The Smiley Smile Message Board

I was thinking about this,I wonder if he had died instead of lived if we would look at him the same way we look at James Dean,with "deadmans curve" being the song that everyone would think of when  they think of him (instead of Surf City or Little old lady),,would he ended up being a "rock n roll verison of James Dean?" any thoughts on this?

i bet he'd be pretty dead by now.

um yes he would be.. :lol :lol now how about how we would think of him..what kind of legacy he would have left had he died back then..

Er, not much.


I don't know, the fanaticism about Jan & Dean seems so misplaced. The harmonies are really subpar, the songwriting never seems to be inspired and they have so many joke songs. I mean, their critical highpoint is Save For A Rainy Day which is an album of identical sunshine pop covers and bad puns. I'm willing to be convinced, but having tried to listen to a few of their things it just seems so lazy.

What draws you in?

I don't think his legacy would be that different, since with all due respect to his memory I don't think he did much of particular note after 1966.  So he will always be remembered for the work he did in the early to mid sixties.  

Surf City, where there is "two girls for every boy!" ;D

I think Jan & Dean are probably better as an influence than as a performing group in and of themselves. They have a couple songs I enjoy but I think it's telling that Brian was involved in them -- and it's sort of amusing to think it was Brian Wilson of all people who might have reigned in J&D's more scatological/banal tendencies!

We'd never have the mindblowing Carnival Of Sound release, plus some other perles he recorded in the 70s (namely "How, how I love her")
But otherwise, although Jan was very succesful since the late 50s and one of THE hippest producers in L.A. during the early-mid 60s, there wouldn't be such a hype. His name wasn't as household and he didn't built no legend around himself like James Dean. "Dead man's curve" did pretty good on it's own before the accident

Why are they good?
I like their irony and humor. They get across quite nicely because they were personable. They weren't The Beach Boys but who is? I really like much of the 1958-62 period as it has a great echo and quite bizzare and endearing vocal scatting. The 63-64 was very commercial and produced beautifully. Again it may not be what The Beach Boys were doing but Jan's clarity in sound was an inspiration to Brian. The joke songs of that era are my favorite as they are just so darn strange. The 1965-66 stuff finds Jan experiementing. Not always with good results mind you but the productions were even more exciting and impressive. I think he would have gone on to make some great stuff. COS gives you a clue but I do miss his voice as well as Dean's. He did do a few interesting things in the seventies but most of his later stuff is really not all that wonderful. I do really like Tinsel Town, Mother Earth, Don't You Just Know It, and Ocean Park Angel. Dean really pulled out something special with Save For A Rainy Day. It was really only a one time burst from him, but it's classic. Plus it has my buddy Mickey Jones on drums.

If Jan had died I suppose they would have been less known in one way, but maybe their work would have stood on it's own more. Way too much Beach Boys in their 1978-2004 sets.