Ecologically sound sounds for CD surfers
Music for Our Mother Ocean 3
Various artists
Surfdog/Hollywood Records through Festival
Review by Barry Healy
The Surfrider Foundation is a Queensland-based organisation of surfies trying to clean up the oceans through CARE (conservation, activism, research and education). It has energetically drawn attention to conditions at Australian beaches for years and is part of a wider campaign to stop ocean pollution. This eclectic batch of music (its third compilation CD) is both a fundraising and consciousness-raising exercise. It also provides some great fun. 
The disc has tracks from a vast array of performers; the Surfriders have trawled far and wide to put this one together. It kicks off with a wild reworking of the Beach Boys' "Little Deuce Coupe" by Brian Seltzer and Brian Wilson, followed by "Coconut", a mad track by Sprung Monkey.
The Butthole Surfers get two look-ins, including "Snoop Bounce", a track in which Snoop Dogg and members of Rage Against the Machine collaborate. Also present are Jane's Addiction and Pearl Jam.
You buy a CD like this because you support the cause or because you know how to operate the track selection controls on your CD player. With Music For Our Mother Ocean, you can certainly have a good party no matter what your tastes. Older buyers will home in on Allison Moorer's Beatles tribute "Here Comes the Sun", Paul McCartney and Wings' "Wild Life" and the Jimmy Buffett and James Taylor tracks.
Smash Mouth, Ben Harper and J Kay will also appeal to those tune-surfers seeking calmer waters.
Others, whose ears can cope with the assault, will put the Red Hot Chilli Peppers screaming "How Strong" on repeat and then cut to the Beastie Boys' "Nothing to Say", which is a sort of Sex Pistols-meet-concrete mixer-on-methedrine song. Lit's "Money" would also suit them.
Chris Isaak rounds it all off with the soothing "Winter Waves", which manages to send up the whole notion of surf music.
The notes in the cardboard cover contains some shocking facts about what is being done to the seas and gives contact details for the foundation. Visit the Surfrider Foundation's web site at <http://www.surfrider.org.au>.