Surfin' U.S.A.

Surfin' U.S.A. is the second album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released March 25, 1963 on Capitol Records. It reached number two in the US, lasting 78 weeks on the Billboard album chart, eventually being certified gold by the RIAA, and brought the group newfound national success. At the end of the year it was listed by Billboard as the biggest-selling rock'n'roll album of 1963, and went on to sell an estimated two million-plus worldwide at a time when it was rare for l.p.s to sell even a million. It was led by one single, its title track with the B-side "Shut Down". In the United Kingdom, the album was belatedly released in late 1965, reaching number 17.

For the album's title track, see Surfin' U.S.A. (song).
Surfin' U.S.A.
Studio album by
the Beach Boys
ReleasedMarch 25, 1963
RecordedJune 13, 1962; January 5 – February 12 1963
StudioCapitol Studios and United Western Recorders, Hollywood
GenreSurf rock[1]
Length24:15
LabelCapitol
ProducerNick Venet
The Beach Boys chronology
Surfin' Safari
(1962)		 Surfin' U.S.A.
(1963)		 Surfer Girl
(1963)
The Beach Boys UK chronology
All Summer Long
(1965)		 Surfin' U.S.A.
(1965)		 Little Deuce Coupe
(1965)
Singles from Surfin' U.S.A.
  1. "Surfin' U.S.A." / "Shut Down"
    Released: March 4, 1963

The majority of the album's recording commenced in the first week of 1963, three months after the release of Surfin' Safari. Like the group's debut album, production was credited ostensibly to Capitol's representative for Artists and Repertoire, Nick Venet, although bandleader Brian Wilson was heavily involved in the album's composition. The album marks the beginning of his practice to doubletrack vocals, resulting in a fuller sound.[2]

Background

In 1990, Brian Wilson reflected on Surfin' U.S.A. in liner notes which accompanied its first CD issue:

By the time I got to the album, Surfin’ USA, I was more experienced at producing. The album Surfin' Safari was practice for me. ... This album showcased our voices. We were just kids, but we were serious about our craft. The point being that when you are given the chance, you do your best. ... I think that I was a good coach for the boys. I didn’t like second-rate vocals. It was either the best or nothin’, in my opinion. The boys picked up. We had a good understanding between us and I was their leader. We got it done relatively fast in the studio. ... On this album, we had gotten into a fast pace: almost athletic in nature. It was because "Surfin’ USA" was such a smash hit on the radio. It was the big time for us. ... Production-wise, this album was an early Brian Wilson production.[3]

Reception
Professional ratings
Retrospective reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Blender[4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]

In a retrospective review, Richie Unterberger wrote: "The album as a whole is the best they would make, prior to the late '60s, as a band that played most of their instruments, rather than as a vehicle for Brian Wilson's ideas. The LP was a huge hit, vital to launching surf music as a national craze, and one of the few truly strong records to be recorded by a self-contained American rock band prior to the British Invasion."[1] Author Luis Sanchez summarized the album's impact on culture and the image it established for the Beach Boys:

If Surfin' U.S.A. didn't literally transform America into an endless beach, it added vivid dimension to California mythos and took it further than anyone would have thought. You could call The Beach Boys’ version of Southern California cutesy or callow or whatever, but what matters is that it captured a lack of self-consciousness—a genuineness—that set them apart from their peers. And it was this quality that came to define Brian’s oeuvre as he moved beyond and into bigger pop productions that would culminate in Smile.[7]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalLength
1."Surfin' U.S.A."
Mike Love2:27
2."Farmer's Daughter"
  • B. Wilson
  • Love
B. Wilson1:49
3."Misirlou"
instrumental2:03
4."Stoked"B. Wilsoninstrumental1:59
5."Lonely Sea"
B. Wilson2:21
6."Shut Down"
Love1:49
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalLength
1."Noble Surfer"
  • B. Wilson
  • Love
Love1:51
2."Honky Tonk"
instrumental2:01
3."Lana"B. WilsonB. Wilson1:39
4."Surf Jam"Carl Wilsoninstrumental2:10
5."Let's Go Trippin'"Dick Daleinstrumental1:57
6."Finders Keepers"
  • B. Wilson
  • Love
Love1:38
1990/2001 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalLength
13."Cindy, Oh Cindy"
B. Wilson2:10
14."The Baker Man"B. WilsonB. Wilson2:37
15."Land Ahoy"B. WilsonLove1:38

Notes

  • Mike Love was not originally credited for any of the tracks on the album. His credits for "Farmer's Daughter", "Noble Surfer", and "Finders Keepers" were awarded after a 1994 court case.[8]
  • Some later reissues of the album omit "Stoked" and "Surf Jam".[8]

Charts
Albums
Year Chart Position
1963 US Billboard 200 Albums Chart[9] 2
1965 UK Top 40 Album Chart[10] 17
Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1963 "Surfin' U.S.A." US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart 3
1963 "Shut Down" US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart 23

References

Citations

  1. Allmusic review
  2. Trynka & Bacon 1996, p. 126.
  3. Leaf, David (1990). Surfin Safari / Surfin U.S.A. (CD Liner). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records.
  4. Wolk, Douglas (October 2004). "The Beach Boys Surfin Safari/Surfin U.S.A.". Blender. Archived from the original on June 30, 2006. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  5. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). London: Oxford University Press. p. 479. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
  6. Brackett, Nathan; with Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York, NY: Fireside/Simon & Schuster. p. 46. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  7. Sanchez 2014, p. 32.
  8. Doe, Andrew G. "Album Archive". Bellagio 10452. Endless Summer Quarterly.
  9. "Surfin' U.S.A. - The Beach Boys: Awards". AllMusic.
  10. "UK Top 40 Hit Database". EveryHit.

Sources

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