Rich here, pondering what particular songs might be said to define the whole genre they represent, and as we reach the end of Summer, I've been thinking about Surf Music.
Well before the Beach Boys started singing songs about surf and beach girls, a vibrant Surf Culture already existed in Southern California, and local instrumental bands were popular entertainers at their parties. But when one accomplished guitarist -- Dick Dale, himself a surfer -- started exploring the idea of what it might mean if he could recreate the Wet sounds of the ocean and the Roar of the waves on his electric guitar, he destroyed many amplifiers by pushing them beyond their limits. His playing caused such a sensation among the crowd that they began referring to Dick as "The King of the Surf Guitar."
Dick Dale is most well known for his unique cover of a traditional
Middle Eastern folk tune, "Miserlou." And while there were certainly
bigger surf guitar hits -- "Pipeline," "Walk-Don't Run," and "Wipe Out"
all come to mind -- nearly everyone recognizes the distinctive
introduction to "Miserlou," a staccato burst that has been featured in
countless movies and commercials. "Miserlou" is the song in which Dick
Dale singlehandedly invented the template for Surf Guitar:
lightning-quick double-picked guitar lines, an arrangement drenched in
amplified reverberation, and occasional hints of south-of-the-border
chord progressions and harmonies. Other records may have been bigger
hits, but "Miserlou" was the one all the others followed in its wake.
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