What is it about Surf Music, anyway?

[Veenture]

Well, it looks like I just defined surf music, but I base my definition on what DD himself stated: "Surf music captures the moods and power of the ocean." I'll go with that. For me, if that is the intent of your music, then it is surf music. ...//...Anyway, just a few thoughts from another surf music Schmoe.

Excellent review of how you see Surf Music Trent, you deserve a gold star, dude!

[ElTwang]

......and space

[Strat-o-rama]

You know, I thought about MOAM. They definitely are surfy sounding, especially the earlier stuff, and they play Dick Dale covers. Brian is a member here, but don't think he checks in very often. I wonder if he would consider the band a surf band? I would think not, but that they play surf music....60s influenced instro rock from outer space...yea, that's it!

[ElTwang]

You know, I thought about MOAM. They definitely are surfy sounding, especially the earlier stuff, and they play Dick Dale covers. Brian is a member here, but don't think he checks in very often. I wonder if he would consider the band a surf band? I would think not, but that they play surf music....60s influenced instro rock from outer space...yea, that's it!

Exactly Strat-o-rama. So what is it about Surf Music, anyway? To me, MOAM, defined the surf/instro scene of the 90s. As well as Dutch band The Apemen.

[jfine]

Great thread!! I started playing guitar in '62, at the height of both the surf era and what Martin Mull has referred to as the Great Folk Scare. Surf music and rock 'n' roll generally were what drew me to the guitar, but I started out playing folk music because that's what my teacher knew. I remember trying to show my uncle how "Wipeout" went, all by myself on my little acoustic, trying to cover the drum fills and all the guitar licks all at once, and I'd probably been playing less than a year at that point--my poor uncle probably thought I was nuts! In my opinion, surf music is kind of a sub-genre of instrumental rock, characterized by bright twangy guitars, surf-related song titles, and a general feeling of riding the surf or at least, hanging out at the beach! At the risk of sounding like a Surf Nazi, I do feel that real surf music should be instrumental, but the Beach Boys did more to popularize it outside of California than the instrumental groups did. You can't even say it's got to have reverb--the Belairs didn't; Dick Dale did--it's all good! It kind of filled a function for me that heavy metal seems to fill for today's kids--it was loud, fast, exciting, I loved it, my parents hated it--what more could you ask?

[nategibson]

hey crew,
i just saw this thread,
and i've been thinking about surf music quite a bit lately
so i thought i'd throw a couple cents in as well...

to respond to haole jim's initial inquiry,
i think you are overlooking a great body of sports-related music...
first, the 5-volume jock jams (by espn) comes to mind...
(for which i am also fascinated by)
followed by the multi-volume jock rock
and then, sports jams...
(i also have 200+ songs documenting the history of NFL films music,
which i think is just as football as the astronauts are surf...)
while not all the jock jams songs (most, in fact)
are about specific sports,
i would contend that most surf songs
are not explicitly about surf...

just as much music called whatever the artist chose it to be called,
it is also defined by how other people use it...
surf music is used in surf films
and played at beaches
and used by advertisements to conjur images of the beach and surfing and vacation...
just as jock jams are played at sporting events
to stir the crowd into pandemonium...
thus, many bands who don't consider themselves surf,
still get lumped into that category...

in relation to the ventures,
it's interesting that a self-proclaimed non-surf band went to japan in '62
and a 'surf boom' otherwise known as eleki music was born...
pickers like yuzo kayama and takeshi tarauchi picked up the mosrite
and began pickin out instrumental rock music
and people took notice...
i have read that in early 60s a lot of people were carrying surf boards around japan
even when there weren't beaches within 50 miles...
though neither of the japanese artists remained solely in the surf realm,
they certainly did seem to cause a surge in surf music...

either way,
it's all good stuff and i'm glad they did it...
viva la surf!
viva la ventures!
viva la mosrite!
and viva la moam!

[rog43win]

I agree that "surf" music is guitar-driven, high reverb music that could never be interpreted with lyrics. The Ventures never considered themselves a Surf music band, but others put that label on them. Let's face it, "Walk-Don't Run", is not even close to surf music, but because of the reverb, the beat, and the strong guitar tones, it somehow got included as surf music...
I will say, though, that the Ventures Surfing album is a masterpiece....every song on that album makes you think you are right on the beach, near the waves, with the ocean, seagulls, surfers riding in......it is a genius album, and underrated, in my opinion.....
Also, the Chantays' "Pipeline", with that muted E-string run, had such a thick, full sound...and I love the electric piano on it.........and the Astronauts' "Baja" .....tons of reverb, simple melody, notes popping off the strings that were muted.....awesome surfing sound....
Lots of reverb, catchy melodies, and driving guitar sound are the reasons I love the instrumental bands I was in the best, with no distraction of a human voice.......pure guitar magic!

[Veenture]

Roger, my sentiments exactly! I'm a HUGE Ventures fan but nonetheless prefer the Chantays' "Pipeline" and the Astronauts' "Baja" to the Ventures' cover versions any day, however great also. I've got both tracks on my CD "Hard Rock Cafe -SURF" (1998)

Talkin' about "surf sound" (to me anyway) -just take a listen to The Ventures' "HOT LINE" tune on the Batman album; full of wet dripping 'tiki -tiki' reverbbbbb enjoyment and all the other ingredients you mentioned, as well. (sorry, I couldn't find it on YouTube, but perhaps Freddie's Dukebox, although in mono only...

http://jukebox.au.nu/instromania/instro ... man_theme/

Perhaps we could hold a poll for our favourite "surf" song(s), or sound. I've already stated 3 of my favs here

[rog43win]

hi Veenture.....I also prefer the original recording of "Baja" by the Astronauts, and "Pipeline" by the Chantays to the Ventures' cover of them.....but I think "Pipeline" as recorded on the Ventures' "Surfing" album is better than their live versions of it....same with "Slaughter on 10th Avenue"..the Ventures in Space album version is much better than the live on-stage version....
It's funny...I never thought about the Beachboys music as surf music, even though some of their songs refer to surfing......I just like the harmony and the sound of their instruments and have been a huge fan of the Beachboys too. To me, they portrayed a southern California lifestyle....beach, sun, cars, surf, girls..... at least, that's the image my brain conjured up, lol...
I remember when the Chantays' Pipeline came out. We had a garage band, not very good, and one of the guys said, you gotta hear this song! They make some kind of clicking sound....up til then, I don't remember any band using the hand-mute of the E string to get that sound, and eventually we figured out how they did it....lol....although we didn't have amps with the reverb back then. I read somewhere that the Chantays members aged from 13 to 18.....that is amazingly incredible! To come up with that melody, background, unique sound....still gotta be the surfing national anthem..........

[Veenture]

Man, we have the same tastes, but I have a sneakin' feeling we're not alone here