Search - Belairs :: Volcanic Action

Hot Surf Group That Broke Up WAY Too Soon!

K. Brown | Walnut, Ca USA | 10/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those familiar with such great tunes like "Mr Moto," "Kamikaze," and "Bedlam," well...The Bel-Airs is the group to thank & salute! Some surf instrumental critics regard the Bel-Airs as one of the most important groups of the early surf guitar era, and this album is the prime example. In my opinion, these So-Cal Cats really put a large piece of the heart and soul of surf music. My only beef about many surf groups is the over reliance on cover versions of other surf hits and TV/Movie theme songs. "Volcanic Action" is one of those surf albums that has the perfect blend of original music and covers. Eddie Bertrand, Richard Delvy and especially Paul Johnson wrote the majority of the original songs, and the covers of Del Shannon's "Runaway" and Dick Dale's "Let's Go Tripping" are the most recognizable covers.The only sad story about The Bel-Airs is that key members broke up too soon over, of all things, a money squabbble between Richard Delvy and another band member's parents. (See kids, Mom & Dad may not ALWAYS be right!) Delvy went on to form the great surf group The Challengers, while Paul Johnson stuck with several incarnations of The Bel-Airs. While The Challengers were one of surf music's finest groups, they definitely did not retain the sweet exotic soul that The Bel-Airs created!Get this CD before it goes out of print and into the vaults again. One of surfin's finest works ever!"