Jan & Dean — Blog City

GOLDMINEMAG.COM

How strange it is that it takes a tribute album, of all things, to reveal the true artistry of Jan Berry, a primary architect of the West Coast sound who just may have been Brian Wilson’s equal as a songwriter and arranger.

The funny little ditties about little old ladies, cars, girls and superheroes that Jan & Dean spun into “beach music” gold were undeniably catchy, but perhaps they prevented some from taking Berry seriously as an artist. However, beneath the goofy humor was a complex, rich sonic environment — the product of Berry’s sublime arrangements and production.

Conceived while Berry was still alive — and the detailed liner notes say he was excited about the project’s possibilities — this lush, fully realized 23-track tribute was put together by producers Cameron Michael Parks and Mark A. Moore, as well as associate producers Alan Boyd and David Beard, using Berry’s personal archive of musical scores. And all involved — including guests like P.F. Sloan, Jill Gibson and David Marks among others — take great pains not to trample over Berry’s legacy, their orchestral flair and great reverence for the source material ensuring this was done right.

Swaddled in mellifluous harmonies and warm horns, “Dead Man’s Curve” and “I Found A Girl” — with its snappy, uptempo gait — are simply magical reworkings, while the instrumental “‘B’ Gas Rickshaw,” ignited by a drag-racing intro, surprises with its cinematic scope, sweeping strings and charming playfulness. “Ace Of Hearts” and “When It’s Over” swoon with heavy, delicious melodrama, without feeling insincere or heavy-handed, and “Carnival Of Sound” is vibrant and exotic, fulfilling Berry’s original psychedelic vision and offering ample evidence of his ability to change with the times.

With most tribute albums, it’s hard to tell if the artists are participating only to further their own careers. Or, rather, it’s painfully apparent that that’s exactly what they’re there for. On Encomium In Memoriam: Vol. 1 — Jan Berry of Jan & Dean, there is no room for such vanity. Each piece is meticulously crafted and gorgeously fleshed out; even the incidental scraps — from the harpsichord musings of “Bat No. 4” and “Bat No. 1” to the parade of found sounds that is “Filet of Droll (Part 2)” — seem to be carefully thought out to reveal Berry’s entertaining court-jester personality. Truly, this was somebody’s labor of love.

Peter Lindblad
Goldmine Magazine
April 10, 2009 Issue

PDF Version From Magazine

(Originally Posted March 25, 2009)

Filed under: Encomium In Memoriam - Jan Berry Tribute Album