The Smiley Smile Message Board

Discuss, review and rate Surfer Girl, released September 1963.

(http://www.smileysmile.net/images/albums/surfergirl.gif)

I hear nothing but great music, and even the filler is fun. 4.

A lot of genius, a bit of filler. 3 and a half.
The Surfer Moon is my favorite BB album track.

Another half-and-half album to me, just like its twofer-mate. The good is brilliant, the filler is...filler.

It's been said, 3 stars.  "Your Summer Dream" is the best song on here for my money, close run with "In My Room".  God-awful "Surf" related tracks (girl aside)...

A big step down after "USA".

Hope you're not saying Catch A Wave is awful.

A great album. To get a better understanding of the early albums is to hear the sessions. The sessions for this are pretty good considering the songs.

Unfortunately the only session tapes available are for the worst songs on the album.

Man, I like the songs people hate it seems lol!

So you dig South Bay Surfer?

Yes I do. I think of that song as fun. I can't understand why people don't like that song. Plus them mentioning Philly isn't bad either  ;D

The best of the early albums. 

Awful compared to Sidewalk Surfin'.

Man, no way.

'Catch a Wave' is brilliant. Just brilliant.

Yep, and Hawaii too.

You like the drums in Hawaii, don't ya?  ;)

Who wouldn't?

Is that Dennis or Blaine?

I don't hear the energy in the backing tracks on this album that you hear on USA...  Regardless of who was playing.  Hawaii could've truly rocked.

Denny! He plays on the entire album, save Car Club and (arguably) Girl and Coupe.

I agree, but the cuts still rule. I really hear the lack of energy more on Rocking Surfer though. The live takes of Hawaii rage really well!

Hell yeah man,  The Boys really raged these cuts live...

I don't know where I read it, but was Brian constantly telling Denny to 'keep his drumming down' when they were recording in the studio?  So where Denny wanted to bash 'em, he was forced to hold back?  I wish Bri didn't if it's true.

He did the exact same thing with Blaine as well. Listen to Blaine's stuff with Specs, and then Brian. On Spec's recordings Blaine is insane, the clear inspiration for Keith Moon's style, on Bri's he merely keeps the best, albeit expertly. I think the lack of powerful drumming is Brian's main fault, production-wise.

Ahh someone agrees with me on this!

Why the hell would he do that Ian?  It is absolutely a fault, and if Denny did drum powerfully (Surf Jam) he was turned way down in the mix...  It shits me, I can't connect with so many of the BB's rockers because the drums are just not there.

"What's up Bri?"

Yep, yep, yep.
When I want to rock with the BB's, I play the live stuff. Denny and Ricky were both great and energetic live drummers, sorely underused by Brian and Carl in the studio.

Does make me wonder why Moon the Loon was such a big fan of the boys... If he ain't never seen 'em live, their rockers are so underwhelming on record...

Ahem....All I Want To Do. It's About Time. Student Demonstration Time. Marcella. The first side of Love You.

Moonie with the Boys. I can only dream.

All I Want live kills the studio! Marcella same. Love You is electronic and spare robotic beats, different trip. SDT's drums aren't there, to my ears. It's About Time is a great exception, though.


Moon dug the melodies, harmonies, vibes and the subject matter I believe.


It ALMOST happened!

Marcella studio version is terrible, sounds like it's being drummed by a four year old (who I believe is Brian or Carl).  The one on "In Concert" creams it, particular Dennis' backing vocal "ONE ARM ONE ARM OVER MY SHOULDA!"

Compare that to "You Need a Mess of Help..."

Yeah, Moon loved the Beach Boys because it was surf and car music early on.

Subject matter and he liked that type of music. Liked Pet Sounds less so, from what I've read.

Regarding limited use of drums on BB recordings.  The drums on WIRWFC are part of what make it such a good album.  Listen to LSN and the drum piece on the new album  just before the lead vocal begins.  I just LOVE that and it fits perfectly.  The original versions just don't have enough punch.

4/5

Lots of awesome tracks; Our Car Club has got to be one of my favorite early BB songs, I love the Brian's falsetto on Hawaii, and In My Room calls out to the loser that lives in all of our hearts.

South Bay Surfer is pretty cheesey, and Brian had even done that schtick before (Surfin' Down the Swanee River by the Honeys); if I didn't like the original melody I probably wouldn't like it.

