Child Molesters - Surfing With The Child Molesters

(Sympathy For The Record Industry, 1994)

Awright, here’s one I’m not too crazy about. “Pray For Surf” is a twangy midtempo surf number laced with mildly dirty double entendres (spoken not sung) that fail to bust any guts on the strength of delivery or wit. It’s a snoozer, a groaner. Why the label decided to pluck this weakling from the so-so Legendary Brown Album LP – a record whose recording date, like that of this single, is unclear – and release it as a 7” is a mystery for the ages… thing just doesn’t do right by the Child Molester legacy. Nor does the exclusive cover of “Muscle Beach Party” on the B; while it’s entertaining to hear the band take on those high backing vocals, the recording is respectful enough of the saccharine original to effectively reduce the group to a bunch of competent hacks fronted by a guy who sings in a funny voice. None of the confrontational verve or expectations-trashing musical creativity of which the Child Molesters were quite capable is in evidence on “Surfing With,” and it’s fair to wonder if this is the sound of the barrel being scraped. Skip ’er.