received my copy of carnival

[sidewalksurfer]

 i recived my copy of carnival, and i was amazed how the quality came our i was really impressed. i am not trying to overrate this album, but in my opinion i think this has to be one of the best unrelased album ever !! on one of my rae jan and dean cds i have girl you're blowin my mind 13 different versions !! i think the song is pretty funny thou, well thats all for now

[surferbee]

I'm going to do this in bits. I couldn't wait for the album to be released in the UK so had it sent from the states. It arrived very quickly in excellent, secure packaging. I am writing this before listening (don't worry not going to write a review yet) but I wanted to praise the excellent packaging and booklet. There are pictures I have never seen before. It looks and reads brilliantly.

[burton]

Hey Mark,

Nice job on the "Carnival of Sound" release. Everybody involved should be proud. I think the stereo versions show off the arrangements best. You can hear the "chingy" guitar's allover the place. The "Blowin my Mind" backing track sounds like it could've been a nice fit on the "Folk n Roll" album, had it been finished. Again kudo's to all involved and thanks. B

[Mark A. Moore]

Hey Mark,

Nice job on the "Carnival of Sound" release. Everybody involved should be proud. I think the stereo versions show off the arrangements best. You can hear the "chingy" guitar's allover the place. The "Blowin my Mind" backing track sounds like it could've been a nice fit on the "Folk n Roll" album, had it been finished. Again kudo's to all involved and thanks. B

Burton . . . glad you're diggin' it.

Actually, the acoustic 12-string version of "Blowin My Mind" -- with full "ba-ba's" and the brass and woodwind parts — was finished. Jan did multiple takes of it.

But we're still looking for the master tape for that specific version.

Otherwise, the 12-string intro was chopped off, but Jan still used that basic '66 track -- sometimes without the brass and woodwinds -- to create all of the subsequent versions of "Blown' My Mind."

Listen to Track 16 and you'll hear the 12-string lead riffs quite well , along with the brass and woodwind parts.

M.

[SurferPete]

I received my copy a few days ago... and was very impressed... Well worth the wait... Sure wish the master was around to see all this... It sure would have made him smile... Thanks Guys for all the work that went into this package... Looks & sounds great.... 

[jdman]

Just got mine. This is the most exciting release for Jan & Dean. I had no idea how good Jan still was as a producer after the accident. I know he had help, but it was still his production. Complete Liberty Singles and the Tribute were exciting as well, but this one takes the cake. For the first time, I actually like the stereo versions better than the mono.
I wonder why the version of Girl that was on the Tribute is not on this package.
Fantastic Album and CD!!! Thanks to Mark,Domenic, and Andrew for your hard work. Thanks to Dean for the art as well!!
Hey Mark, I guess you can tell Dom that you were right. Hawaii and Fan Tan were not started pre-accdent.

[Kentucky Surfer]

I received the CD a couple of days ago.  I'll probably regret it, but I didn't buy the LP.  Here are a few random comments and observations I had after listening to it...

Cover Art:  A great cover by Dean.  I think it evokes the time period very well.

CD Label:  Love the reproduction of the "Jan & Dean" record label!

Booklet/Liner Notes:  Outstanding!  The detailed discussion of the recording sessions was very well done. This only makes me anticipate Mark's sessionography even more.  If the sessionography breaks things down to this level for Jan & Dean's entire career, it will set a high standard for rock & roll discographies for years to come.  The only other book I have seen written to this level of detail is the Ernst Jorgensen book on Elvis Presley's recordings.


Sound Quality: Crystal Clear!  It is great to hear songs like "Hawaii" with vocals in the clear.  All ofthe tracks  seem very alive.  The stereo mixes are excellent for hearing some of the details in the arrangements.

Commentary on the Album:     I agree with the concept of grouping the early 1966 tracks together on this collection.  The early track of "Girl You're Blowing My Mind" was quite consistent with Jan's arrangements on the "Folk & Roll" album (as Burton noted). There isn't a lot of difference between this track and "I Can't Wait To Love You"  (or "Rain Clouds Long Gone" on Save For A Rainy Day").  One could easily imagine this track being a possible flip for "Norwegian Wood".

