THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL

The members of this group were lead singer John Sebastian, Zal Yanovsky, Joe Butler, and Steve Boone. John and Zal had previously been members of the Mugwumps, whose other two members were Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot, later of the Mamas and the Papas. Zal died in December 2002.

All the Best of the Lovin' Spoonful

Total time - 35:42
The cover photo shows clay figures of the guys, with a multicolored paper serving as a background.

1. Do You Believe In Magic (2:03) - The tempo is moderately fast. A tambourine enters at the start of the second verse. Although the guitar licks and the backup vocals are louder than John's leads, I can tell that the magic to which the narrator refers lies in rock 'n' roll.

2. You Didn't Have To Be So Nice (2:26) - This song, slightly slower than the previous one, features cymbal drums and bells. Again, John's voice is overpowered by the other guys', but I like the melody played by the lead guitar. Even if the girl hadn't been nicer than necessary, the narrator would have liked her.

3. Rain On The Roof (2:12) - The first two songs were a bit quiet, but this and the next song are louder at the same volume setting. The tempo here is moderate. A tambourine plays on every second beat. During the instrumentals I hear the muffled sound of a horn. After the narrator and his girlfriend have soaked themselves in a summer rainfall, he likes how her hair looks. The "roof of tin" is probably the roof of a silo, since the couple sit atop a haystack in one verse.

4. Darling Be Home Soon (3:30) - This song plays at a similar speed to the previous one and opens with a short guitar solo. A tambourine plays during the first verse and the first singing of the chorus. At the start of the second verse, regular drums enter. From the end of the second verse, string instruments and horns play. The narrator realizes that his girlfriend has to leave--for the summer, perhaps? In any case, he feels anxious when she's away.

5. Summer In The City (2:40) - This moderately fast song, a #1 hit for the Spoonful, features a piano and a tambourine. Just after the second occurrence of the chorus, I hear sound effects of cars' horns honking followed by an engine roaring. Life in the city seems dull, but in the chorus the narrator tells every guy to find a girl with whom to dance all night.

6. Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind (1:57) - This bright, moderate song includes soft drums and a tambourine; if you listen closely, you can faintly hear a piano. When the narrator has trouble deciding whether to love one girl or her older sister, here comes my favorite part: a voice playing the part of the girls' father speaking, "You'd better go home, son, and make up your mind!"

7. Daydream (2:18) - This song has a moderate swing tempo. It lacks drums but features a harmonica and, from one of the guitars, vibratory effects. Someone whistles during the instrumentals. The "bundle of joy" of which the narrator daydreams is the girlfriend he wishes he had. Hyperbole is used once here: "You may be daydreamin' for a thousand years."

8. Younger Girl (2:18) - This song, slightly faster than the previous one, also is drumless; in fact, guitars are the only instruments here. The narrator is in love with a "younger girl." Younger than whom? The narrator? Any other girl he has known? In any case, he thinks that perhaps if he waits a few years, he will win her love.

9. Six O'Clock (2:41) - The tempo is moderately fast. The drums enter at the start of the second verse. Another instrument featured here is an organ. The narrator and his girlfriend rise just before 6 a.m. to see the sunrise reflecting on the beach.

10. Nashville Cats (2:35) - My favorite Spoonful song is moderately fast. The guitar licks are an apt match for lyrics about guitarists in the country-music capital. A tambourine and hand-clapping are also featured. I'm also impressed with the narrator's knowledge of exact counts of this and that in Nashville.

11. She Is Still A Mystery (To Me) (2:57) - The prevalent tempo is slightly faster than moderate, though a couple of parts are slow. Horns are among the instruments here. When the narrator met his girlfriend, he thought that after some time he would understand her, but the more he sees in her, the more there is for him to see.

12. Didn't Want To Have To Do It (2:36) - The tempo is slow and in 12/8 time. The drums play softly. The narrator's girlfriend must have cheated on him, or else he had discovered some other reason(s) that the two were not suitable for each other. In any case, he regrets that he had to be the one to end the relationship.

13. Lovin' You (2:28) - Here's another bright, moderately fast rock-country song. While the narrator's girlfriend takes a nap, he will just sit next to her and think loving thoughts about her.

14. Let The Boy Rock And Roll (2:31) - This fast song features a tambourine. The guitar licks aptly fit the title and the lyrics. During the first 13 seconds, John speaks the first couple of lines over a drum solo. The narrator overhears his mother assuring his father that there's nothing wrong with the narrator's rockin' and rollin'.

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