Music Review
Surfers surprisingly superb
Campus Times
November 13, 1998
Initial reaction to seeing basketball star Dennis Rodman or singer Jon
Bon Jovi on the big screen is laughter. Same goes for actors making a crack
at singing. So, what other response is expected toward three professional
surfers producing an album?
The new band The Surfers prove, with their debut album "Songs From
The Pipe," that they were not just using the name-to-fame approach
in signing a deal with Epic Records.
Kelly Slater, five-time world champion surfer; Rob Machado, who finished
second in 1997 and is known for his beautiful sense of style in the water;
and Peter King, retired surfer working on surf films and videos and producer
of MTV programs such as "Sand Blast" and "MTV Sports"
make up the Surfers.
These three longtime friends and fellow professionals began with periodic
jam sessions and gigs at house parties. Each winter, they would gather at
Pipeline on Hawaii's North Shore to celebrate the sport and culture that
binds them together-surfing.
"Songs From The Pipe," produced by T-Bone Burnett, is mellow
and relaxing and conjures up images of white sand beaches on a tropical
island.
The lyrics, all written by the artists, could only have been created
during moments of pondering life's most unanswerable questions. They are
accompanied by smooth, soft, harmonic tunes that the artists must have produced
in Waikiki while hula dancers swayed to it.
Attributed to the release, Slater said "The album is very different
from anything out right now in that it's mellow even in the faster songs.
I think people were expecting punk rock or something, but we decided to
go the other way."
Bringing their act on the road with a successful national tour this
summer, the Surfers opened for Pearl Jam and Rancid.
Look for their debut album in local music stores.
