Singles A's And B's

One of the most delightful bands of the mid- to late-'60s, the Lovin' Spoonful, led by John Sebastian's songwriting and singing, had a string of good-time hits in the latter part of the decade, all of which are here, including the classics "Do You Believe in Magic?," "Daydream," and the thundering "Summer in the City," as well as the infectious did/didn't series "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?," "I Didn't Want to Have to Do It," and "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice," all three of which have refreshingly simple melodies and approaches. There are numerous Spoonful collections on the market, though, and most of them will have these same songs, but what makes this two-disc, 32-track set interesting is the full view it gives of this wonderful band, whose talent ran deeper than just Sebastian. All the hits are here, but so are the B-sides, which make this a deeper, more rounded portrait than your basic best-of collection usually offers. ~ Steve Leggett|