Surfin' Safari: 3.5/5
Today, Safari is a gift. A chance to relive where it all started. In no other time could this have been captured. God Bless.
Agreed completely!
If I had to describe this album in one word, I might say "authentic". If I were to create an ideal playlist for myself I'd consider replacing a few of the weaker tracks with 'Cindy, Oh Cindy', 'Land Ahoy', and/or 'Lonely Sea'. Those songs would fit in very nicely. Even still, this album holds together very well as a listening experience and takes me back to 1962 California, as well as, my own teenage years growing up in a small beach town on the east coast.
Surfin’ Safari - Classic. Love everything about it. I don’t even mind Mike’s vocal flub at 1:29. Incredible promise!
County Fair – Andrea Carlo’s voice was perfect for this track! “Goodbye muscles, I don’t need you anymore. Loser!”
Nik Venet did a fine job as well, although it can get irritating after a while. On this song and 'Heads You Win - Tails I Lose', Mike’s vocal serves the song perfectly. It’s got a frailty to it. He sounds like the protagonist. Young and insecure.
Ten Little Indians – I really enjoy this song. I like the 'Running Bear' connection. I love the tempo. Anyone else notice how prominent Dennis is vocally on this album!? Second only to Mike.
Chug-A-Lug – Another energetic, fun song. Side 1 is very strong. I really enjoy Mike’s bass vocal. Fun to sing-a-long to.
Little Girl (You’re My Miss America) – What an endearing lead vocal by Dennis. I’m surprised there wasn’t more of that on subsequent albums. This album has a lot of charm. The only bothersome aspect for me is Mike’s backing vocal. I like the part, but he just sounds so unsure. I don’t think he hits the notes well at all.
409 – Classic. Not necessarily a personal favorite, I’m much more of a surfer than a car guy. Again, Dennis is very prominent in the backing vocals. He was so key to their blend. I really miss Brian’s vocal arrangements and Dennis’ backing vocals as the ‘60s came to an end and the '70s wore on.
Surfin’ – Love this song. What a great way to start it all off! I always look forward to that little vocal flourish at 2:06 just as the song quickly fades. Nice touch.
Heads You Win – Tails I Lose – Side 2 doesn’t quite live up to Side 1, but I still enjoy this song. I like the line “heads you win, tails I lose." It’s worthy of a song. I’m glad they turned the tables in the end.
Summertime Blues – I'm not a big fan of the song. This version is fine. Fits the album.
Cuckoo Clock – Not a favorite, but enjoyable. The silliness of the song certainly adds to the charm. I prefer 'Cindy, Oh Cindy', though. I must say, by the time I got around to listening to this album I was really surprised by Brian’s singing (or lack thereof) relative to subsequent albums. If only 'Lonely Sea' were on this album. One of my favorite songs and a great performance by Brian.
Moon Dawg – Nice.
The Shift – This one has grown on me a bit. I always thought it was funny how Paul made a big deal about the Beatles singing “I’d love to turn you on” in 1967, considering this song…