There's been a great deal written about the Surfsiders' infamous Beach Boy outing, so much so that there's not much I could write here that would shed more light on the album. Nevertheless, for those of you who still haven't had the unique privilege of hearing the Beach Boys' Songbook as interpreted by the Surfsiders, there are two things you should know. First, no one knows exactly who the Surfsiders were (at least their not willing to admit it), though Lou Reed is thought to sing lead on at least two tracks. Secondly, the music inside is so incredibly bad it's laughable - many collectors seek this album out solely for giggles.

 

The vocalists all belt out their parts with such gusto and vigor with little consideration for the original chord changes or melodies that it's almost impossible not to crack a smile at the sheer stupidity of it all. The tracks which possess the closest thing to actual quality surf music are 'Fun Fun Fun' and 'Little Deuce Coupe.' Adding to the silliness is the dopey tenor sax, which is on almost every track filling in most of the bass parts (presumably because no one could sing them accurately). As a result, many of Mike Love's trademark "bomp-bomps" and "dip-dips" aren't actually sung, only played.

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In 2012-13, Norton Records revived the Surfsiders' name and released a string of four 45's under the moniker of New Surfsiders, which are absolutely worth seeking out.