One may question whether surf music has ever been forgotten, – from an instrumental standpoint, at least – as the genre still thrives in the US, and elsewhere besides. Taking us back to 1957, however, Crowley chronologically details the many musical reference points, though post-1971 surf music is shoehorned into the book’s final 35 pages, somewhat shortchanging the fine latter-day twang bands.
Most surf fans fall either into the instrumental or vocal camp and, in most assessments, the two are kept rigidly separate – especially by the original guitar band fans who viewed The Beach Boys et al as newbie upstarts ruining their scene. This book attempts to unite them by dint of friendships, overlapping stories and the general workings of the music business; and it succeeds to a reasonable extent. The early sections are welcome for those unfamiliar with the Californian hotspots, as the author gives central importance to studios such as Gold Star and venues the likes of the Rendezvous Ballroom, near Balboa Pier, with the latter pictured in an overhead photo including its immediate surroundings. Interviews with many of the original and later surf musicians and scenemakers make Surf Beat an attractive overview for nonspecialists, while hardcore fans will also find it an interesting read.
