Search - Lovin Spoonful :: Anthology

The forgotten princes of sixties pop

07/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It really was quite sad to watch the Lovin' Spoonful FINALLY be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and to see that virtually nobody there cared at all about them. Because their music wasn't all that topical, 'serious', or heavy...it's an alarming reality that the songs of the Spoonful are now only used to sell cleaning agents and autos. One listen to this superb selection by John Sebastian and his band clearly illustrates that they are one of the greatest and, dare I say, most overlooked bands of the sixties...and Sebastian is one of the most shamefully ingnored songwriters. The Lovin' Spoonful was a band that could successfully shift with ease from folk music to pop to jug band to rock and to, yes, even mild psychelia within the span of barely two years. It was their sheer love of 'the song' and their willingness to channel all of these different styles that made them so great and that make these tunes so unbelievably appealing. Of all the Spoonful collections that are now out there, I'd have to say that the ANTHOLOGY on Rhino is still the must-have. It's a great overview and introduction to a band that needs to be introduced more. Comprehensive liner notes with comments about individual songs from our hero, John Sebastian, gives this one the edge over the other best-of packages. A few good listens to the tracks contained within and just about anyone can see that the songs of John Sebastian are as universal and timeless as those of the great pre-rock composers like Cole Porter or Rodgers and Hart or Irving Berlin. "Darling Be Home Soon" alone is worth the price of admission, and that's one of their lesser hits."

The Spoonful Will Make You Believe in Magic

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 12/30/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It was welcome news (and about time!) when I read that the Lovin' Spoonful would be among the Class of 2000 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in March. However, this news is still offset by the fact that all of their original albums (except the two-fer soundtrack set What's Up Tiger Lily/You're a Big Boy Now) are regretably out of print in the U.S. [Hey, Kama Sutra, are you listening! And surely there are unreleased, live and/or alternate take tracks lying in the vaults to be used as bonus tracks.]In the meantime, this set from Rhino is a good sampling of the infectious, goodtime music that was the trademark of John Sebastion, Zal Yanovsky (for a real treat try to locate his solo "Alive and Well in Argentina"), Steve Boone and Joe Butler. All the hits are here: "Do You Believe in Magic," "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind," "Daydream, "Summer in the City," along with key album tracks like "Fishin' Blues," "Jug Band Music" and "Lovin' You."Tracks 1-20 feature the classic Spoonful lineup; 21-24 are with Jerry Yester replacing Zal. This version of the band made some good music, but a lot of the magic left with Zal. Tracks 25 and 26 are essentially Joe Butler solo tracks--but "Never Goin' Back" (NOT "Never Coming Back" as listed!) is a terrific song and blends in well with the Spoonful oeuvre.Until the Spoonful's first three studio albums (Do You Believe in Magic, Daydream and Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful) are back in print, buy this CD and enjoy one of the most celebrated and talented American pop bands of the mid-Sixties."

Excellent overview of this fine, underrated band

Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 11/18/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although hardly definitive (how could it be at one disc?), Anthology presents many of the best singles and album tracks recorded by this terrific, underrated 60's band. Many folks seem to forget that the Spoonful were favorably compared to the Beatles, Byrds and their other contemporaries. John Sebastian is, without a doubt, one of the finest song writers to have worked in the rock-pop idiom. The singles are punchy, full of hooks and strong harmonies that rival the best of both the Beatles and Beach Boys.Rhino has done its usual fine job of remastering the music. Although the linear notes could be a bit more instructive (i.e., it would have been interesting to learn a little more about the recordings from the entire band), they do a fine job of distilling what was going on at the time and inspired Sebastian to write some of the material.Best of all, this anthology restores some lustre to a band that has been lost in the hoopla and revisionist history by rock critics."