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For almost anyone who's interested enough in the First Class to own a record by them, this 21-track compilation should be enough. Summer Sound Sensations has songs from both of their albums, as well as some non-LP singles, no less than five cuts from their unreleased third album, and a previously unissued 1985 outtake, "Silver Surfer." The big 1974 hit "Beach Baby" is here, of course, and much of the rest of the material also sounds rather like a middle-of-the-road spin on the Beach Boys, with a bit of bubblegum pop and singer/songwriter fare thrown into the mix. There's also a peculiarly nostalgic cast to many of the songs, sometimes quite self-consciously looking back to better and more innocent times. Those who love the Beach Boys and California sunshine pop might appreciate the tribute-like emulation of that style, but the '70s slickness of the production and cutesiness of some of the lyrics can get icky. Who else but the First Class, for instance, could look back (as they do on "I Was a Star") on having sand kicked in their face with smiley face cheer, gamely grinning that singing along with records made such indignities bearable? Occasionally they opted for arty ambition, but efforts like "Bobby Dazzler," a sort of mini-story about a fading pop star, weren't going to rival Pete Townshend or Randy Newman's gifts for telling concise offbeat tales in song. Once in a while they escaped the Beach Boys bag entirely, getting into vaudeville rock on "Baby Blue" and muted blue-eyed soul at other points, but sub-Brian Wilson songwriting and production were never far from their thoughts.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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John Carter, Composer - First Class, Featured Vocalist - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1974 Sunny Records Ltd.
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1975 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1975 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1974 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1974 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer - Gill Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1974 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1974 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1974 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1976 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1975 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2001 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1976 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1975 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1976 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1976 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2001 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1996 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2001 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2001 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist - Gillian Shakespeare, Composer
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 1977 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
John Carter, Composer - Russell Alquist, Composer - The First Class, MainArtist
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2001 Peer-Southern Productions Ltd Peer-Southern Productions Ltd
Album review
For almost anyone who's interested enough in the First Class to own a record by them, this 21-track compilation should be enough. Summer Sound Sensations has songs from both of their albums, as well as some non-LP singles, no less than five cuts from their unreleased third album, and a previously unissued 1985 outtake, "Silver Surfer." The big 1974 hit "Beach Baby" is here, of course, and much of the rest of the material also sounds rather like a middle-of-the-road spin on the Beach Boys, with a bit of bubblegum pop and singer/songwriter fare thrown into the mix. There's also a peculiarly nostalgic cast to many of the songs, sometimes quite self-consciously looking back to better and more innocent times. Those who love the Beach Boys and California sunshine pop might appreciate the tribute-like emulation of that style, but the '70s slickness of the production and cutesiness of some of the lyrics can get icky. Who else but the First Class, for instance, could look back (as they do on "I Was a Star") on having sand kicked in their face with smiley face cheer, gamely grinning that singing along with records made such indignities bearable? Occasionally they opted for arty ambition, but efforts like "Bobby Dazzler," a sort of mini-story about a fading pop star, weren't going to rival Pete Townshend or Randy Newman's gifts for telling concise offbeat tales in song. Once in a while they escaped the Beach Boys bag entirely, getting into vaudeville rock on "Baby Blue" and muted blue-eyed soul at other points, but sub-Brian Wilson songwriting and production were never far from their thoughts.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 21 track(s)
- Total length: 01:17:08
- Main artists: The First Class
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Cherry Red Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd ℗ 2005 Cherry Red Records Ltd
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