| This LP includes the Ventures' "Surfin' and Spyin'," plus a couple of surf vocals of note, like Rodney (Bingenheimer) and the Brunettes "Little GTO" / "Surfin' Safari" and Annette (Funacello) and Frankie (Avalon) and the Ventures' "The Night Before Christmas," the coolest of the two. Frankie and Annette just sort of narrate over a Ventures track. The Peanut Butter Queen, the Hair Helmet, and the Barely Ambulatory Chameleons conspired to bring this strangeness to us. I think they should have called it "The Nightmare Before Christmas". Actually, while there is little serious or "credible" surf from these folks, I have great respect for Frankie and Annette because they have never taken themselves seriously, even making an entire film parodying themselves (Back To The Beach), and the Ventures, because their uncanny ability to change into whatever style is in vogue and stand motionless on stage and still sell millions of records is otherwise unheard-of. |