Surf Beat is the first book to tell the story of the birth of surf music, and its persistent survival and reinvention in the face of decades of dismissal as a mere cultural aberration. Conventional wisdom posits the notion that rock 'n' roll languished in the period between 1959 and 1963. Yet in that four-year stretch between Elvis joining the army and Buddy Holly's death, and the emergence of the Beatles, a musical revolution took place in Southern California that would influence all electric guitar forms that followed it. They called it surf music, and in Surf Beat, it finally gets its day in the sun. Surf music authority and author Kent Crowley uncovers the story of the initial emergence of surf music as first a local, then a national and international phenomenon, and its subsequent waves of popularity through the ensuing decades.
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About the Author
Kent Crowley writes about music for numerous publications such as Vintage Guitar and Shakin' Fever. He researched Bob Keane's The Oracle of Del-Fi and edited Hollywood's Gold Star Studio founders Stan Ross and Dave Gold's upcoming Gold Star Album. He has consulted on Freak Out in Cucamonga, an upcoming documentary on Frank Zappa's Pal Studios/Studio Z.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
3 page Introduction, 1 page Glossary, 5 page Prologue, 16 pages of b&w photos, 224 pages of text. Also included are End Notes, 4 pages of recommended listening, and sources and an Index.
The era of true surf music lasted only a few short years-between the initial r'n'r explosion, and the British Invasion. This nicely researched book begins in 1957, with both music industry types and musicians looking for something new and exciting (and profitable), with instrumental music finding a niche with listeners. In Southern California (especially) instrumental music was very popular, and it was only a matter of time before beach/surf people began to make music that gave listeners some idea of what surfing was all about. Using electric guitars and a reverb (reverberation) unit and powerful amplifiers (made in nearby Orange County, Calif.), along with pounding drums and a wailing sax, and maybe some piano, surf music was born.
The author begins with the invention of surf music, along with the dances and terminology peculiar to So. Ca., and traces it's growth from the ballrooms to the studios, the then new (Leo Fender)guitars and amps, the local record labels, and ultimately, to the generation of kids growing up with r'n'r (as opposed to "rock") and the beach/surf lifestyle. Is it even close to being all inclusive? No. Bands I would've liked to have read more about are missing, but what's here is by and large interesting. And the fact that books on surf music are few and far between make this worth reading.
This book is a true overview of the era and the music-it's not a biographical listing of bands and tunes. And that's what makes this book interesting. Instead of focusing on a few of the well known artists, we get a look at the foundation of this (for a time at least) local music, and it's growth. Along the way there's a look at a number of instrumental bands (the BELAIRS, THE VENTURES, THE TRASHMEN, THE PYRAMIDS, etc.) and, to many avid followers of instrumental surf music-vocal groups (like THE BEACH BOYS) are also given space. Musicians like Link Wray, Dick Dale, and Duane Eddy (among others) are woven into the story, along with other important musicians of the era. The book also has a number of interesting yet little known (possible) facts. Is it true that Jimi Hendrix based his 1967 song "Third Stone From The Sun" on hearing THE NOCTURNES' 1963 tune "Third Star To The Left"? Is it true that the original tape of Hendrix' tune ends with, not "and you'll never hear surf music again", but with Hendrix saying "Sounds like a lie to me!" Did a pre-EXPERIENCE Hendrix really hang out with surf guitar god Dick Dale in Dale's Del-Tone Record Shop, and get introduced to the amplifier as another instrument? This book has these and other interesting bits of information and questions throughout, and makes for lively reading.
The book wraps things up with the re-emergence of surf music in the 90's, and into the present time, with examples of how influential surf music had become. The book is written in an easy to read style, and even when the author (Kent Crowley) seemingly goes off track, he eventually brings the elements into sharp focus that adds depth to the surf music story. For anyone interested in the beginnings, and the few short years, of surf music and it's lasting effects on music in general, this will be worth reading. The period photographs also help in putting faces to a number of surf bands that we all have heard many times (if you like surf music) through the years. Not just a look at the same popular groups/songs that seem to be regurgitated over and over, this book delves into the phenomenon of the music and the era for a satisfying look at this still important, exciting music that's still played and listened to all over the world. But I'm still waiting for that one great book that encompasses the entire surf music phenomenon-maybe some day.
The era of true surf music lasted only a few short years-between the initial r'n'r explosion, and the British Invasion. This nicely researched book begins in 1957, with both music industry types and musicians looking for something new and exciting (and profitable), with instrumental music finding a niche with listeners. In Southern California (especially) instrumental music was very popular, and it was only a matter of time before beach/surf people began to make music that gave listeners some idea of what surfing was all about. Using electric guitars and a reverb (reverberation) unit and powerful amplifiers (made in nearby Orange County, Calif.), along with pounding drums and a wailing sax, and maybe some piano, surf music was born.
The author begins with the invention of surf music, along with the dances and terminology peculiar to So. Ca., and traces it's growth from the ballrooms to the studios, the then new (Leo Fender)guitars and amps, the local record labels, and ultimately, to the generation of kids growing up with r'n'r (as opposed to "rock") and the beach/surf lifestyle. Is it even close to being all inclusive? No. Bands I would've liked to have read more about are missing, but what's here is by and large interesting. And the fact that books on surf music are few and far between make this worth reading.
