Surfers' Pajama Party – Bruce Johnston

This is truly one of the great, unheralded raw rock & roll live albums of all time. The rockin' contents cannot be denied. Working with a pickup band of more enthusiasm than accuracy while pounding the daylights out of a distorted Wurlitzer electric piano (think of Ray Charles' intro on "What'd I Say" off a 45 that's been played about a million times, and you're beginning to get the idea), Beach Boy of the future Bruce Johnston lays it down rough and rockin' for the UCLA college kiddies with a shake-'em-down spirit that's hard to ignore. The set list is a frat-party classic with versions of "What'd I Say," "Kansas City," "Surfer's Stomp," "Ramrod," "Green Onions," and "There's Something on Your Mind" being counted up in the noisy mix. With vocals going on and off mic, an occasional sax section darting in and out, a reverb-soaked lead guitar, and a hyperactive drummer, this is bare-bones Saturday-night rock & roll from the post-twist, pre-Beatles era, a period seldom documented with this much abandon. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide