Track Listing

1. Surfin' Bird
2. King of the Surf
3. Henrietta
4. Misirlou
5. Malagueña
6. It's So Easy
7. Tube City
8. My Woodie
9. Bird Bath
10. Kuk
11. Money (That's What I Want)
12. Sleeper
13. Surfin' Bird [Demo Version]
14. Bird Dance Beat [Demo Version]
15. Walkin' My Baby
16. Dancin' with Santa

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13276 in Music
• Released on: 1995-06-26
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered

Album Description
1995 reissue on Sundazed of the surf act's classic 1964 album for the Garrett label. Features the top five title smash, the original cover art and 4 bonus tracks - demo versions of 'Surfin' Bird' & their other chart hit, the top 30 'Bird Dance Beat', plus the rare single sides 'Walkin' My Baby' & 'Dancin' With Santa'.

Amazon.com
Although there's no shortage of Trashmen records out there (a 4 CD box set, a live album, outtakes), and none of it's waste product, this expanded version of the Minnesota surf gonzos' 1964 debut (and only contemporary) album is the best way to find out if their trash is worth your cash. The song they're famous for, "Surfin' Bird," is a frat/surf novelty classic that makes "Louie Louie" sound like "Go Away Little Girl." Two West Coast R&B novelties by the Rivingtons, "Papa Oo Mow Mow Mow" and "The Bird's the Word," are knitted together by a pulsing Midwest surf beat, with a harsh monotone vocal giving way at strategic moments to some of the most graphic sounds of regurgitation ever recorded.

If this sounds appealing (and there's no earthly reason it shouldn't), there are more delights within, although only "Bird Bath" attempts (unsuccessfully) to match the hit. You get some nicely executed surf instrumentals, slightly surf-inflected covers of "It's So Easy" and "Money," and some especially commissioned (from a friend of the band) surf and hotrod songs crammed full of period jargon. Bonus tracks include a demo of "Surfin' Bird"'s too-close-for-comfort followup, "Bird Dance Beat," and a sweetly goofy Christmas single that has Santa and his reindeer doing the Watusi with Peggy Sue, Short Fat Fannie, and other regular partygoers of the era. --Ken Barnes

Customer Reviews

Don't You Know About The Bird??
The Trashmen will never be able to let down the song Surfin' Bird(and most folks know the song but don't know the group that sings it), and will be forever associated with that song, but the rest of their work shouldn't be ignored. Thanks to the good folks at Sundazed and curious old school surf rock fans like myself, they won't be totally forgotten. Surfin' Bird is a great piece of early 60s rock. The Trashmen are lumped into the surf rock category, which they do belong in, but alot of these songs are vocal tunes. Only a very few instrumental surf songs to be found here, but don't let that discourage you. The vocal tunes take a little warming up to, but you'll find your happyass singing along with them in no time. Great stuff from a great time in rock and roll history when lyrics were just about good clean wholesome fun. And if you dig this stuff, these guys got a big ol' boxset available. Dig!

MUST...HAVE...THIS...SEE-DEE...
FEATURES THEE MOST ROCKNROLL SONG OF ALL GEE-DEE TIME: "SURFIN' BIRD". MIDWEST MASTERS OF TEEN-AGED TRASH.

Trashmen - 'Surfin' Bird' (Sundazed)
Originally released in 1964, looks to be the surf rock band's very first album. I've heard of the Trashmen plenty of times over the last umteen years but this was the first CD of theirs I got to check out for myself. They've obviously influenced bands like the Cramps, Kingsmen and the Stray Cats. Tunes here that are sure to make you sit up and take notice are the title track "Surfin' Bird", "Henriette", Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy", the rocking "Kuk" and "Sleeper" (superb guitar licks). Line-up: Dan Winslow-guitar & vocals, Tony Anderson-guitar, Bob Reed-bass and Steve Wahrer-drums. Should appeal to fans of The Sonics, Standells, Tornadoes and Count Five. Essential.