This is not just a track-by-track duplicate of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic Jesus Christ Superstar. The title of each song may be the same, but the interpretation is refreshingly unique. The first thing that grabs you about this 2-disc set is the eye-popping cover; the second is the title Jesus Christ Surferstar.
Some folks in a Christian mindset may not take this too kindly, just as I am sure many did when the original soundtrack was released in 1971. Take heart, my friends; it is all for the good of your spirit.
This
collection showcases a myriad of artists and musical styles, 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. This diverse lineup offers a good opportunity for these bands
and enriches the listening experience with various sounds and styles.
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; it was unlike anything I have ever heard from the surf-instro realm. It is very cool
and quite different. I was very pleased with the progressive take on the style, and I
hope the genre will be heading in that direction more. If the song indicated growth or the birth of a sub-genre, we
have reason to be excited. After that song, you get what
you would expect… surf-rock-instro and some vocal tracks with a garage
sound to back it all up. Various tracks
keep your interest, which can be challenging when assembling many
tracks.
Although
this music is excellent, some areas
could improve with this package. OmOm needs some organization and structure in its
presentations. The artwork on their
covers is always good, 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 challenging 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.
This essential attention to
detail should come as second nature when preparing such a comprehensive music collection. The next step should be the
critical details of all the players and talent available. If these aspects can
change, the label will fare much better
from a marketing standpoint. Other than
that, this is an excellent collection
of tunes that I plan to have playing in the backyard this summer while barbequing and
swimming with the kids!
Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
April 4, 2003
