Customer Reviews

Barefoot Adventure: 4 Star Sessions 1962-66

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Two discs-38,35 minutes each approximately. Remastered by Sundazed Records. Having grown up in Southern California during the era this music was popular,and being saturated by it,I will try to be as unbiased as I can. This was the time before The Beatles and all the rest of the "British Invasion" groups changed music forever. This music was simple sounding yet was profound in it's message of fun under the sun at the beach,watching the girls stroll by. For anyone who remembers the innocence of those times,or for anyone who wants an insight into what it was all about-listen to this.

Gary Usher was one of the architects of the "Southern California sound",and was ,in his own way,a genius in his field of music. The tracks in this collection are fun-pure and simple. No great messages to ponder,just escapist tunes that sounded good on the car radio or blasting from your parents hi-fi when they weren't at home. The arrangements ,by today's standards,are straight out of the pop music era,an era that others,like Brian Wilson(a collaborator of Usher's) and The Beach Boys for example,took all the way to the top of the charts. Some listeners will note that Usher was the producer of albums by some of the best 60's groups-like The Byrds(Younger Than Yesterday,Sweetheart of the Rodeo,and one of The Byrd's best,The Notorious Byrd Brothers),Jan and Dean,Dick Dale,and one of my favorite groups,The Peanut Butter Conspiracy.

This collection delves into Usher's music beyond The Hondells,which sixties music-lovers will remember,and has a number of "B"sides that few have heard,and a few tracks that have not previously been released. All these tracks show how music in the Los Angeles/Southern California area was adopted by many groups,both known and unknown. There are some short interviews interspersed throughout the two discs which give a better understanding of this era. Personally I would rather have had more music in place of the interviews,but that's a minor quibble.

The folks at Sundazed Records have done their usual good job with the liner notes. There is a track by track listing with information that is helpful(if you need it!) in understanding and enjoying these great sides. For the listener who still lives in this era,or for someone who wishes they could have-this is well worth picking up.

Great songs. Unbelievable that most of them were previously unissued. I recommend it for all fans of good beach and surf music. Enjoy it...

Gary Usher is a genius no question. An inspiration as well-every track on this is great Surf-vocal. My only regret is I never got to work with him and was close to arranging a collaboration with 'The Man', but the label we were on at the time was inept, and by the time we did our surf album, it was too late-our hero was gone--but the great tracks he did will always be around and Bob Irwin, as always, preserves what I consider sacred. Right On!!!