Surf/Zappa or Zappa/Surf ?????????? Who Cares, It's Great

Lemme Take You To The Beach

2004

This album has almost everything I could ever want. Surf And Zappa. All it would need is a big fat-assed Tiki on the cover! Pure heaven (en Regalia).

Don't let the sand get in your panties!
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Review
by Sean Westergaard
Lemme Take You to the Beach is a lovingly assembled tribute to Frank Zappa put together by the folks on the Cowabunga Internet mailing list. This collection works on so many levels it's almost ridiculous, from the tunes themselves to the perfectly parodied cover art. As hardcore Zappa fans know, he was involved in producing a number of surf and novelty singles before the Mothers were formed (compiled on the Cucamonga compilation), and surfy elements continued to surface in some of the early Mothers work. Many of the Mothers' early songs could easily be arranged as surf instros, but some of the participants really got creative with the project and went for some unexpected song choices. Tracks like "Lumpy Gravy" and "The Orange County Lumber Truck" or the songs from Cruising With Ruben & the Jets would seem like obvious choices, but who would have ever thought "Jewish Princess" or "We Are Not Alone" would work in this context? (They do!!) "Aybe Sea" is another interesting choice that comes off really well, and what surf band in its right mind would even think of attempting "G-Spot Tornado"?? Well, the answer is the Invisible Birds, and they do a great job with it. "Baby Snakes" is utterly transformed by Don's Mobile Barbers by slowing it way down and putting it in a minor key. "Zoot Allures" isn't a surf tune, and it isn't treated as one here, but the Foolz sure do a nice job with it. "Peaches en Regalia" is also very well done, as is the version of "King Kong," with some monstrous fuzz bass and Dada madness at the end. "You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here" slips inexplicably into Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" for a moment, but it's a moment Frank probably would have found pretty amusing (Zappa's own work was rife with stolen musical quotes). The title track is the only one with any vocals to speak of, but its inclusion was almost mandatory given the project. Lemme Take You to the Beach is a fun record that would be great for fans of that surfy sound who are looking for something a little more adventurous than "Wipe Out," and it will certainly please Zappa fans. Well done.

1 An Introduction Phil Dirt
2 Lumpy Gravy Spoilers
3 Let's Make the Water Turn Black Atomic Mosquitos
4 The Orange County Lumber Truck Fudge
5 Letter from Jeepers Estrume'n'tal
6 Memories of el Monte Bitch Boys
7 Jewish Princess Sr. Bikini
8 G-Spot Tornado Invisible Birds
9 Baby Snakes Don's Mobile Barbers
10 We Are Not Alone Concaves
11 Zoot Allures Foolz
12 I Ain't Got No Heart Green Windows
13 Love of My Life Muffinmates
14 Any Way the Wind Blows Diamondheads
15 I'm Not Satisfied Urban Surf Kings
16 You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here Test Tone Five
17 Lumpy Gravy Pavlov's Woody
18 Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance Corky Niedermayer
19 Aybe Sea Breakfastime
20 Peaches en Regalia Pollo Del Mar
21 Willie the Pimp Vivisectors
22 Mr. Green Genes Thurston Lava Tube
23 King Kong Wrong Object
24 Cruising for Burgers Moore, R. Stevie
25 The Air Our Flying Saucer
26 If We'd All Been Living in California...
27 Lemme Take You to the Beach Frankie And The Pool Boys

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