Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA The Surphonics - Are You Being Surfed?
 | Oldies nostalgia in a beach vein, with Hawaiian shirts and the like. Not up to the Surfin' Lungs mark in any sense. The guitars barely border on the surf idiom, being both dry and playing in non-surf styles, more Shadows influenced than surf (by any definition). A bit of Beach Boys, lots of pop, and touches of the Ventures. In some ways, the music is more like Hollywood beach movie fair than anything else. Not a surf release, and "borrowing" the title from those manic Dutch surfers the Apemen doesn't help the cause either. Mostly dismissible. |
Picks: Miserlou, The Munsters, Riva Boat, Complainte Pour Ste. Catherine, Six Million Dollar Man, Psycho, The Masked Surfer
Track by Track Review
Surf (Instrumental)
Gutty dry guitar delivers the melody line in a moderate energy version of the classic "Miserlou." Chunk and rhythm coincide, and, while dry, it sports adequate surfability.
Rock (Instrumental)
Vic Mizzy's theme to the TV show is dryly played with moderate energy. Not exactly reserved, but somewhat sterile.
Rock (Instrumental)
"Riva Boat" is a pleasant instro with slightly mysterious melody line, and an open road feel. Nicely played and written.
Complainte Pour Ste. Catherine Rock (Instrumental)
Melodic and fluid, this Shadows styled tune sports a nice melody line in the Euro vein. Slightly optimistic, and with more energy than the rest of the disc.
Rock (Instrumental)
Shadows styled interpretation of the TV theme with narrated descriptors over the top. The guitar work is pretty.
Rock (Instrumental)
Creaky doors and faux drama underwrite this somewhat Shadowsy tune. It's different than the other here, with a more angular feel and more memorable. Very nice drums work, and quite a bit of twang.
Rock (Instrumental)
Not at all a surf tune, this is arranged like a minor Jet Harris and Tony Meehan thing, with cheesy organ. The drums are great, but otherwise it doesn't hold up to multiple listenings.