"I first heard Spanky and Our Gang as a very young child. My teenage brother graciously let me tag along with him wherever he went, and usually there was a radio nearby, so I heard a LOT of popular music from the era. In 1967-68, Spanky and Our Gang were all over the airwaves, and I guess they left an indelible impression on me, because to this day their sound is my favorite -- an ethereal blend of voices, horns, strings, poetic lyrics, and a folk-rock beat, all dreamy harmonies and overtones. As with every outstanding band, Spanky and Our Gang's sound was more than the sum of its parts, and this elusive quality shines through in all their songs. (They sound like The Mamas and Papas with lusher arrangements.)"Spanky's Greatest Hits" preserves this sound, keeping it alive for a new generation. From the complex "Like to Get to Know You" to the sad "Sunday Will Never Be the Same," this CD indeed captures the best of Spanky and Our Gang. Sadly, their lesser-known songs never play on oldies radio stations; this greatest hits CD is a great way to hear such "forgotten" gems as "Three Ways from Tommorrow" once again."
Gotta Have It!
Michael | Irvine, CA United States | 10/29/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I fell in love with Spanky back in 9th grade. They were (and are) my favorite group from that era. I didn't know until I bought the album (I own it on vinyl and CD that my favorite tune, "I'd Like To Get To Know You" was actually longer than the part they always played on the radio!The CD is one hit after another, each evoking fond memories of a time gone by."
Wonderful recordings make their way from vinyl to CD!
Michael | 09/10/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"While my original Spanky's GH LP is grey from the thousands of plays it's sufferred through, it's great to have these recordings available once again -- this time in the digital domain. This CD mirrors the original LP release with a couple of minor exceptions. On "Lazy Day" the panned-stereo sound of 'children saying hello' is missing. Also, the mix of "Give A Damn" - if I'm not mistaken - is missing the giant guitar strum on the front of it. These minor differences shouldn't stop anyone from considering the purchase of this CD. A more complete anthology exist only on the Rhino record label as a vinyl LP. Spanky is married to a member of The Turtles road crew, and the picture on the cover of the CD is of her with their son, (I believe) Matthew, circa 1969."
Fantastic, Brilliant, Can't recommend it highly enough
John P. Morgan | 04/21/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Well, I'm only 25, so I wasn't even born when these songs were recorded, but this really is an incredible collection. There isn't really a bad song on it. I prefer S&OG to the Mamas and Papas (great though they are) because the songs they perform are better. I love the vocal harmonies, the strings, and the use of different guitar sounds (eg bossa nova style on 'bird avenue'). Basically, this is brilliant, a revelation."
Once I Thought I Found Her, Built My World Around Her...
John P. Morgan | Beautiful San Dimas, CA | 04/30/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The song the "reeled" me into this group was, Like To Get To Know You. I first remember hearing this song at age eight and even then I liked it for its dreamy, almost surrealistic qualities. It is definetely a classic that rarely gets played on the radio. In fact, I think that this group was kind of cheated out of a lot of air play. Maybe radio stations thought they sounded too much like the Mamas and the Poppas, but to me, they had a sound all their own. It was poppy...but not too poppy. It was folksy but not too folksy. To me, this band knew how to be true to themselves and not copy or try and imitate anyone else who was out at the same time.
I like the whole album, but I always press repeat when it comes to Like To Get To Know You. I don't know what it is about that song, but it's beautiful, it's haunting, it makes my heart feel heavy and yet it lifts my spirit. Maybe that's what it was intended to do. I don't know. But I have to stop whatever it is I'm doing when it's playing and I just let soak into my unconscious allowing whatever images may come up to come up. It's a trippy, gorgeous, wonderful song and if you bought the CD for this one song it would be worth it.