The over-the-top strings on The Surfer Moon ruin the song for me, though.

I like them.

I don't know; it just gives the song this whole distracting 1940s pop feel. I concentrate on the lyrics until "Neath the hill", and then all I can listen to is those darned strings.. gosh, save it for a black-and-white romance film with bad acting.

I think that's the point of it. To me, it's a great example of how Brian could write--or, really, arrange--for different idioms.

Eh, I guess that works.

Still not a fan, though.

Doesn't hurt my feelings any.

You don't get it.

Great, great album. My favorite of the pre ASL LPs. This is almost a Brian solo album to my ears. That's my only qualm with the record, it seems like the boys are underused. On a couple of songs they are not present at all. Still, it's a great showcase for Bri's beautiful voice and burgeoning song-writing skills.

Do you feel the same way about Pet Sounds?

No, I really don't. When the boys aren't used on PS, it sounds like a concious decision on Brian's part. The production still sounded fully realized. It's even used an effect at times like on "Caroline, No" - I can't imagine a group vocal on that song. On tracks like "Surfer Moon" and "Your Summer Dream" something sounds incomplete to me, like the album was a rush job (their schedules were extremely tight at the time), and they didn't have time to put them on.

Hmmm, I feel it was a consious decision as well, and showed an early inclination towards solo work on Brian's part.
Thanks for making me think about that!

Couldn't Murry's hand also be in that as well? In other words, leave the other guys out and let Brian be featured. Witness also the solo outings on the Christmas LP as well. I think his voice was beautiful, so I don't mind. It just puzzles me at times. I think on a lot of those ballads he was going for an almost pop standard sound, not a group, R&B thing.

 

You are probably right. If so, I don't mind, I love it, gives a change of pace to those LP's. Excellent thoughts.

Surfer Girl starts off so great. First, you have the title track, which is freakin’ incredible. But then they follow that with Catch a Wave, which is another masterpiece. And then…The Surfer Moon. Good lord, this is a great album. South Bay Surfer? Oh yeah, I’m still digging. Sizing up to be the greatest album ever. Little Deuce Coupe?!?! In My Room?!? Hawaii?!? Your Summer Dream?!?! Forget Today and Summer Days, this album is a certified masterwork, and so early in their career. I can’t get over the amount of quality work found on this record. Amazing.

I love "Surfer Moon".  I feel fairly certain that it is based on (and largely a a re-make of) Patti Page's 1957 hit "Cape Cod" written by Claire Rothrock, Milt Yakus, and Allan Jeffrey.  If you assume that, it is interesting to see what Brian (and I don't know but possibly also Murry to some extent) did with it - using what in essence, was some neighborhood kids in a garage band (albeit with some fame now) as the core element.     
.   

The best stuff on this album is mind blowing for 1963. On the 'I Wasnt Made For These Times' documentary, Crosby of CS&N and the Byrds said that when he heard 'In My Room' he knew that Brian was ahead of everyone else in pop music.

I wish I could wtite one song in my life that is half as cool as IN MY ROOM. Imagine that this album had the ballads off of Today instead of the the weaker tracks. Then it would be among the best albums ever. Brian's voice in Hawaii is amazing. Does anyone here prefer the 1967 Hawaii rehearsals of Surfer Girl compared to the original??? i do..

It was funny how he wasn't sure if it was after/before Pet Sounds :P But clearly showed Brian's talent in writing songs in that vein.

Anyway, some great songs on this album. Surfer Girl, Surfer Moon, Little Deuce Coupe, Catch A Wave, In My Room, Hawaii and Your Summer Dream. All GREAT songs, I give it a 4.5 which means a 5, the first great album from the boys (or brian - whichever way you want to look at it) and truly showed Brians talents beginning to emerge to a big extent.

Great album - only the hardiest shoegazer wouldn't find something to like here. Extremely listenable, and yeah, a great sign of things to come. 'In My Room' is one of my favorite songs of all time, and 'Catch A Wave' is the Beach Boys best surfing song for my money. The title track is one of their best harmony vocals too. Brilliant stuff.

I like it all, especially the ballads. I do wish that on certain songs the backing tracks were a bit louder. Song for song it was definitely their best album to date and remained their best until All Summer Long. Great stuff. I'll give it a four.

