Who likes watching Stuff? I love watching Stuff. Here is some of the very Stuff I have been watching lately.
Ernie Kovacs: The Centennial Collection
Kicking things off is the most recent addition to my DVD shelf, Shout! Factory's set made to commemorate the innovative comedian Ernie Kovacs' 100th birthday in 2019. I've really been getting into his work lately via Tubi, and I decided to pull the trigger and treat myself to a physical copy of what boasts to be (as of right now) the definitive smorgasbord of his work, which boasts over 22 hours of content. You could spend almost a full day Kovacs-ing!
I'm still relatively early into the set, so I don't have a whole lot to say about it yet other than it really is incredible how well most of Kovacs' material holds up all these years later. Like many before me have said, he was one of the earliest television comedians to truly grasp the medium and foresee what it would eventually be capable of. You can still feel his influence in the DNA of productions being made today, whether the people behind it are aware of him or not.
WC Fields: Six Short Films
One of the Criterion Collection's earlier releases, this one does what is advertised: presents six of the legendary WC Fields' early shorts in significantly-better quality than most of the other DVD sets that contain the same material. Featured are Pool Sharks (a silent film), The Golf Specialist, The Fatal Glass of Beer, The Pharmacist, The Dentist and The Barbershop.
The set has been out of print for... I don't know how long, but it's out of print. I found it for pretty cheap on eBay a few weeks ago, though, so I finally have my grubby little hands on it (actually, my hands are fairly large, with pretty long fingers. Like a sexy alien). In really good condition too! For a couple of years now, I've also had the Comedy Essentials Collection, which collects what are arguably his 18 definitive films, so I think I'm just about set on WC Fields discs for the time being (I also have this record, for the record).
Charlie Chaplin Echo Bridge Compilations
While we are on the topic of old comedians and their short films, I've been returning to these releases of Charlie Chaplin's public domain work as of late. I've had a few volumes (there are eight in total, I believe) for quite a while now and I've ordered a few more after (you guessed it) spotting some really cheap deals online.
In terms of visual quality... you get what you get. There's even a disclaimer at the beginning of each disc that warns you some of the material will be quite mucky. This doesn't bother me a whole lot, though, because a) It's still legible/watchable even in the worst instances. You can make out everything on screen b) In some cases, the best available prints of the shorts aren't a whole lot better than what is seen on these DVDs. To me, it's simply impressive that this century-plus old work still survives for us to see.
While these discs mostly contain Chaplin's short subjects (The Immigrant, The Cure, Mabel's Strange Predicament), there are a few feature-length films included, such as Tillie's Punctured Romance and Chaplin's first masterpiece, The Kid.
Batman: The Complete Television Series
This is one DVD set I've wanted for many years now, and now I finally own it. The 1966 Batman TV show, starring Adam West and Burt Ward, has always had a big impact on me, so it's been a real treat to revisit it all in its campy, candy-coloured glory.
I earnestly believe that this is in the top five takes on the character; yes, it is silly, but a lot of people seem to fail to realize that it is deliberately so. The writers didn't make it the way it was by accident! Leaning into the inherent wackiness of silver-age superherodom was a great choice, especially considering so many cape-centred films and TV shows tend to shy away from/make excuses for this aspect of the genre.
The Best of Abbott & Costello
As of right now, I have the first two of four volumes of this series of releases, collecting the Universal-era films of one of the great duos in entertainment. I'm hoping to scoop up the remaining half sooner rather than later.
What can you say about Bud and Lou that hasn't already been said eighty-odd years ago? Their chemistry was impeccable; they were so tapped into one another that some of their routines work at near-lightning speed. Who's on First (which is performed in a number of their movies-- they were not averse to repeating material, which in their latter years arguably became their chief weakness) is the obvious routine to dwell on, and for good reason, but this bit from their first feature, One Night in The Tropics, is a personal favorite of mine:
That's it! For now, at least-- I'd certainly enjoy doing more posts of this nature some time down the road, especially considering this one seemed to exclusively focus on old comedy DVDs, and I promise you I'm a bit more versatile a viewer than that. Here's to some more brief blurbs about Stuff in the future!
Nowadays, when you hear the names "Jan & Dean", it's typically as a quick footnote in discussions about the Beach Boys. They were America's Band™'s brothers-in-arms during the early days of what would become known as Surf Rock, and Brian Wilson had his first no. 1 single with them, as he co-wrote Surf City. They're cast aside as a mere stepping stone in the trajectory of one of the 21st century's greatest songwriters-- which, in all fairness, is one helluva shadow to be steeped in-- but at the end of the day, they were left behind in the Boys' dust and teenage symphonies to God; a nostalgic memory of a simpler scene where the only concerns were hot rods and hot dogs and two girls for every guy.
Is this all they were? I would argue an emphatic no. Jan & Dean actually have quite the interesting and even innovative history/catalogue under their belts, one that was stopped in its promising tracks by a tragic accident.
