To many, surf music was mostly fun, but lacking any real depth. Granted, lyrics about surfing situations and partying on the beach was not going to make anyone contemplate the meaning of life. What set Jan Berry and Dean Torrence was their rich harmonies and textured craftsmanship in which they delivered their music which was the result of being on a different production level than their contemporaries. Their greatest musical rivals were also their close friends in the industry; The Beach Boys. Jan & Dean influenced no less than the legendary Brian Wilson through their production values and the later Punk scene with their anti-establishment attitude. Their music literally came to a screeching halt when Jan had a dear death car crash which was ironically near the real Dead Man’s Curve in 1966 and it would have been fascinating to see how the California duo would have evolved with the changing times. Time looks back kindly on the Beach Boys; perhaps time will do the same to the pair who helped push them.
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