Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA The Beach Boys - Instrumental Hits
 | Most of the tracks here were intended as instrumentals, generally from the first couple of years of the band's existence. Some seem like they might have been intended as backtracks or were barely developed. |
Picks: Moondawg, Misirlou, Stoked, Honky Tonk, Surf Jam, Let's Go Trippin', The Rocking Surfer, Boogie Woodie, After The Game, Shut Down, Part II, Denny's Drums, Carl's Big Chance, Let's Go Trippin', Summer Means New Love, Let's Go Away For A While, Pet Sounds, Fall Breaks and Back To Winter, Passing By, Diamond Head, The Nearest Faraway Place
Track by Track Review
Garage Rock (Instrumental)
This song require either high intensity performance, or extreme precision displayed pristinely. Neither are here. It's a tepid rendering of the Derry Weaver composition from the Gamblers sessions. It's not bad. In fact, it's listenable, and even enjoyable, but you won't miss it if you don't own it.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is an extremely dry, light weight, sloppy metered, and an almost energy free rendering. The performance does not inspire, and is placid. It's not bad, it's just free of the expected excitement of this song in the surf idiom. The inconsistent meter and pick attack really stand out.
Surf (Instrumental)
This track sports is a nice progression, and a simple melody line. It's mostly rhythmic, and sounds like the studio required them to "play quietly," as was the standard of the day among the white lab-coat boys. "Stoked" is perhaps the Beach Boys best original instro.
R&B (Instrumental)
Uninspired rendering of the Bill Doggett classic R&B groove instro. Clean, but not very interesting.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is probably the most energetic of the Beach Boys instro sessions. It is mostly a jam, as the title suggests, but it is infectious and fun. The rhythmic chunk carries it off.
Surf (Instrumental)
A tepid performance and a thin guitar sound add up to a so-so track. No flair, and little to set it apart from the sea of covers.
The Rocking Surfer Frat House (Instrumental)
This organ based jam accented but thin guitar is less than interesting and bears little resemblance to anything surf. It's more filler material than anything else.
Boogie Woogie (Instrumental)
This is actually pretty nice neighborhood band boogie woogie jam, but as a surf track, it has no merit at all. The piano work is cool, but beyond that, unless you're looking for a frat party dance number, you won't miss it.
Last Dance Surf (Instrumental)
"After The Game" is a slow dance number, perhaps originally intended as a vocal. The mono sound and simplicity suggest it was either an outtake or demo, or perhaps a developmental song.
Surf (Instrumental)
Lightweight surf instro from the heralders of pop surf syrup. The instrumental work is about like on "Karate" or "Stoked," relatively in inspired. The "stereo" seems like it's more or less artificial, though it's not.
Denny's Drums Drum Solo (Instrumental)
Just what the title implies - Dennis plays the drums. He's no Sandy Nelson.
Surf (Instrumental)
the relentless progression "borrowed" from Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee" eventually gets a semi-blues jam lead over the top. Totally forgettable.
Surf (Instrumental)
The deal is, by the time this live take was cut, the Beach Boys had learned to play pretty well, and their performance here has quite a bit of chemistry. Rockin' fun for sure.
Summer Means New Love MOR (Instrumental)
Sea shore MOR emotes from the shimmer of the vibrato. "Summer Means New Love" is pretty, but has little character.
Let's Go Away For A While MOR (Instrumental)
Vibes, orchestration, and one has to wonder if any Beach Boys were at the session, or if "Let's Go Away For A While" is just a Brian Wilson concoction. Not interesting.
Pet Sounds MOR (Instrumental)
Backtrack with effected guitar melody overdubbed. In a strange sorta way, the MOR sensibilities here are tweaked just a bit by the guitar in the same way that Buddy Merrill would have done it.
Fall Breaks and Back To Winter Strangitudinal (Instrumental)
Dark in a disturbed kind of way, like what samplers do today. Analog-electro strangitude.
Passing By MOR (Instrumental)
This must be aaa backtrack. There's no focus without the lead vocal line, and the chorus vocals are just too Anita Kerr!
Diamond Head MOR Exotica (Instrumental)
Don't get your hopes up. This is NOT the Danny Hamilton song. Tropical rains and gurgling shore break, Hawaiian guitar. Exotica without the charm or emotion. It never gets going.
The Nearest Faraway Place MOR (Instrumental)
Beautiful piano bar keyboard work opens "The Nearest Faraway Place," and a shimmering vibrato electric keyboard carries the melody. Over dramatic and lush.