The oldies tracks are well arranged and performed, but the session vocalists minimize the impact these might have made as actual Jan & Dean recordings in 1966.  (NOTE:  If I remember correctly, the Mark Thomas Passmore book mentions that Jan was planning an album of heavily orchestrated oldies.  Perhaps these tracks were intended for such a purpose.) I would have greatly enjoyed hearing these as backing tracks only.

"Only A Boy" is classic 1966 Jan Berry production.  It was obvious that he wanted this to be the first single on the new "Jan & Dean" label. I am not sure I hear Dean on this one.  It sounds to me like Jan multi-tracked his own vocals, much as he did on some of the tracks on "Folk & Roll".

I have always enjoyed "Love and Hate" and "Hawaii".  "Hawaii" is a nod to the surfing songs of 1963-64 in terms of vocal arrangements.  It would have fit very well on the "Ride The Wild Surf" LP.  The lyrics are a little more mature, in keeping with the times, but this is a great track in the Jan & Dean tradition.  It was always maddening to me to have the vocals buried in the mix.  I always presumed that had been done on purpose in the original releases to mask Jan's vocal limitations.  I definitely hear him singing on this one.  The only knock I put on this one is little too much sitar.

"Love and Hate" is another track that would have fit very well with "Only A Boy" and the other early 1966 productions.  The vocal arrangements are great on this. I always find myself singing this to myself for a day or two after I hear it.  This is a very Jan-like vocal which raises the question of who was best able to mimic Jan's vocal.  Would it be Tony Minichello of the Matadors on this?  Didn't Tony double the vocal with Jan on "Surf City"?  I really can't envision Glen Campbell being able to copy Jan's voice, as Glen sang in a little higher register.

"Fan Tan" and "Mulholland" are a couple of the "newer" tracks that I enjoy because they evoke a spirit of fun and the California lifestyle. It's great to hear clear vocals on "Fan Tan".  And I agree that it sure sounds like Dean clowning around with Jan on the end of the stereo mix of "Mulholland".

The remaining tracks ,on which Tom Bahler sings lead, sound so unlike Jan & Dean recordings that I really don't enjoy hearing them.  The spirit of fun is there on "Laurel and Hardy", but songs like "I know my mind" showcase Jan Berry the producer more than Jan Berry the recording artist.  It is truly unfortunate that Jan & Dean's relationship was so strained at this time that Dean couldn't have sang a few leads on the newer songs.  The result would have certainly demonstrated to the world that Jan & Dean were back and perhaps might have improved the chances of releasing the album.

All in all, though, I am thoroughly glad that I have this well-done collection.

[Mark A. Moore]

Dean is definitely singing on "Only A Boy" . . . Session tapes remove all doubt.

[Kentucky Surfer]

Mark--thanks for the information.  I also found it interesting that "Girl You're Blowing My Mind" was finished in 1966.  Hope it is found.

[11bees]

Pretty sure it's Brian doubling Jan's vocal on Surf City, with Tony singing the falsetto. Hasn't Dean always said he can hear more Brian than Jan on that one?
I have to agree with your over-all assessment of the album being mostly killer JB productions with Tom Bahler's kinda boring leads ruining many of the songs for me (if that is who's singing((still not sure exactly who is singing what on COS))).

[jdman]

Brian and Tony both double with Jan on Surf City. Their mikes are set back from Jan's. There is definitely more Jan leads on Surf City. Brian said he hears more Jan, so I'll trust Brian. Tony sings falsetto and Brian does the falsetto on the part Surf City Here we Come.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's how it went down.

[Mark A. Moore]

Mark--thanks for the information.  I also found it interesting that "Girl You're Blowing My Mind" was finished in 1966.  Hope it is found.

Actually, it wasn't finished  in '66. The brass and woodwinds were added in '67. But the full acoustic version -- with brass, woodwinds, and the "ba-ba" vocal harmonies -- was indeed finished during the project. It's just a matter of finding the master tape for that version -- if it still exists.