The Beach Store

The early recordings that form the core of Surfin' -- eight songs recorded by the Beach Boys prior to their signing to Capitol Records -- have been endlessly recycled over the years in countless cheap, cruddy-sounding packages. This edition is by far the classiest, with improved sound quality, packaging, and annotation, as well as some rare bonus tracks by the Tri-Five and the Four Speeds, all featuring contributions from the pre-stardom Brian Wilson. The album's calling card is the band's debut indie-label hit "Surfin'," plus embryonic versions of their later smashes "Surfin' Safari" and "Surfer Girl," along with some forgettable but historically interesting throwaway material. The songs, and the young band's performances, are unpolished to say the least, but Surfin' nonetheless offers a unique insight into the early stirrings of an act that would soon rewrite pop-music history.