Good Album, but mainly for CHALLENGERS fans!
K. Brown | Walnut, Ca USA | 09/16/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a good surf music album, in fact, one of the better of the non-compilation albums of surf groups/music. That said, if you were going to pick up just one Challengers CD, their "Killer Surf...Best Of" is the one to get. If you have the "Best Of" and enjoy The Challengers enough for more, then this is a MUST for your collection, especially since several of the songs on "Killer Surf" (Kami-Kaze, Mr. Moto)have different takes here that are well worth giving a listen to. There is an interesting take on "Miserlou," and the "Vampire" rocks! This is an essential CD if you are a Challengers fan, or if you are morphing from casual surf music fan into intense surf music fanatico!"
The Beat Of The Surf
Avram Jarek Fawcett | crapland | 07/29/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Surfbeat was the first all instrumental surf album, and has become the best selling surf album of all time. Of course, with surf music somewhat dead, this doesn't mean much to most. But in 1963, it was big news. The Challengers were a great success story, a local group that made it big. They were born out of the Bel-Airs. The only emmbers who aren't the Bel-Airs are guitarists Glenn Grey & Don Landis, and saxophonist Nick Hefner. The album is a collection of songs that form the fabric of surf music's roots. The Fireball's "Bulldog" opens the album with twangy reverb glory. Dick Dale's early classics "Let's Go Trippin" (featuring a cool organ solo by Jim Roberts) and "Miserlou." The Beach Boys hit "Surfin' Safari" get's the instrumental treatment with a sax lead. The Sentinals' haunting "Latin'ia" also shows up. Daune Eddy's "Ramrod" rocks with boogie woogie funk and hot organ. They even do a great cover of The Bel-Airs hit "Mr. Moto," one of surf's all time best songs. Strangely, two Bel-Air recordings are on the album, showing the closeness of the Challengers and the other group. "Kami-Kaze" and "Vampire," the latter an eerie blues-surf number that is actually one of the best tracks. Over all the album is indeed deserving of it's high place in the Surf Music Hall of Fame. And The Challengers remain one of surf's finest groups. (The 1994 Sundazed CD has two bonus tracks. "Penetration's" pretty good, and "Surfbeat's" alright.)"
I'm gonna take you surfin' with me
Johnny Heering | Bethel, CT United States | 02/26/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is the first album by prolific surf music band the Challengers. Not only is it the Challengers first album, it is also the first all-instumental surf album ever. (Dick Dale had released a surf album before this, but it contained a few vocal songs). On this album, the Challengers play excellent cover versions of popular instrumentals of the time period. Some of the artists covered more than once here are: the Fireballs, Dick Dale, Duane Eddy and the Bel-Airs. It's interesting to note that the Challengers were lead by Richard Delvy, the drummer from the Bel-Airs. He formed the Challengers after the Bel-Airs broke up. This album is a lot of fun, and I would recommend it to all surf music fans."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1