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Various - Jesus Christ Surferstar
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 This is an exact track-by-track duplicate of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic “Jesus Christ Superstar.” The only thing that is the same is the title of each song, so keep that in mind. The first thing that grabs you about this 2-disc set is the eye-popping cover, secondly is the title “Jesus Christ Suferstar.” Some folks in a Christian mindset may not take too kindly to all of this, just as I am sure many did when the original soundtrack released back in 1971. Take heart my friends; it is all for the good of your spirit.
A myriad of artists and musical styles are showcased in this collection, from veteran surf-instro artists like Susan and the Surftones, Hypnotic V and Three Piece Suit, to names you may not notice so readily such as the Atomic Mosquitos and the Lava Rats. That is what makes this compilation such a good opportunity for so many bands that would otherwise not get exposure on such a worldly level.
The very first song is by a band called Daikaiju, and they fittingly begin the set with passion and verve, taking on “Overture” as if it was their mission in life to do so. It kicks things off in a way I did not expect. I find it difficult to put into words what I heard. Surf-rock with a futuristic twist is the best way to describe it; actually, it was unlike anything I have ever heard before from the surf-instro realm. It is very cool and quite different. I was very pleased with the progressive take on the style (which normally is very basic), and hope that the genre will be heading in that direction more. If the song was an indication of growth or the birth of a sub-genre, we have reason to be excited. After that song you get pretty much what you would expect… surf-rock-instro and some vocal tracks with garage sounds to back it all up. A variety of tracks keeps your interest, which can be a challenge on an assemblage with so many tracks.
Although all of this music is great, there are areas that could use some improvement with this package. OmOm really needs some organization and structure with their presentations. The artwork is always good on their covers but the layouts on the inner sleeves need a lot of work. It is all far too busy and confusing to the human eye. The fact that the tracks are not numbered makes it difficult to distinguish between each disc, adding to the disarray. It would have been more palatable if all that information was in a booklet and the inner sleeve was dedicated to artwork and production credits. All of this is basic attention to detail that should come as second nature when preparing such a comprehensive collection of music. All the players and talent are available so the next step should be the important details. If these aspects can change, the label will fair much better from a marketing standpoint. Other than that, this is a great collection of tunes that I plan to have playing in the backyard this summer while barbequing and swimming with the kids!
© Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck |
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