Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 08/26/2008
The freshness and free-spirited West Coast vibe that
Jan Berry and
Dean Torrence helped to create within the early-'60s So Cal music scene permeates
The Complete Liberty Singles (2008). Gathered on these CDs are all 42 A- and B-sides issued by
Jan & Dean during their early to mid-'60s stint on
Liberty Records. Although judicious amounts of compression help to keep the sound crisp throughout, gone is the fake equalization and overbearing noise reduction that marred the vast majority of
Jan & Dean best of CDs. By default several early charting selections for the local and regional
Arwin,
Dore and
Challenge imprints are not here. However, unquestionably the loss of those formative sides is certainly made up for by the great care taken while focusing solely on the duo's core hit-making ('62 -- '66) era. In much the same spirit that
Dean Torrence painstakingly compiled the excellent vinyl anthology
Gotta Take That One Last Ride (1974) in the mid-'70s, producers of the
Complete Liberty Singles have gone back to the finest source materials with an ear toward replicating the sonic punch and power inherent in those seminal mixes. To that end, their mission has certainly been accomplished. Casual fans and collectors' alike are treated to every one of the baker's dozen of
Jan & Dean's key Top 40 entries. Of course titles such as
"Surf City," "Drag City," "New Girl in School," "Little Old Lady (From Pasadena)," "Ride the Wild Surf," "Honolulu Lulu," "Sidewalk Surfin'," "Dead Man's Curve," and
"Popsicle" will be familiar to all fans of the surf music subgenre. Studious enthusiasts have the most to gain thanks to the full, rich tonality of some of the second-tier tracks, namely
"A Sunday Kind of Love," "Tennessee," "Linda," "When I Learn How to Cry," and the criminally underrated
"She's My Summer Girl." Of particular interest are a few rarities, including the flipside to
"Popsicle" -- which was the cover of
the Beatles'
"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" -- the B-side only
"Submarine Races" and the
Berry solo single
"Universal Coward" b/w
"I Can't Wait to Love You." Visually accompanying the tunes is a 20-page liner notes booklet with essays from both surf music expert/journalist
David Beard and producer
Ed Osbourne, as well as reproductions of vintage 7" picture sleeves, not to mention plenty of rarely published photos. Major kudos goes to the hoe-daddies and mommies over at
Collectors' Choice Music for realizing such a thoroughly and exemplary executed package.
~Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
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