Jeez, do we have enough songs with "surf" somewhere in the title or what... This album is so unbelievably charming.  Too bad for the filler.  3 stars.

Track picks:  In My Room (+++), Surfer Girl (+++), Surfer Moon (++), Catch a Wave (+)

4. Shy of a 5 because the filler is not that good at all.

Surfer Girl, Catch a Wave, Surfer Moon, Little Deuce Coupe, In My Room, Hawaii, and Your Summer Dream are fantastic while South Bay Surfer is horrid. Also two more instrumental that I'm not fond of. Our Car Club and Surfer's Rule (love the shout out to the Four Seasons) are decent.

5/5 Surfer Girl
4.5/5 Catch a Wave
4/5 Surfer Moon
2/5 South Bay Surfer
3/5 Rocking Surfer
5/5 LDC
5/5 In My Room
5/5 Hawaii
3/4 Surfer's Rule
3.5/5 Our Car Club
5/5 Your Summer Dream
3/5 Boogie Woodie

The first classic Beach Boys album.  The guys had really found their feet by this point and were making timeless music. "In my Room, Surfer Girl, Catch a Wave", all brilliant. Vocal wise they really started playing to each others strenghs, Mike for the up tempo rockers, Brian for the pretty ballads.  Minus the two car songs this would have been as much a "Surf"concept album as "Deuce Coupe" was a "Hotrod" one.

Surfer Girl is the full album in which Brian was in total control of production. The 3rd album in two years is the first sign that the Beach Boys are more than just a fad! Surfer Girl peaked at #7 on the charts and had a 56 week stay on the charts. Hawaii, Lil Deuce Coup, Surfer Girl, Catch a Wave and In My Room (Gary Usher) were strong enough to carry Surfer Girl to be considered a great album which it was!   

The first genuinely good BBs album imo and thankfully Brian (or Capitol) had completely overcome the aversion towards slow songs by this point. Some of the groups most beautiful ballads are present here along with concert stalwarts like Little Deuce Coupe, Hawaii and Catch a Wave. Just unfortunate that South Bay Surfer is so obviously filler and Boogie Woodie is a really weak way to end the album.

3 1/2 out of 5.

Surfer Girl is the classic of their early albums, better even (IMO) than All Summer Long.  For it's time (1963) and place (the pre-Kennedy assassination music world of the good ol' USA, So. Cal variety) this is a mind blowingly fantastic - and consistent - album.   I'd go as far as to say there isn't any filler on this album.   Every track is enjoyable (though yes,  some of them may be "light weight", but I will argue they are light weight in the best sense of the term and they work perfectly within the album as a whole).    The flow of this album is also excellent (IMO).    So, can you tell I really like this album yet?
I've always wished the band could've made a movie, (but a good one - the American Hard Days Night) and Surfer Girl would have been the perfect soundtrack.   
Totally an under appreciated album.   It's the quintessential Beach Boys album from their "surfer years".

"Your Summer Dream"  :smokin

Easy song to play live, but hard to sing.

This is the best pre-Today Beach Boy album IMO. Yes, even better than All Summer Long. The musical highs featured on this album are some of the greatest songs that the Beach Boys ever did. Surfer Girl, Catch a Wave, Little Deuce Coupe, In My Room, and Hawaii are all staples of the band in concert to this day and all amazingly first appeared on this album. The filler isn't bad, like others have pointed out, I can listen to this album all the way through since it has a good flow to it.

My favourite pre 'All Summer Long' album. Surfer Girl, Surfer Moon, In My Room and Your Summer Dream are incredible ballads while Little Deuce Coupe, Catch A Wave and Hawaii are surfing/car/fun songs at their best. Few weak songs here and there, but the good overshadows, without a single doubt, the bad. A very pleasant listen. 4 stars.

Great album. Fave tracks include Surfer Girl and In My Room. Love Brian's voice in this album! Yes there is some filler but I find it to be good filler. Worth listening to in it entirety.

