eddiekatcher wrote:

Hey, Hey, I just figured this all out.......The real reason that you guys all hate those classic first wave tunes is that you're frankly damn jealous that you couldn't turn out a timeless masterpiece like Pipeline, Mr Moto, or Baja. Those pioneers (some only fifteen years old or so) had no one to listen to but the other surf bands playing in a garage down the street or at a high school dance. They brought the colors to the palette and we, forty plus years later are for the most part, still painting with them.

I for one respect and admire them all.

Respectfully,

Edward J Katcher, Old Dude

Much as I am tired of 'Wipe Out' (mostly cause I'm tired of being asked to play it, knowing there's no drummer worthy of it ) I have to say to Mr. Katcher.... DITTO THAT, FRIEND. I totally agree.

Louie Seven, Old Dude

This thread pretty much died out a couple of years ago, but being new to the site, and just finding again my 45+ year plus old connection to surf it caught me eye and brought some thoughts to mind.

Some of the stuff some here dislike I am entirely unfamiliar with. My surf knowledge is almost totally limited to what I heard when a very unsophisticated just-into-my-teens.

Thus things like Pipeline and Wipeout are key. And hearing them (or again playing them) is for me a blast.

But that said, and giving it even a little thought, I can understand the reactions to them among true surf cognoscenti. Lets face it - they were teen tunes. A 'groovy' hook that ingrained itself in kid's minds -- something that a good hook is supposed to do! But they were little more. They couldn't be! Not in the days of disc jockeys who'd listen to the first ten seconds of a new record and in those few seconds give it a put it on the platter, or put it in the trash decision. Those guys knew what their audience liked -- and that it was unsophisticated -- and that was that.

Later in life, if we continue with an interest (any interest) we begin to see and judge by different standards. Not necessarily better standards, if you'll allow, just different.

In this surf is somewhat like other shredding styles of guitar music. What grabs fans is no longer anything as trite as a simple melody or hook, but mind-blowing technique.

One can compare it to sex. To a 14 year old just getting a chance to "do it" is enough. And expectation beyond the standard length of a 50s radio hit -- 2 min 20 seconds max -- well, its just impossible. (perhaps embarrassingly so if you remember back) The really good stuff you learn later. But sometimes (alas) the love is gone and we find ourselves looking for new kicks -- things that would have not only not appealed to us as an early teen, but perhaps even grossed us out.

Hope I'm not grossing anyone out with this comparison!

To me who has been there and done that with so much in life the appeal of simplicity is great. I spend hours trying to understand what Bach did in the Goldberg Variations. Surf guitar to me is presently the other end of the spectrum.

A few months back I bought a bunch of the Ventures albums that I loved as a young teen and my first reaction was "ugh." But here's a funny thing. Instead of simply stopping there I kind of forced myself to listen to them while I was doing chores -- things like stacking firewood or sweeping floors. Brain dead time. And you know what, the grooves caught me again. Enough at least for me to remember why I once was so ga gah over them.

"If I can just play Walk Don't Run" that'll be enough for me!" I said that at age, what, thirteen? But then my eyes and ears opened to yet greater possibilities. I expect the same will happen to me again. Now... to the 76 Twin Reverb I just had restored and that shiny new Surf Green `50s Strat...

Still rockin' after all these years!

Last edited: Mar 10, 2014 08:19:09

For me personally, I respect all surf tunes for what they are. They are a product of their time period, which I really wish I could have been old enough to have been a part of. I don't really hate any of them, though I definitely like some a lot more than others.

What I don't care for is how radio, movies, and TV have always treated surf - it's like they only know the most well-known of the well-known songs and they use them to invoke a certain "theme" or "feeling" in a scene, etc. So people only associate with those particular songs and unless they are really interested in delving deeper into the genre, they probably think all surf sounds just like "Miserlou", "Wipeout", etc.

It's kind of funny that when I refer to surf guitar music in conversation with non-musicians that I know, they have no idea what I am even talking about...until I say "Ever see Pulp Fiction?"...then boing! The light bulb goes on.

Oh and by the way...I know "Surfin Bird" is completely stupid, but that's exactly why I like it.

Last edited: Jan 20, 2016 19:28:26

I could not agree more.

Duceditor wrote:

Thus things like Pipeline and Wipeout are key. And hearing them (or again playing them) is for me a blast.

I can understand the reactions to them among true surf cognoscenti. Lets face it - they were teen tunes. A 'groovy' hook that ingrained itself in kid's minds -- something that a good hook is supposed to do! But they were little more. They couldn't be!

To me who has been there and done that with so much in life the appeal of simplicity is great. I spend hours trying to understand what Bach did in the Goldberg Variations. Surf guitar to me is presently the other end of the spectrum.

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Any song with 1 chord and a periodic shout.

Telstar

Chris

Wipeout isn't a song.

Telestar.

IMHO - Most overrated is the realllyyyy slooowwww ones. Prefer fast moving surf songs like being on the edge as you surf. ( having never surfed this is all conjecture...lol)

I am not obsolete, I am RETRO....

I don't feel any of the the songs listed are "over rated". I think it should be what you think is most over played.
And most of these have been over played due to being great songs.

There are several that I choose to skip but being a newcomer to surf I have no place in saying something is overrated.

On the NSSR top 101 classic ratings, there are a number of them that I just shrug and think "yeah, why is this one rated higher than that one?".

As time goes on, I get a new appreciation of tunes/groups that I didn't rate before. Such is life for a new guy when mining the first wave.

Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada