Dick Dale - Surfers' Choice (1962 [2006 reissue])

Dick Dale is legendary. Surfers' Choice was his first full-length album originally released in 1962, but I'm sharing a reissue featuring six additional tracks. The majority of the tracks are live recordings and a good deal are not purely instrumental like many surf rock numbers. In fact, the songs with vocals aren't too far off from the period's garage rock, or what would soon evolve into garage rock. However, the most overwhelming aspect is Dale's astounding guitar, which has won him the title King of the Surf Guitar. Several of these tracks are so commonly covered, sampled or had elements borrowed, such as "Let's Go Trippin'" and "Misirlou Twist," that it hard not to be familiar with them. I've even had confusion over where they came from previously, as I grew up on the Beach Boy's version of Let's Go Trippin' so long I never thought to look where it was from for years. This album can't be highly recommended if you haven't got it already for it really is the quintessential surf rock album.

To be had here:
Dick Dale - Surfer's Choice [320 kbps]