Did you know? That Jan Berry began his recording career in his garage in 1957, at the mere age of 16, when he assembled a professional-quality recording studio there on his lonesome?-- one of the earlier D.I.Y. efforts! His production credits don't end there; once he was a popstar proper, he was one of the first to "play the studio", as they say. He was instrumental in assembling the Wrecking Crew, the team of studio musicians who would play on several of the most important recordings of their era, and in general he took a forward-thinking approach, pioneering different techniques that no less than the aforementioned Brian Wilson himself credited as a major influence on his own then-burgeoning interest in producing his own music.
This is a tangent, though. If you'd like to read more about the life and career of Jan Berry, I highly recommend Mark A. Moore's comprehensive tome Dead Man's Curve: The Rock 'n' Roll Life of Jan Berry (admittedly, if the book has a fault it's that it spends a bit too much time dwelling on the minutiae here and there, even for my obsessive self. But it's still a great and definitive read).
If this was the case, you may scream at me through your screen, hoping to inflict psychic damage on the author of this post, then how come I've never heard any of these allegedly mind-blowing Jan & Dean songs? Where do we go beyond Surf City?
Guess what! I've compiled a concise, not-too-long playlist that gives you a little rundown of what the duo were capable of in their prime. At the bottom of this post, you'll find a link to this playlist on Spotify, but here are the tracks/links to them on YouTube (I'm using uploads that seem to be official, but if you're ever reading this and they appear to be taken down, just give me a holler in the comments and I'll try to rectify that).
Without further ado!
Blow Your Mind With Jan & Dean
The far-out sounds of two boys who drove beyond Surf City
Girl, You're Blowing My Mind - Jan & Dean
Kicking off this mixtape is the track that inspired its name. Believe it or not, like the often-entwined-in-this-story Brian Wilson and his SMiLE, Jan & Dean had their own semi-lost ambitious psychedelic masterwork that us diehards stubbornly insist would have changed some things had it come out. The album is called Carnival of Sound, and it's available on streaming nowadays, and I would definitely recommend you give the full thing a listen at some point. Girl You're Blowing My Mind introduces the album just as it does this playlist, and it serves as a wonderful welcome into the universe Jan was trying to create. A wild soundscape that beckons you forth towards a story of sitars and trippy atmospheres and, of course, girls.
I Can't Wait To Love You - Jan & Dean
This is my personal favorite Jan & Dean song (and one of my favorite songs in general). It's the one that made my ears stand up and give the duo a more thorough look in the first place. A lovely, mid-60s jangle-pop ode to the adrenaline rush romance can give ya. Easily on par with what the hip acts of the moment (The Byrds, The Lovin' Spoonful, and yes, the Beach Boys... have I mentioned them here yet?) were doing in 1966. The record it stems from, Folk 'n Roll, is another LP of theirs I'd recommend listening to in full at some point. It's a strong effort (save for The Universal Coward, a bafflingly out-of-step with the times attack on those opposed to the draft, that Dean refused to help record. Supposedly it didn't represent Jan's politics either, but rather his provocateur streak, and he penned it just to be a shit-disturber in the rock 'n pop scene), and copies on vinyl aren't too hard to come by since it's not a very rare or sought-after album. I have it in my record collection, in great condition too, courtesy of some random milk crate in a flea market.
Where Were You When I Needed You? - Jan & Dean
Another cut from Folk 'n Roll, this time a cover. This song originated with the Grass Roots, a garage-ish band assembled by songwriters P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri as a vehicle for their efforts, that is nowadays probably best-remembered for including The Office's Creed Bratton at one point. J&D's rendition of the song is my favorite take on it, complete with snarling proto-Johnny Rotten (I sort of kid, I doubt he ever heard this) vocals and a recurring bouncing bass-motif. Jan's orchestration and production skills really shine here.
Move Out Little Mustang - Jan & Dean
Co-written by-- not sure if you've ever heard of him-- Brian Wilson. One of the "car songs" that were in vogue for a moment there in 1964, hovering around the point in time when four lads from Liverpool would take a plane over to the US of A and change the music scene forever in their wake. This track has a trancelike, almost cosmic groove to it that suggests the more ambitious pastures Jan (who didn't write this one, but produced it still) and Brian would be headed for shortly.
I Know My Mind - Jan & Dean
We return to Carnival of Sound for a song with a tragic undercurrent to it. In April of 1966, Jan would be critically injured in a car wreck that left him with serious brain damage. Miraculously, throughout the years he was able to recover his faculties to a point where he could speak, sing, write and produce again. Over the next few years, he would attempt to record much of CoS. It's been theorized that I Know My Mind was a statement from Jan on his condition-- I can't do quite as much as I used to, but I'm still here. A mellow, reflective sound and pace defines the track.
Laurel & Hardy - Jan & Dean
Another moment from the Carnival sessions, this time much more joyous in nature. Jan pays homage to his comedy heroes Stan and Ollie (even including a soundbite from the two towards the end), insisting that they are timeless and will remain as such, even after both men had shed their mortal coils. Perhaps I'm biased as a fellow fan of the two, but I think Jan's assessment has still proven correct, even here in the big ol' 2025. Oh, by the way-- there is a demo recording of the tune with Jan's friend and Monkee-er around Davy Jones singing guide vox!