The first great BB's album, and another step-up from the previous albums.
By far the two best tracks are the title track and "In My Room".
I enjoy "Hawaii" and "Surfer Moon" a lot as well.
"Catch A Wave" is a good song, but this version is mediocre. The vocals are surprisingly bad, and don't get me started on the horrible organ solo.
Surprisingly, when they performed that song when I saw them in Melbourne during the 50th Anniversary tour, that performance was much, much superior to the original!
As for the rest of the tracks, it's a hit and miss. Some good tracks, some pretty noticiably bad filler (a good example would be "South Bay Surfer").
Ultimately, it's a great album, but maybe it's because i just ultimately don't care for the BB's surf music, I just never enjoyed this album as much as I should.
3.5 out of 5.

I pretty much agree with you. Though I'm in the minority who likes South Bay Surfer. Plus I think this has one has the best cover arts by the Beach Boys ever. Classic!

Agreed. It's one of my favourite BB's covers, it's aged well and still looks beautiful!

Totally classic songs and cover..!!  My record store experience in SUSA review is repeated here.. Im 11 yrs old and im learning how to play the drums and guitar slowly and my INSPIRATION is the music + cover of USA + SG.. This started a LIFELONG obsession with MUSIC + surfing + Beach culture + continued with the british invasion long hair etc.. BB gave me the soundtrack to my life + gave me an identity as a kid SURFERS RULE.. I would find my own identity but it started with the BB as role models as musicans..  As far as the music goes its 4/5.. BW is comin into his own here.!

Third time's a charm.  IMO, the first great Beach Boys album. 

Even the filler, South Bay Surfer & Surfers Rule, are entertaining in their own way. 

Plus, you have the great ballad Surfer Girl and In My Room.   Those two songs alone make this one a must buy.  Plus, Surfer Moon and Your Summer Dream.  Four great Brian ballads! 

Then, there's Catch a Wave and Hawaii with Mike's under the weather voice.  Both great tracks. 

Add two car songs and you have The Beach Boys winning formula with which Mike Love didn't want to f*#*.  After listening to this album, who can blame him? 

Surfer Girl - 5/5
Catch a Wave - 5/5
Surfer Moon - 5/5
South Bay Surfer - 3/5
Rocking Surfer - 3/5
Little Deuce Coupe - 5/5
In My Room - 5/5
Hawaii - 5/5
Surfer's Rule - 3/5
Our Car Club - 4/5
Your Summer Dream - 5/5
Boogie Woodie - 2/5

With Brian now firmly in the producer's chair, the band cut their first classic album.
An easy 5/5.

I am listening to the albums in order this week, and it is really cool to hear how each album was better than the one before. Surfin' USA is so much better than Surfin' Safari (and don't get me wrong, I like the debut); then Surfer Girl seems to take it up another level. Even if the only classic we got out of this album was In My Room it would be worth it.

A great listen all the way through. It may dip ever so slightly at "SBS" but it's still fun and surely that's a good thing? I must confess to preferring the title track to "In My Room".

"The Rocking Surfer" is not filler----those who think it is should give it a good listen some time----and "Catch A Wave" is as good as it gets in the songs-about-surfing stakes.

5/5

Surfer Girl (Mono, 2015 AP release)

Side 1:

1. Surfer Girl - *****
Just sounds amazing. Great way to start this album off.

2. Catch A Wave - *****
I've always liked this one a lot. It's pretty fun listening to sets in the 70s when they started incorporating it into them.

3. The Surfer Moon - ****
Nice ballad and strong performance by Brian.

4. South Bay Surfer (The Old Folks at Home) - ***
Mostly inoffensive. No issue here. Like some of the bass vocals here.

5. The Rocking Surfer - **

6. Little Deuce Coupe - *****
Another classic. 409 and Shut Down were fun, but Brian's high vocals put this on over the top.

Side 2:

7. In My Room - *****
Incredible song. This is one of my mom's favorites too. Strong opener to the second side.

8. Hawaii - ****
My impression is that this one is polarizing but I like it a lot. The falsetto works here.

9. Surfer's Rule - ****
Another fun, strong song. Fade is great.

10. Our Car Club - ***
This one is okay. A weaker song on the album by virtue of the rest being so strong.

11. Your Summer Dream - ****
Love this one. Would have been a great closer.

12. Boogie Woodie - **

Overall Rating: ****
Very, very strong album. Nearly a classic. There is some filler here for sure, but not as much as the first two albums. Four absolutely immortal songs, three great ones.