Bob Greene has always been one of my favorite writers, writing with a unique and fluid point of view about interesting and unconventional things that most writers would not think about or touch. I have been a fan of his since the days of his column in the newspaper, as his sensitivity is very close to mine and I have some books and anthologies of his. When I found out by chance that he had just published a book about touring with Jan and Dean from the 1990s onwards, I couldn’t wait to read it because I’ve always been a fan of Jan and Dean. Sadly, Jan Berry passed away in 2004, but the book is in part a celebration of the 38 years that he managed to live with grace and determination after his tragic 1966 car accident that left him with serious permanent injuries that would have totally destroyed the spirit of life. most people. .

Greene, somehow, despite not being a professional musician and not being particularly musically gifted, was invited to play in Jan and Dean’s touring band and this book is about life touring and playing with the band for the last few years. 15 years or so. What makes this book unique is that I don’t think a book has ever been written solely about the last few years of a group after the hits ended. Surprisingly neither Jan nor Dean are really bitter: Jan Berry seems to live for the stage and perform, Dean Torrence seems to graciously accept the fact that he will never be a star again and just tries to make the best of things and at the same time. time, he selflessly helps to take care of his friend Jan in a hidden and discreet way. I almost have the feeling, perhaps wrongly, that if it weren’t for Jan’s happiness being on stage, Dean might not have continued acting. The backing band loves to play live, although they won’t get rich doing it and Greene is excited about it all – he plays and befriends a musical duo whose music he loved and grew up with in Ohio, he became friends with. the guys in the band and he is touring the States and feeling young again doing something he loves. Basically, the book focuses equally on Jan and Dean together and separately, the backing band, Bob Greene’s thrill of performing and traveling with musical legends, Bob’s relationships with the band and Jan and Dean, and what it’s like. life on tour together.

I’d give this book an “A-” and say it’s a must-read for everyone who loves Jan and Dean’s hits like “Surf City”, “The Old Lady from Pasadena”, “The New Girl at School”, “The Deadman Curve”. “(aside, Dean Torrence sang lead vocals on the Beach Boys hit” Barbara Ann “) as you need the vibe of knowing their music for this book to come alive and give you meaning. On the other hand, if it’s not familiar with those songs, I don’t think this book will work for you as I think you need to know the context of your music to relate to the tone of the book and the people in it. For those who are not familiar with the songs of Jan and Dean, I would give this book a solid B- to C + as I think they will have trouble relating.

The book’s pluses, aside from the subject matter, are Greene’s excellent concise but warm writing style that I’ve always liked, his tender but not cloying descriptions of Jan and Dean’s complicated friendship, his hands-on portraits of Jan Berry, Dean Torrence , the band and himself, life on the road and performing in concert. My main criticism of this book is that it is too long and could easily have been edited from 339 pages to 239 pages without losing any meaning other than perhaps making life on the road feel more immediate than it really is. I also would have liked to read a little more about Greene and / or bands encounters with artists like Freddie “Palisades Park” Cannon, the Monkees and more. To be fair, perhaps their encounters were too brief for details, although Jan Berry was a particularly close friend in the late 1960s of the Monkees Mickey Jones after their accident (as written in the excellent “Dead Man’s Curve and Back : The Jan and Dean Story by Mark Thomas Passmore, which complements “Surfs City”), and a little more detail about the lives of the band members when they are not on tour, as well as a little more about the musical history of Jan and Dean, though again, if you’re a fan, you already know that.