The Beach Boys - Surfer Girl (Mono, 200g)
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Performed by The Beach Boys : Brian Wilson (vocals, bass guitar, keyboards), Mike Love (vocals, percussion, saxophone, Electro-Theremin), Al Jardine (vocals, rhythm guitar, bass guitar), Bruce Johnston (vocals, keyboards, bass guitar), Dennis Wilson (vocals, drums, keyboards).
1 LP, Stoughton tip-on jackets
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 200g
Record color : black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12'’
Mono
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Analogue Productions
Original Label : Capitol
Recorded May–July 1963 at United Western Recorders, Hollywood
Remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
Tracks :
2. Catch A Wave
3. The Surfer Moon
4. South Bay Surfer
5. The Rocking Surfer
6. Little Deuce Coupe
2. Hawaii
3. Surfer's Rule
4. Our Car Club
5. Your Summer Dream
6. Boogie Woogie
TAS Super LP List! Special Merit: Informal
In 2017, Surfer Girl was ranked the 193rd greatest album of the 1960s by Pitchfork.
Reviews :
"Another step forward in terms of both overall sound and production finesse, with drums well-focused center stage and solid, three-dimensional vocals effectively spread across the soundstage and hovering transparently on cushions of air, makes a strong case for supremacy of the stereo mix. I've digitized at 96/24 "In My Room" from a stereo test pressing Analogue Productions sent me late last year and when I play it for people at store events and at shows, it never fails to leave people almost paralyzed with pleasure-particularly among those for whom the A.M. radio is their only reference." Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com
« Capitol pushed the Beach Boys for too much material in too short a time for the group to maintain as much quality control as would have been desirable. Consequently, most of their pre-1965 albums contain a high degree of filler, and thus stack up poorly next to those of such contemporaries as the Beatles, who were able to maintain high standards on almost all of their tracks. Surfer Girl does have some great tunes, including the title song, the hot rod ditty "Little Deuce Coupe," and "Catch a Wave" (which could have been a substantial hit single on its own merits). Most significant of all is the gorgeous ballad "In My Room," which anticipated future Beach Boys releases both in its sophisticated production (strings, organ, dense harmonies) and its personal, solipsistic lyrics. The rest is surprisingly mediocre filler, especially as at this point they were restricting their lyrical themes to beach culture almost exclusively; "Your Summer Dream," with its unusual harmonies, is about the most interesting of the obscure tracks. If you're not a dedicated Beach Boys fan, though, you should pass, as you can find the first-rate tracks on best-of anthologies. » AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger
"The sound is rich in detail, yet one of its key strengths is how "mellow and romantic" it sounds. While listening to these records, I was never fatigued. ... the AP Beach Boys significantly betters the original U.S. Capitol pressings that I've heard, with considerably more separation, detail, fullness and presence." — Jeff Wilson, The Absolute Sound, October 2015
"What I can say is that Kevin Gray has been able to extract every last bit of information from whatever tape is in the box, and present it in a way that is pleasing and natural to the ear. ... in my opinion, the Analogue Productions pressings are now THE definitive issue of each Beach Boys album, and will be my reference copies until if and when something better comes along — which may be never." — Lee Dempsey, Endless Summer Quarterly, Summer 2015 Edition