Album Reviews

Buying stereo records issued by obscure labels during the 1960s was always a challenge. First of all, you had tofind them. Most of the local stores in my area only carried mono for “the kids,” so that meant a trip to The Green Acres Shopping Center in Valley Stream, Long Island to hit Sam Goody’s where there was a small but useful “stereo” section where you could find rock.

Once you found a stereo copy of the record you were looking for, there was no way of knowing if it was really in stereo or just electronically crapped up for stereo, in which case you were better off with the plain old mono that cost a buck less.

MGM was a major label, but it was suspect since it’s “Sounds Great in Stereo” slogan usually meant crapped up fake stereo, especially on the UK originated albums the label licensed, like those from The Animals and Herman’s Hermits (thank you Mickey Most!). Pressing quality was poor as well. In fact, during the 1960s, MGM became the Deutsche Grammophon domestic distributor and pressed the records here for a while but the quality was so poor and the vinyl so noisy, they were forced to stop the presses and switch to distributing imported copies.

So when the first Lovin’ Spoonful album was issued back in 1965 on Kama-Sutra, a division of MGM Records, the stereo issue was suspect, but I remember taking a chance and when I first played it I flipped out! Not only was it real stereo, it was really good sounding: spacious, rich, not too much reverb, with a great drum sound, nice chime to the cymbals and even the background vocals had been separated from John Sebastian’s leads. This was an “adult” recording, applied to a kid’s group.

I later learned that at least one of The Lovin’ Spoonful albums was engineered by the great Roy Halee (Simon and Garfunkel, The Byrds, Dylan, etc.) and it might have been this one, or it might have been all of them. Most of this one was recorded at legendary Bell Sound, one of NYC’s busiest recording studios at the time. The studio had a lathe and cut many of the records recorded there,

The group’s debut, named for the timeless classic tune, also includes the slinky “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind” as well as the willowy “Younger Girl,” covered successfully by the Plainfield New Jersey band The Critters. The Spoonful cover Fred Neil’s thoughtful “Other Side of This Life” and the Brill Building Mann/Weill hit “You Baby,” and while there was also a bit of filler, the playing is spirited and the “good timey” jug band feel of the less than stellar stuff made this album way better than most of the contemporary exploitation albums containing a hit single, the “B” side and lotsa filler. John Sebastian sang the familiar hits, but guitarist Zal Yanovsky and drummer Joe Butler contribute lead vocals too.

Forty plus years later, the Lovin’ Spoonful’s debut album retains its attractive charms and has dated extremely well, both musically and sonically.

Toronto-born Zal Yanovsky is gone (he had returned to Canada and opened a successful restaurant. He passed away last year), Sebastian apparently has lost his voice, Joe Butler took up acting and commercial jingle writing and fronted a reformed Spoonful without Sebastian but with bassist Steve Boone (who was the engineer on Little Feat’s Feats Don’t Fail Me Now) and later Spoonful member Jerry Yester. As for John Sebastian, who rumor had it, had mysteriously “lost” his voice, he’s back at it, performing live and recording. He’s got a new album (November, 2007) with David Grisman called Satisfied.

Aside from finding an original copy of Do You Believe In Magic?, you have two reissue choices: Speakers Corner’s new 180g one that faithfully reproduces the cover art and track order and a gatefold 180g edition from Sundazed that includes a few bonus tracks, a worthwhile essay and lots of great old photos and album art.

The Sundazed reissue comes closer to re-creating the original’s warm, midrange and appropriately relaxed sound, though the bonus tracks either add or detract from the original track order, depending upon your perspective while Speakers Corner’s new reissue has greater dynamic clout, cleaner transients and overall detail, and deeper bass. The Speakers Corner edition is certainly punchier and more transparent, but it also sounds more “modern,” and perhaps not in keeping with the spirit or intent of the original. Either way, a fun trip down memory lane for boomers and a mellow ride for younger music fans wishing to experience the goofy innocence of a special time long gone.