Surfin Bird [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Trashmen | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 26, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sundazed Music Inc.
• ASIN: B000003GYU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,674 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #30 in Music > Rock > Rock Guitarists > Surf Guitar

Track Listings

1. Surfin' Bird

2. King of the Surf

3. Henrietta

4. Misirlou

5. Malagueña

6. It's So Easy

7. Tube City

8. My Woodie

9. Bird Bathn

10. Kuk

11. Money (That's What I Want)

12. Sleeper

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Although there's no shortage of Trashmen records out there (a 4 CD box set, a live album, outtakes), and none of it's waste product, this expanded version of the Minnesota surf gonzos' 1964 debut (and only contemporary) album is the best way to find out if their trash is worth your cash. The song they're famous for, "Surfin' Bird," is a frat/surf novelty classic that makes "Louie Louie" sound like "Go Away Little Girl." Two West Coast R&B novelties by the Rivingtons, "Papa Oo Mow Mow Mow" and "The Bird's the Word," are knitted together by a pulsing Midwest surf beat, with a harsh monotone vocal giving way at strategic moments to some of the most graphic sounds of regurgitation ever recorded.

If this sounds appealing (and there's no earthly reason it shouldn't), there are more delights within, although only "Bird Bath" attempts (unsuccessfully) to match the hit. You get some nicely executed surf instrumentals, slightly surf-inflected covers of "It's So Easy" and "Money," and some especially commissioned (from a friend of the band) surf and hotrod songs crammed full of period jargon. Bonus tracks include a demo of "Surfin' Bird"'s too-close-for-comfort followup, "Bird Dance Beat," and a sweetly goofy Christmas single that has Santa and his reindeer doing the Watusi with Peggy Sue, Short Fat Fannie, and other regular partygoers of the era. --Ken Barnes

Product Description

Take a basically unsound premise - a surf band from Minnesota - add a certifiably demented singer, then turn the reverb up to 11. Voila! Los Trashmen! You'll want to collect each and every one of these relics, each a piece of the true Bird.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't You Know About The Bird??, May 19, 2007

By 

Stanley Runk "Runkdapunk" (Camp North Pines) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Surfin Bird (Audio CD)

The Trashmen will never be able to let down the song Surfin' Bird(and most folks know the song but don't know the group that sings it), and will be forever associated with that song, but the rest of their work shouldn't be ignored. Thanks to the good folks at Sundazed and curious old school surf rock fans like myself, they won't be totally forgotten. Surfin' Bird is a great piece of early 60s rock. The Trashmen are lumped into the surf rock category, which they do belong in, but alot of these songs are vocal tunes. Only a very few instrumental surf songs to be found here, but don't let that discourage you. The vocal tunes take a little warming up to, but you'll find your happyass singing along with them in no time. Great stuff from a great time in rock and roll history when lyrics were just about good clean wholesome fun. And if you dig this stuff, these guys got a big ol' boxset available. Dig!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa ooma-mow-mow papa-ooma-mow-mow, October 22, 2010

By 

Ryan (York, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surfin' Bird [Vinyl] (Vinyl)

Well don't you know about the bird?
Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgia ?, April 8, 2011

By 

B Sharpe - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Surfin Bird (Audio CD)

Always loved the title song. The Trashmen really did some good stuff "Back in the Day". Surfin' Bird is still rockin' good fun, especially if you've had a few, if you know what I mean.