Customer Reviews

Jan & Dean - Greatest Hits

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Life and fame were very good to Jan and Dean, at least for a while, when they started out as a Garage Duo making the tours of local recording studios. They quickly took advantage of the happenstance of the rise of southern California surfer music to catch a wave to the top with an early hit, "Linda". Later came "Surf City", and a raft of together, such as "Honolulu Lulu", "The New Girl In School', and "Sidewalk Surfing" (which robbed the melody and chord progressions from Beach Boy pal Brian Wilson's "Catch A Wave). Later came such popular numbers as "Ride The Wild Surf", "You really Know How to Hurt A Guy", and of course, "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena".

In what is one of the most ironic twists involving their career, one of their biggest hits was with a song called "Dead Man's Curve", which chronicled a fateful race between a Jaguar XKE and a Corvette Sting Ray, which ends with the protagonist badly mangled in the crash. Just a year later Jan was himself badly injured in such a crash in his own Corvette, and suffered a number of permanent disabilities from it. Still, Jan and Dean performed for years later with rock and roll revival tours, and Jan still records, although in a very limited sense. This was wonderful music, and it still plays well. I listen to them often, and I'm sure you will too once you listen to this album of their collected hits. Enjoy!

For anyone who is curious about the Jan and Dean era or about their music in general, this would be a excellent CD to own because it give a listener the feel for their type of music, a taste of this duo's very diverse talent and just some plain old great rock and roll oldies music! I am a Beach Boys fan by admission but I can see a great deal of influence on Brian Wilson by Jan and Dean! I highly recommend this CD...really excellent!

Jan & Dean - Greatest Hits is a budget priced CD from Curb Records that really doesn't make the grade as a true "greatest hits" collection. There are only ten songs here and that could never be enough to encompass every hit that Jan & Dean ever had. There's a lot to like -but there's too much missing and that irks me. However, the sound quality is good and the artwork is nicely done.

"Linda" starts the CD off with a number that showcases the fine vocal talents of Jan & Dean. They really harmonize wonderfully, much better than I've heard in quite a while. "Linda" has a pretty melody and the percussion sounds terrific, too. Great! "Surf City" may sound like something The Beach Boys would have turned out; but make no mistake about it--this is Jan & Dean's number, and it all works very well. The lyrics are great and the way they superimposed the harmonizing over the lyrics is very impressive. "Surf City" is just about my very favorite Jan & Dean tune because it is so optimistic and it celebrates the joys of youth as they have great times at the beach.

"Honolulu Lulu" has essentially the same type of sound as "Surf City;" and Jan & Dean perform this very well. The musical special effects evoke those Hawaiian images in your mind as you listen to this song. It's easily a major highlight of this CD. "Dean Man's Curve" wasn't a number I heard before but I liked it much more than I thought I would--after all, "Dead Man's Curve" doesn't sound like it's going to be a serious hit from a duo like Jan & Dean. This fine tune about a car race really sounds good and it grows on you--trust me!

"The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena)" was definitely a huge hit for Jan & Dean; "The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena)" has a great beat and the melody is rather memorable. This fun tune about a little old lady who loves to speed along in her car proves just how well Jan & Dean could sing about a wide diversity of topics and make them all sound great! "Ride The Wild Surf" continues that classic Jan & Dean sound and the percussion enhances the number; and there's also "Sidewalk Surfin'." "Sidewalk Surfin'" is another California surfing number that is irresistible and it makes you want to hear it over and over again! That's some horn solo, too! The CD ends with Jan & Dean performing "You Really Know How To Hurt A Guy;" "You Really Know How To Hurt A Guy" is a song that will tug at your heartstrings and move you as Jan & Dean sing of a love that has gone wrong.

Jan & Dean are worthy of so much more than just what we get here on this budget priced CD. Sure, it enables people in all income brackets to have a CD by Jan & Dean; but for just a few dollars more you can find more substantial CDs by this duo. Three and one-half stars for this rather mediocre effort at making a "greatest hits' album.

This Jan and Dean album show the rock n' roll. This is stocked with classics like "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" and "Sidewalk Surfing." these songs share the same theme with the Beach Boys, but are equally great.

Capitol-EMI put out a whole series of these "10 Best" cheapo CDs about 15 years ago, some others being The Beach Boys, Peabo Bryson, The Lettermen, Peggy Lee, The Tubes, The Fleetwoods, The Classics IV, Al Martino, Little River Band, and Jay & The Americans.

There are no liner notes - in fact just the single page cover with a list of the others in the series on the reverse. All the selections are originals, however, and if you happen to be seeking a specific song by the artists concerned, this series is a good place to find them and at a nice price.

Otherwise, for most of the artists concerned there are now some larger, much more comprehensive compilations which, although costing about double or triple the price (or more), also give you many more of their hits and, in many cases such as with those from Ace of London, detailed background information and discographies.

These were fine when CDs were still a novelty.

If you want to start a Jan and Dean collection, this is THE CD to buy. It includes their biggest hits, their most popular songs. It's good, clean, innocent fun to listen to. It's the CD that started off my growing collection. You'll love it! After picking up this one, move on to some of the others, preferably the 3 CD combo of "Drag City," The Little Old Lady From Pasadena," and Popsicle."

I am a very big Beach Boy fan. Yes, Brian Wilson was influenced by Jan and Dean. Remember though he did write songs like "Sidewalk Surfin", and "Surf City"for them. Yet this album is filled with a lot of classics.

Like another reviewer stated back in the 90's they put out these ten best things, they didn't remaster the songs and did the whole thing as cheaply as possible. BUt in spite of this poor attitude towards the music, you still get them doing what they did best. They were a incredible group that could have continued on because they wrote and did their own music. They would have stayed around for sure. Sadly the car accident that damaged jan berry destroyed their career. I was lucky enough to see them live before jan died a few years ago. they were still at it. on the same bill with hermans hermits , the fireballs and others and it was a great show. The music still souinds fresh and you can see that they would have continued with their next one to evolve 'carnival of lost souls' which came out in 2010 but should have come out in 67. What a misfortune that car accident was for music lovers. This release though should be avoided if you can get a better packaged one of these classic songs like 'jennie lee' , 'littly old lady from pasadena' and others.

This is 60's era music. Maybe even California music. Do people in NY really listen to old surfer and hotrod music? I grew up with these tunes in Los Angeles and loved to hear them on my transistor radio. Kids today will never even see a transistor radio with one earphone.

These tunes are fun to put on once in a while and remember the good ol' days. There is a larger compendium of Jan and Dean songs, but this was much cheaper.

Loved listening to this oldy but goody! "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena" is now a reality! It's great to be able to order these old records.