I Found A Girl - Jan & Dean
The introductory song off Folk 'N Roll and another great, exuberant jangly tune about love. This one surges with excited energy, as the boys rush into the studio to tell us the happy news.
The Joker Is Wild - Jan & Dean
So enamoured by the 1966 take on Batman with Quahog's own Adam West was Jan, that him and Dean put out an entire album paying tribute to it, drenched in the camp and humor that defined that take on the not-so-Dark Knight. It's sort of hit-and-miss (and a little racist during some parts of the spoken-word Goon Show-esque segments), but is a quirky artifact of the time that does have a couple of stand out moments. In my opinion, this song that pays tribute to the Joker before he lived in a society, complete with cackles and some circus-like moments to boot, is the best offering off the record and yet another great showcase of Jan's skills as a producer and arranger.
Love and Hate - Jan & Dean
Back to the Carnival for Jan's blunt assessment of the two sides that lurk within all of us. It definitely seems to have been inspired by the times, which in this case would've been the trippy transitional era between the acid-soaked, idealistic Love Generation, and the crash back to reality helmed by those who insisted The Dream Was Dead in the wake of Altamont and a chorus line of the hippie heroes dying off in quick succession. The conflict makes itself known here by alternating the song between urgent, anxious thundering crashes in the chorus and a more blissed-out psychedelic approach in the verses, soaring out over the chants of "HATE! HATE! HATE!" from just before, encouraging us to let love L-U-V win out no matter how tough it may be.
Bucket 'T' - Jan & Dean
Like Move Out Little Mustang, we find the duo with one foot in the hot-rodding camp of yesterday and the other foot stepping towards tomorrow. An infectious ode-- this one co-written by Dean!-- to the vintage (even then) modified Ford Model-Ts, complete with a catchy chant that will be stuck in your head for the rest of the week and a guitar tone that seems to somewhat anticipate more psychedelic sounds that were to come. This track was a favorite of Keith Moon's, who took lead vocals on a cover version recorded by the Who during sessions for A Quick One.
The Beat That Can't Be Beat - Jan & Arnie
Readers who have been paying attention-- there will be a quiz on this-- might have noticed a stranger's name in the place of where Dean's is supposed to go above. This was a song recorded before there was officially a Jan & Dean, during a brief period of time when Dean was in the army and Jan's high school classmate Arnie Ginsburg was therefore his Garfunkel of choice. This one hails from 1958, and is one of the fabled tracks cut in Jan's garage studio (with some overdubs at Radio Recorders in Santa Monica). It's a blend of doo-wop and rock 'n roll energy that precedes the Beach Boys by a few years (note the wonderful harmony stack here! Surely Brian took a note or two), that I've always felt was overlooked in favor of the fun-but-inferior ode to boobsJennie Lee.
Fan Tan - Jan & Dean
Our final foray into the Carnival of Sound (for now-- again, go listen to it in full!) is Jan's tribute to... gum. Apparently he really liked this brand of gum and decided to write a song about it in all its glory... the original perfume flavor! I've never had Fan Tan gum (I believe it's been discontinued), and I had never even heard of it prior to listening to this. I am morbidly curious what the "perfume flavor" was like. Is there a deodorant flavor as well? Flavors aside, this is a delightful song that seems to swell and swirl around you as you listen, with some gleeful orchestration and harmonies. Singing the praises of gum.
Dead Man's Curve - Jan & Dean
Closing out our compilation is the one that very well may have been Jan's crowning achievement, a song that would loom over their legacy like a spectre. Dead Man's Curve was Jan's production masterpiece, using sound effects and tight, meticulous orchestration to propel it forward and tell a story. The tale of a cocky hot-rodder who dares to race on the infamous, and real, road that's a magnet for accidents. Looney Tunes voice maestro Mel Blanc had a pretty serious car accident there two years before this 1963 track was released-- and thankfully recovered fully, but had to record some of his dialogue as that modern-stone age neighbor Barney Rubble from his hospital bed as he recuperated. And three years after the release, Jan himself would too face a near-fatal fate, the one that put him out of commission for quite some time and stopped an ambitious, promising artist in his tracks, on that very road.
"You won't come back from Dead Man's Curve..."
Thankfully, Jan proved his own lyrics wrong and progressed quite far after nearly meeting his maker. He pressed on and continued to create, his drive unstoppable as ever, with mixed results. In 1978, Dead Man's Curve became the title of a made-for-TV biopic about him and Dean that... isn't great. (But features the world's most beloved rock star Mike Love, in a cameo as himself! Wow!) Whatever you may think of the film's quality (and accuracy, which has been called into question many times), it sparked a resurgence of interest in the duo and brought them back together. Jan & Dean performed and recorded together on and off until Jan's passing in 2004.
As promised at the start, the Spotify version of this playlist is right below:
