Customer Reviews

Surfbeat

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a good surf music album, in fact, one of the better of the non-compilation albums of surf groups/music. That said, if you were going to pick up just one Challengers CD, their "Killer Surf...Best Of" is the one to get. If you have the "Best Of" and enjoy The Challengers enough for more, then this is a MUST for your collection, especially since several of the songs on "Killer Surf" (Kami-Kaze, Mr. Moto)have different takes here that are well worth giving a listen to. There is an interesting take on "Miserlou," and the "Vampire" rocks! This is an essential CD if you are a Challengers fan, or if you are morphing from casual surf music fan into intense surf music fanatico!

Surfbeat was the first all instrumental surf album, and has become the best selling surf album of all time. Of course, with surf music somewhat dead, this doesn't mean much to most. But in 1963, it was big news. The Challengers were a great success story, a local group that made it big. They were born out of the Bel-Airs. The only emmbers who aren't the Bel-Airs are guitarists Glenn Grey & Don Landis, and saxophonist Nick Hefner. The album is a collection of songs that form the fabric of surf music's roots. The Fireball's "Bulldog" opens the album with twangy reverb glory. Dick Dale's early classics "Let's Go Trippin" (featuring a cool organ solo by Jim Roberts) and "Miserlou." The Beach Boys hit "Surfin' Safari" get's the instrumental treatment with a sax lead. The Sentinals' haunting "Latin'ia" also shows up. Daune Eddy's "Ramrod" rocks with boogie woogie funk and hot organ. They even do a great cover of The Bel-Airs hit "Mr. Moto," one of surf's all time best songs. Strangely, two Bel-Air recordings are on the album, showing the closeness of the Challengers and the other group. "Kami-Kaze" and "Vampire," the latter an eerie blues-surf number that is actually one of the best tracks. Over all the album is indeed deserving of it's high place in the Surf Music Hall of Fame. And The Challengers remain one of surf's finest groups. (The 1994 Sundazed CD has two bonus tracks. "Penetration's" pretty good, and "Surfbeat's" alright.)

This is the first album by prolific surf music band the Challengers. Not only is it the Challengers first album, it is also the first all-instumental surf album ever. (Dick Dale had released a surf album before this, but it contained a few vocal songs). On this album, the Challengers play excellent cover versions of popular instrumentals of the time period. Some of the artists covered more than once here are: the Fireballs, Dick Dale, Duane Eddy and the Bel-Airs. It's interesting to note that the Challengers were lead by Richard Delvy, the drummer from the Bel-Airs. He formed the Challengers after the Bel-Airs broke up. This album is a lot of fun, and I would recommend it to all surf music fans.

Surfbeat by the Challengers was the first surf album I bought back in the day. The CD I recently purchased is as good as I can remember it. I still own the LP vinyl and the CD is just as good. I rec'd my CD in just a few days after ordering it. Great service. I would definetily buy from this seller again.

Back in the sixties, while in high school in Orange County CA, I bought this album for 99 cents from the cutout rack without knowing anything about it. It quickly becamee an all time favorite for me, my brothers, and our friends. I still have the original album but it was pressed onto red vinyl and is nearly worn out. The CD version is excellent and sounds great -- but I miss the old familiar pops and scratches and the depth of sound on my old red vinyl copy.