SURFAROUND

The Fizzbombs have featured on a couple of previous occasions, but each time it was with Sign On The Line, the debut single released on the Edinburgh-based Nardonik Records back in 1987.

The group was a very short-lived one, although its members would splinter off to other bands who were part of the Edinburgh scene at the time. Indeed, other than the debut single, there would be a shared flexidisc 7″ with fellow alumni Jesse Garon & The Desperadoes before one last effort in 1988, The Surfin’ Winter EP, on Calculus Records, a London label which issued only one other single and album, both by The Dog Faced Hermans, before going out of existence.

The lead track from the Surfin’ Winter EP was included on the C88 box-set issued a while back by Cherry Red, which is how I have a copy of the song.

mp3: Fizzbombs – Surfaround (7″ version)

Two minutes of distorted guitars and some fine melodies in homage to a sport which, back in the 80s, was only practised in lands many thousands of miles from Scotland. I’ve a feeling it’ll divide opinion.

But please, before you feel like casually dismissing it as a piece of noise that annoys, have a listen to the other four songs which made it onto the 12″ version of the EP, and you’ll surely come to the realisation that it contains a fairly decent set of tunes:-

mp3: Fizzbombs – Test Pilot
mp3: Fizzbombs – Blue Summer
mp3: Fizzbombs – Beach Party
mp3: Fizzbombs – Cherry Cherry

And yup, the final song is a cover of a Neil Diamond number, a single which back in 1966 had provided him with his own first-ever chart success.

JC