This book is a true overview of the era and the music-it's not a biographical listing of bands and tunes. And that's what makes this book interesting. Instead of focusing on a few of the well known artists, we get a look at the foundation of this (for a time at least) local music, and it's growth. Along the way there's a look at a number of instrumental bands (the BELAIRS, THE VENTURES, THE TRASHMEN, THE PYRAMIDS, etc.) and, to many avid followers of instrumental surf music-vocal groups (like THE BEACH BOYS) are also given space. Musicians like Link Wray, Dick Dale, and Duane Eddy (among others) are woven into the story, along with other important musicians of the era. The book also has a number of interesting yet little known (possible) facts. Is it true that Jimi Hendrix based his 1967 song "Third Stone From The Sun" on hearing THE NOCTURNES' 1963 tune "Third Star To The Left"? Is it true that the original tape of Hendrix' tune ends with, not "and you'll never hear surf music again", but with Hendrix saying "Sounds like a lie to me!" Did a pre-EXPERIENCE Hendrix really hang out with surf guitar god Dick Dale in Dale's Del-Tone Record Shop, and get introduced to the amplifier as another instrument? This book has these and other interesting bits of information and questions throughout, and makes for lively reading.
The book wraps things up with the re-emergence of surf music in the 90's, and into the present time, with examples of how influential surf music had become. The book is written in an easy to read style, and even when the author (Kent Crowley) seemingly goes off track, he eventually brings the elements into sharp focus that adds depth to the surf music story. For anyone interested in the beginnings, and the few short years, of surf music and it's lasting effects on music in general, this will be worth reading. The period photographs also help in putting faces to a number of surf bands that we all have heard many times (if you like surf music) through the years. Not just a look at the same popular groups/songs that seem to be regurgitated over and over, this book delves into the phenomenon of the music and the era for a satisfying look at this still important, exciting music that's still played and listened to all over the world. But I'm still waiting for that one great book that encompasses the entire surf music phenomenon-maybe some day.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By R. Sawyer
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
OK, I'm prejudiced, having been there, playing a Fender Mustang (the Olympic White one, if you must know) through a Fender VibroVerb amp, in a high school band we called "The Avengers" (not to be confused with the East Coast-based "Avengers VI." We covered Dick Dale, the Surfaris, the Lively Ones, the Ventures, and all of the greats of the time. And we snuck into college frat parties to hear folks like Bruce Johnston, BEFORE he joined the Beach Boys. It was heady times.
Then all of a sudden the girls who'd gone ga-ga over us started hanging out with guys who had long hair. And headbands. And beards. And microphones!! Vocal music!! What happened?
"Surf Beat" brings it all back in stunning detail, with lots of new information about the birth (and death -- at least temporarily) of the surf music sound. Pull on a pair of baggys, "a ragged sweat shirt" (to quote the Beach Boys on their Little Honda), a pair of Huarachi sandals (I spent some time in Chicago in 1963, where they actually sang it as "raunchy" sandals), and enjoy this great read.
Then all of a sudden the girls who'd gone ga-ga over us started hanging out with guys who had long hair. And headbands. And beards. And microphones!! Vocal music!! What happened?
"Surf Beat" brings it all back in stunning detail, with lots of new information about the birth (and death -- at least temporarily) of the surf music sound. Pull on a pair of baggys, "a ragged sweat shirt" (to quote the Beach Boys on their Little Honda), a pair of Huarachi sandals (I spent some time in Chicago in 1963, where they actually sang it as "raunchy" sandals), and enjoy this great read.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Nestled between the Rockibilly tunes of Buddy Holly and the Rock and Roll beat of the Beatles was the surf beat. This free flowing style began as free as the ocean waves. The author, Kent Crowley performs this music and has writes about music for numerous publications.
In Surf Beat: Rock `n' Roll's Forgotten Revolution by Kent Crowley, this book takes you down the pier where this youthful angst was spelled out in the mystical hum of instrumental music. This book is broken into five "summer stories" Crowley shares insights into greats such as Bob Keane, Ritchie Valens, Frank Zappa, and more.
The reader discovers groups like the Belairs, the Surfaris who rode the wave of amplified loud guitars and a beat that howled to the ocean waves. This surfing culture of which the Beach Boys rose shares an intimate portrait of those who made this scene alive until a recent resurgence today.
In Surf Beat: Rock `n' Roll's Forgotten Revolution by Kent Crowley, this book takes you down the pier where this youthful angst was spelled out in the mystical hum of instrumental music. This book is broken into five "summer stories" Crowley shares insights into greats such as Bob Keane, Ritchie Valens, Frank Zappa, and more.
The reader discovers groups like the Belairs, the Surfaris who rode the wave of amplified loud guitars and a beat that howled to the ocean waves. This surfing culture of which the Beach Boys rose shares an intimate portrait of those who made this scene alive until a recent resurgence today.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential Reading for Surf Music Fans
Whether you're a fan of the first, second or third wave of surf music, or anything that's truly an American Original, this book belongs in your library. Read more
Published 2 months ago by tbcblues
3.0 out of 5 stars
Surf softly and carry a big dictionary
The book has a comprehensive description of the waves into which surf music can be divided, with deserving praise to Dick Dale and Leo Fender. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Marcio
2.0 out of 5 stars
Poorly organized, poorly edited, and incomplete
I find it hard to believe that I received the same book that the other reviewers are gushing about. This book was hard to get through and only intermittently informative. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Harold Lime
5.0 out of 5 stars
forgotten history
a very comprehensive review of the history of surf music.incredibly detailed about the entire aspect of surf music as well as the sport of surfing and the history of the area in... Read more
Published 7 months ago by James C. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not A Rinky Dink Book
I was born @ the end of WW2 in Los Angeles, so I am easily able to relate to this book. As it states, 1960s surfing music was probably the only musical genre on Earth created by... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Cinesnob
5.0 out of 5 stars
More about surf music than I ever knew I wanted to know!
Stuart Jefferson's review covers nicely far more details about the book than I was going to give; read it! Read more
Published 23 months ago by Martha Welsh
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