Surfin' U.S.A.

     Back in the mid-70's everybody, including me, had Endless Summer by the Beach Boys. Even though I lived in Michigan, the Beach Boy songs transported me to California. You could smell the sea air and hear the hot rods peelin' out down the street and imagine those California girls. It was a window to another world. Their success drew attention to California, hot rod culture and most importantly surf culture. Oddly enough, the members of the Beach Boys didn't actually live this lifestyle, but that's beside the point. They helped bring this subculture to the mainstream. The songs are legendary. Surfin' Safari. Surfer Girl. Surfin' USA. Catch aWave. Little Deuce Coupe. Shut Down. Fun, Fun, Fun. I Get Around. California Girls. Help Me Rhonda. Don't Worry Baby. Then there was the flood of Beach movies and surf rock groups. I have a collection of surf rock from Rhino called Surfin' Hits. It features classics like Pipeline, Wipe Out, Miserlou, Surf City, Surfin' Bird, Surfin' Safari and Surfin' USA. It's a fantastic collection that I recommend my kids listen to, as well as Endless Summer.
     I love Dick Dale who is the King of Surf Guitar. Like me, he is a left-handed guitarist. Unlike me, he's awesome. He is most famous for appearing in Beach movies and the song "Miserlou". "Miserlou" has been reintroduced by Pulp Fiction and "Pump It" by the Black Eyed Peas in recent years. I confess I have a soft spot for left-handed guitarists. In fact, here's a list of my favorite lefties (McCartney not included due to my #1 list rule- no Beatles on lists).

*Dick Dale
* Kurt Cobain
* Elliot Easton
* Jimi Hendrix
* Tony Iommi
* Jimi Goodwin

     I'd also like to mention Roger Christian. He was a DJ in California who co-wrote dozens of surf rock classics, mainly for his knowledge of hot rod slang. His credits include "Little Deuce Coupe", "Little Old Lady From Pasendena" and "Dead Man's Curve" by Jan and Dean and several songs for Beach movies. There are other groups in my collection that use the surf guitar sound that I'd recommend to my kids; Midnight Oil, B52's, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. Shadowy Men... are a band who are famous for the theme song (Having an Average Weekend) to Kids in the Hall. If you've never checked them out and like surf guitar do yourself a favor.
     Alright, confession time again. I like early Beach Boys, but I've never listened to Pet Sounds and have no interest in all the machinations of Smile. Some day I'll get Pet Sounds just because I feel dumb for never having listened to it and half the albums I love are compared to it by critics. Also, awhile back I said I was going to do a segment about what's playing in my car, then I dropped the ball. Right now, I have Black Sabbath Black Sabbath, T Rex Electric Warrior and Doobie Brothers Greatest Hits. Kickin' it Old School. Peace.