Bruce Johnston’s second album, Surfin Round the World is far more polished than his first. Yet even more interesting than the extremely high production values is the amount of instrumental experimentation Johnston employs on the record. While Surfer’s Pajama Party was an unblemished musical document of the pre-Beatles 60s American music scene, World finds Johnston playing with a plethora of new sounds and musical ideas. Explored in the grooves of this album are elements of Surf, Latin Rock, and what would become Grunge, Hard Rock, and even Disco. Unsuspecting record buyers in 1963 would have never heard anything like the crunchy bass lines in ‘Jersey Channel Islands – Part 7’ or the brassy discotheque rhythms of ‘Virginia Beach' before. This of course, is all mixed in with a healthy dose of early 60’s Surf Rock, pushing the genre farther musically than perhaps any other album of the period.

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A single shot from the drummer launches us into ‘Surfin’ Round the World;' a tune so jam-packed with saxes, wailing guitars, and drums, it appears Johnston is utilizing every trick and lick he can conjure up. It's one groovin’ track. ‘Makaha At Midnight’ is more subdued than its predecessor but with a trembled Rhodes underneath a duo between a gritty guitar and sax, it still retains an edgy sound. The brass-laden ‘Down Under’ retains much of the feel of the opening number but with a prominent 1950s bass line. The instrumental ‘Cape Town’ features Steve Douglas’ signature loose-reed saxophone as well as some steady cymbal crashes a la’ Hal Blaine. The brassy ‘Biarritz’ rocks hard and sounds akin to a ‘Green Onions’ rewrite. ‘Jersey Channel Islands – Part 7’ (???) has to possess one of the hardest rocking backing tracks of the early sixties. The ‘Hamptons,’ another girl-powered vocal number, is performed in the style of the previous vocal tracks. Complete with a fuzzed-up bass, Rhodes, cowbell, and incredibly punchy brass, the disco-esque ‘Virginia Beach' really looks ahead in musical tastes. The brief yet imaginative ‘Surf-A-Nova’ is an up-tempo rocker with gentle salsa interludes interspersed among the tune. Pertinently titled, ‘Hot Pastrami, Mashed Potatoes, Come On to Rincon-Yeah!!!’ has Johnston shredding his vocals over a maniacally loud rhythm section. Amusingly, the relatively restrained ‘Malibu’ also features a tough-grooving beat reminiscent of ‘Jersey Channel Islands.’ Eight measures of drums and sleigh bells open up the album’s definitive number, ‘Surfin’s Here to Stay;' a Dion and the Belmont’s styled song with a sloppy double track and Johnston’s ‘surfer girl’ impersonation.

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An oddity for its time, Surfin Round the World is a healthy starting place for those who may doubt the musical sophistication of the whole surf-rock genre. This one is best listened to loud and in stereo.