The Best Of: Original Hits

The Lovin' Spoonful had a marvelous run on the pop charts in the mid- to late '60s, and hits like "Do You Believe in Magic," "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice," "Daydream," "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind," and "Summer in the City" still exhibit a bright folk-rock charm when they pop up on oldies radio, thanks largely to John Sebastian's wry, whimsical songwriting, which made every record the group made during its peak years of 1965 through 1967 feel as comfortable as a favorite pair of tennis shoes. This collection has all the essentials (although they made fine albums, the Lovin' Spoonful was first and foremost a singles band), and mirrors similar compilations from Rhino (Anthology), Buddha (Greatest Hits), Camden (Very Best of Lovin' Spoonful), and Paradiso (Best of the Lovin' Spoonful), each of which has the same material in varying sequences. Serious fans may want to get the individual studio albums, most of which have been reissued with bonus tracks, but for most folks a collection like this one will do just fine. ~ Steve Leggett|