of the original players on those Beach Boy and Jan and Dean recordings were in the same circle as Sloan and Barri and are featured here as well as the original hits. Not surprisingly, the result is that the instrumental backings are almost identical to the originals, as the wrecking crew replayed almost every lick and fill they put on the original tunes. Sloan and Barri also do a great job of re-creating the backing harmonies from the originals, which almost makes this album seem like it could've been a forgotten second release by the Baggys.

​

The familiar "let's go surfing now, everybody's learning how, c'mon a safari with me..." opens up the album with ​'Surfin' Safari' as the Baggys croon behind Sloan's guitar. The duo then tackles the Beach Boys' luscious 'Surfer Girl'; which ends up coming very close to the original. 'Sidewalk Surfin' -  a song the duo had done the original backing vocals on - gets an ultra-surfy guitar lead slapped on it, followed by an excellent retread of 'Surfin' U.S.A.'. The Beach Boys' 'Surfin'' gets a simple makeover, this time without any harmonies, just the melody on the chorus. Likewise, 'Ride the Wild Surf' gets the orchestra stripped off of it, leaving just the rhythm and backing vocals. After two rather uninspired covers, the Baggys regain some traction with the well-executed (albeit short: 1:46) 'Hawaii.'  Both 'Drag City' and 'Little Deuce Coupe' are worthwhile versions to have, even if you've heard the original hits, and a super slick version of 'Honolulu Lulu' almost improves on Jan and Dean's version. 'Surf City' gets a bit of an update with the mid-60s octave guitar sound. The duo shrewdly slide their own 'Skateboard Craze' into the mix, which actually acts as the perfect closer to a fantastic album.

​

Even if you're familiar with the original hits, The Surfing Songbook is definitely worth your time and money. As the first album issued on the Dunhill label, original copies usually command a high price though it can also be found on a reissue CD by MCA Records with extensive liner notes on the production. In all, this is a highly recommended album for any fans of the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, or even just surf music in general.