Album Reviews 1

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Jan & Dean Album Reviews Part 1
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Jan & Dean Album Reviews - Page One Welcome to the first part of the reviews. This section covers the very first Jan & Dean album on Dore Records, right through to the Batman album, completed just before Jans accident. Reviews are altered from time to time, and when new reviews are sent into the site, they replace any previous reviews if good enough.
The Dore Album (1958) Songs: Clementine, Judy, My Heart Sings, Rosie Lane, Oh Julie, Baby Talk, You're On My Mind, There’s A Girl, Jeanette Get Your Hair Done, Cindy, Dont Fly Away, White Tennis Sneakers Jan & Deans very first album, and this album does not in any way prepare the World for the new "Surf Sound" and fun-in-the-sun songs that Jan & Dean would later be known for. Still, this is a great album, with a strong track listing. It also includes Baby Talk, the one big hit on the album. However, a lot of the other tracks did get to the lower regions of the charts. This album is doo-wop it yourself garage music, and you can feel that both Jan & Dean are ready to be thrown into some other direction... ready to explode onto the music scene Big Time!
Golden Hits Volume 1 (1961) Songs: Baby Talk, We Go Together, Palisades Park, In A Turkish Town, Who Put The Bomp, Heart And Soul, Barbara Ann, Poor Little Puppet, Tennessee, Queen Of My Heart, A Sunday Kind Of Love, Jenny Lee The follow up to the first album was strangely a greatest hits album. Alot to do with this was the change of record label! You'll find some great covers on this album, and the album is really well produced considering that it is from 1961! Jan & Dean cover their own (Or Jan & Arnies) Jenny Lee on this album, it's a really different version. The original Jennie Lee was just soooo manic, yet this version is so much more laid back. A great album! Definitely one for everyone’s Jan & Dean collection.
Jan & Dean Take Linda Surfin' (1962) Songs: Linda, Walk Like A Man, Surfin', Lets Turkey Trot, Rhythm Of The Rain, Mr Bass Man, Walk Right In, The Best Friend I Ever Had, The Gypsy Cried, My Foolish Heart, When I Learn How To Cry, Surfin’ Safari' "Jan & Dean take Linda Surfin'" is a kind of misleading title actually. The Beach Boys had just hit big with "Surfin" and "Surfin Safari", and Jan & Dean were big friends with The Beach Boys. To take advantage of this new music craze, the record company thought it would be a good idea to include some Beach Boys covers and have a surf titled album! Linda was the new Jan & Dean song out at the time. This album has some great songs on it, and is once again is chock full of cover versions! Jan & Deans versions of these songs are remarkable, in that they are actually as good as, on if not, better than the originals! Fans of the "Surf" sound may be a little disappointed, but the vocals are great, and the songs rock. Another must have album!
Surf City (And Other Swinging Cities) (1963) Songs: Surf City, Memphis, Detroit City, Soul City, Tallahassee Lassie, Way Down Yonder In New Orleons, Manhattan, Philadelphia PA, Honolulu Lulu, Kansas City, I Left My Heart In San Francisco, You Came A Long Way From St Louis Jan & Deans first concept album... They had just hit with the great Surf City, and due to lack of other material (based on the surfing craze) they put together this effort. Definitely not one of the strongest Jan & Dean albums, the duo sing some standards, along with their Surf City hit. Some of the tracks to watch out for on the album are Memphis, Soul City and the other Jan & Dean hit on the album Honolulu Lulu. Of course, this album is well worth owning just for Surf City and Honolulu Lulu, and again should be in your collection, but not the first Jan & Dean album you ever buy.
Drag City (1964) Songs: Drag City, Schlock Rod Pt1, Schlock Rod Pt 2, Stingray, Little Deuce Coupe, Drag Strip Girl, I Gotta Drive, Surfin Hearse, Popsicle, Hot Stocker, Dead Man’s Curve, Surf Route 101 Although Drag City was Jan and Dean’s fifth album it was the first to truly represented Jan Berry’s considerable talents as songwriter, arranger and producer. Every track was great. Brian Wilson’s influence was there as co-writer on four tracks but the production and arrangements were uniquely Jan Berry. Whilst contemporary Beach Boys albums won in terms of rich interwoven harmonies, Jan singing himself and the Matadors with a little help from Dean came close. Jan, much more than Brian at this time, was using the studio to engineer the best sound possible with or without his old friend. And the instrumental backing tracks knocked contemporary Wilson production into a tin hat. Jan had assembled the best West Coast session musicians available wrote them tight arrangements and then worked them hard until they got the sound he wanted. Multi vocals with full orchestral backing (Drag City used brass very effectively) but always with a very strong rhythm led by the powerful drumming of Hal Blaine. On most Berry tracks the drums are the lead instrument. The songs were strong too with a number of singles (not just for Jan and Dean) and the overt use of comedy with the Schlock Rods self-parodies. This album rocks. Review by Mike Smit - Competition Winner December 2004
Dead Man's Curve / New Girl In School (1964) Songs: Dead Man’s Curve (single ver), The New Girl In School, Linda, Three Window Coupe, Bucket T, Rockin Little Roadster, B Gas Rickshaw, My Mighty GTO, Barons West LA, School Days, Its Easy As 1-2-3, Hey Little Freshman Following on from the last album, this album is yet again an amazing album. The production is yet again superb, as are the songs and vocals. This time we get the amazing, and truly a classic Dead Man’s Curve - The single! This song is well worth the price of admission alone! That said, the album doe not stop there with the hits, you also get the great New Girl In School and Linda hit records. Even the album cuts on this record are fantastic. Three Window Coupe and Bucket T were later hits for Ronny & The Daytona’s and The Who respectively, and Jan & Deans versions are better than those hits! Highly recommended, yet again too short!
The Little Old Lady From Pasadena (1964) The Little Old Lady From Pasadena, Memphis, When Its Over, Horace The Swingin School Bus Driver, Old Ladies Seldom Power Shift, Sidewalk Surfin, A.A.A.C.S.C.B.R.A.T.A, Summer Means Fun, Its As Easy As 1-2-3, Move Out Little Mustang, Skateboarding Part 2, One Piece Topless Bathing Suit The Little Old Lady, Sidewalk Surfin’, Summer Means Fun... Can an album get any better? YES!.... One-piece Topless Bathing Suite, Anaheim Azusa & Cucamonga Sewing Circle Book Review And Timing Association, Horace The Swingin School Bus Driver!!!! Another great album by the legendary duo Jan & Dean. This album is a must own for fans and non-fans alike. Once again, Jan Berry’s production is second to none. Anyone who has not heard this music, you can put him alongside Brian Wilson and Gary Usher any time! Sidewalk Surfin’ is probably Jan & Dean’s finest moment on record as far as many are concerned, and is worth the price of admission alone once again. A great album, with great songs.