Review – Blitz Magazine

“A masterwork . . .”

A highly detailed account of the life and times of Jan Berry, the late and beloved mastermind of Jan & Dean . . . With Dead Man’s Curve: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Life of Jan Berry, technical writer, researcher, historian and musicologist Mark A. Moore . . . tells the tale of a most driven and determined visionary, whom the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and numerous others counted among their own principal inspirations . . . Collaborators and insiders including the Matadors, Jill Gibson, Arnie Ginsburg, Lou Adler and countless others weighed in with first hand observations, as did Jan Berry’s father, his siblings, his medical school classmates and various other friends, acquaintances and industry leaders. To his considerable credit, Moore does not let the matter of fact approach that often characterizes a technical writing background define the tenor of the narrative. Moore makes his role as avid devotee of Berry’s body of work apparent from the onset, while managing to present as balanced of an account as possible. Indeed for such a tale to be told properly, it demands a narrator who unwaveringly prioritizes attention to detail. It is that insistence upon perfection that likewise guided Jan Berry’s vision in the studio from the onset. From their earliest experimentations with overdubbing and lavish vocal arrangements, through their combined sense of humor and Jan’s groundbreaking symphonic work (the Bel Air Bandits on Liberty), Jan & Dean were Blitz Magazine’s obvious and inevitable choice for Best Duo of the Twentieth Century. In turn, with this comprehensive study (which was more than two decades in the making), Moore has created a masterwork that will stand as a primary go to source for its vaunted subject matter. Essential. — Mike McDowell, Blitz, the Rock and Roll Magazine for Thinking People, February 6, 2022. Read the full review online.