Customer Reviews

Jan & Dean Take Linda Surfin / Ride Wild Surf

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4 star:		(3)
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As the picture above shows, this CD is a reissue of two Jan & Dean LP's from the mid sixties. It's nice to have J & D's songs reissued as complete albums rather than the usual "best of" stuff.

The CD label is "One Way Records". I've never heard of them. The address is New York, so it does not appear to be an import.

The sound quality is as good as any Jan & Dean reissue I've ever heard, and I've heard a lot of them. Almost all songs are in flawless true stereo. Only track 18 is in simulated stereo, but also appeared that way on the original LP. Oh yea, the bonus track is also in simulated stereo, but hey, that wasn't part of the original LP's anyway. Also, the stereo is in the original "Visual Sound Stereo" as originally heard on the Liberty LP's. "Visual Sound Stereo" typically meant the main vocal was heard on one channel only instead of the middle as is typical today. Jan & Dean LP's were well known for this type of stereo mixing. And a thank you to One Way Records for not trying to remix the stereo. This is how they sounded on the original LP's and that's the way it should be kept, end of debate.

If you are a Jan & Dean fan, you really must have this CD. "Take Linda Surfin" for those who have never heard it, is a very interesting album. There are many styles of music within it. A little bit of surf music, folk music, doo-wop, and other cool stuff, all together on one great album. Of course, the classic hit "Linda" is included, which I think is an awesome record! "Ride the Wild Surf" is also a great album! In this album, Jan & Dean give us what they are known best for... The Surf Sound. All the songs are surf songs. "Ride the Wild Surf" and "Sidewalk Surfin" are the big hits from the album, but all the songs are great surf recordings!

THIS ANOTHER JAN AND DEAN DOUBLE ALBUM,WITH EXCELLENT SOUND MASTERING.I HAVE PLAYED THIS ALBUM MANY TIMES,AND NEVER TIRE OF IT. I OWN AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS DISC.

Like the guy said, "great sound", but I would just like to warn if by chance you suddenly had the thought that your summer might be enhanced by hearing Jan Berry's smart-a** voice sing the pretty but banal "Rhythm of the Rain," you are going to be disappointed. Can't you just hear it? "looking for a brand new START!...but little does she know that when she left that day, along with her she took my HEART!" and of course, the even-then archaic crooning part "..and let the love with you start to grow." Nope, sorry. Dean sings lead, and except for holding on just a beat too long (and flat) to the word "been", it's not funny. You know that 'Seinfeld' where George accuses Jerry that he "can't NOT be funny"? Well, this song--as performed by Dean, is a specific answer to the question regarding Jan and Dean: yes, they CAN not be funny. Dean let us down here...

I think the extra Dean lead vocals tie in with 1963 and the success that year of high voice singers (Brian Wilson, Lou Christy, Frankie Valli), and hence, the 4 Seasons theme. The cover of "Linda" by the way is nothing but a 4 Seasons rip. Rocks though, doesn't it? Dean's enunciation IS however funny on "Walk Like a Man," particularly the lines he has to slide on rather than off-beat to get exactly right, "my own father said, give her up don't bother" and even better, "no woman's worth, crawling on the earth..." I'm not sure that I knew some of those lyrics that Frankie Valli had sung...Dean is funny here. Just listen to him sing "my son-on" rather than "suuu--un." or (you were waiting for it, weren't you, his accusation that she was "telling dirty lie-ies to my friend..." (surfer Dean is chapped), and "soon you'll be cryin' (beat) on-account-of-all-your lyin!" (yes, he not only adds the 'on' that Frankie left off, but does it against the beat of the song to make sure you noticed. Funny as hell!

Otherwise, in this yes, Dean-dominated LP, he outs Lou Christy. I mean, wait a second, singing up high in falsetto doesn't make you gay--we all know that, and besides Lou didn't actually come out of the closet until many years later. He did though, and man, listen to Dean's fruity vocal on this one--if I'm lyin', I'm dyin. Cue up "The Gypsy Cried."

There are the 2 Beach Boys tunes, "Surfin'" and "Surfin' Safari", both performed capably and more grammatically correct. "My Foolish Heart" and "The Best Friend I Ever Had" are both that very tight Everly Bros harmony song that Jan and Dean did so well when they wanted to--and without irony, although 'Best friend' melodically recalls the better "Poor Little Puppet." "Let's Turkey Trot" (gobble gobble) and (to a lessor extent) "Mr. Bassman" are pretty awful novelty songs that can't be helped even by the prodigeous Jan and Dean humor wagon. "Walk Right In"--is not the far superior Everly's tune "Walk Right Back" you might have thought, but a lessor kind of hippy before the time song (stringing 'daddy' and 'mind' into the same sentence several times), that shouldn't have been covered by anyone. Performed here, again without derision, it's a skipper.

"Ride the Wild Surf" is a pretty great LP, including some of my favorite Jan and Dean songs, "Ride the Wild Surf," "Tell 'Em I'm Surfin'," "Waimea Bay," "She's My Summer Girl," "The Restless Surfer," "Surfin' Wild," "A Summer's Dream," and "The Submarine Races." All of these would not be out of place on a "Best of" collection. The final "extra" song, "Someday (You'll go Walking By)" is at least interesting, in that bouncy, 4-Seasons imitating way.

But $25+, you ask? Well, not if you were counting on a smart-mouth Jan lead vocal on "Rhythm of the Rain."

BTW, off the subject, but I bought Jan's only solo CD (from the Clinton years) called "Second Wave" at the same time that I bought this one, and I can assure you that it's just as great and musically sound as Jan always was. So, don't let the few rap parts on that one stop you from searching that CD out--I'm currently playing it in the car more than I am this one...

This CD features two Jan & Dean albums on one disc.

Jan & Dean Take Linda Surfin' is a typical for the early-'60s album, featuring one hit, "Linda", surrounded by cover versions of other people's hits (for that matter, "Linda" is a cover version of a hit song from 1947). This album is most notable for featuring Jan & Dean's first surf recordings, which are cover versions of the Beach Boys' first two singles (Brian Wilson can be heard singing harmony on these songs). The other cover songs are mostly okay, but pretty forgettable.

Ride the Wild Surf is from late in Jan & Dean's surf period. It features almost all original songs. Lots of fun songs about surfing and related subjects, including the hits "Ride the Wild Surf" and "Sidewalk Surfin'". This is one of Jan & Dean's best albums.