The second LP from the Beach Boys, which effectively announced Brian Wilson's arrival to the music world, Surfin' USA has become nothing short of an emblem to the American Dream, viewed from the sand and surf of Californian beaches.
From a technical perspective, great care has clearly been taken in the recording of this legendary LP, particularly for the vocals, which are fundamental to the identity of the group. To give them more body, they were double-tracked - which is now commonplace ? to compensate for weak patches in the vocal tracks from the original recordings, but principally to consolidate the vocals and make listening in Stereo pleasurable (the same voice from 2 takes, placed on both channels).
It is by immerging ourselves into this sort of record from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s that we often stumble upon some of the nicest surprises. Indeed, the transfer of these analog recordings to digital can result in an unexpectedly rich sound, especially with the most recent remastering techniques. The mere fact of receiving these digital music files in Hi-Res spawns a natural curiousity and brings us all that much closer the analog recordings of this EP.
Surfin' in 24-Bit Hi-Res!
It?s time to get down to the business of sound with Surfin' USA in Hi-Res. What we notice first is the quality of the vocal, with the ostentatious analog aspect and the wonderful retranscription of "s" sounds throughout - without whistling - which improves current takes with surgical precision.
With an Astell & Kern AK120 player (double DAC) the crosstalk is staggering (separation of left and right channels), so instead we opt for a Stereo that places the backing vocals and main vocals on different planes of the soundstage. Each piece is a Festival of Stereo sound (instruments and voice), and we will not hide the fact that the distinct rumble, wow and flutter associated with analog recording is more or less present throughout. There are also a few "clicks" on the master recording, with Farmer's Daughter making for a particularly good example of this.
The LP is composed of many instrumentals, including on the famous Misirlou, where the sound texture - very much analog - is heavy in guitar from Marks and Wilson. Lonely Sea is without doubt the strangest from a technical perspective because, besides the analog ?rumble?, most of the audio signal is placed on the right channel, leaving only the left-hand for backing vocals ? one can hear the breathing between vocals and even the cracking of lips ? quite fascinating to witness. Shut Down restores the balance between vocals and instruments. It is quite a treat to listen to with a good pair of headphones, with the "oldies" aspect of the sound respected and the quirks of Stereo sound. Lana uses the recipe from other vocal pieces by placing the main vocals centre stage and the other ingredients on both channels.
Without a decoder, the clarity of the audio texture, it?s fidelity to that unique analog sound and truly vintage Stereo madness, make this version Hi-Res of Surfin' USA a gem of a recording that allows the listener to (re)live the 60's with a deep respect for the intentions of the technical producer and sound engineer.
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