CP/M User
Ace in the Hole
Artist: The Lovin' Spoonful
Album: Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful
Genre: Folk-Rock
This album was originally released on Vinyl in 1966, however for this Review I will be working off the CD version of this album. Unfortunately I don't know when my CD was released, I brought my copy in the mid-90s and as it is it's simply the original 11 track album of "Hums of The Lovin' Spoonful" without any bonus tracks. More recent versions of this CD I've noticed include additional tracks, unfortunately for this review I cannot include those, so if people want to comment on them, then feel free to include them in this thread! As my CD stands it appears to have no Digital Remastering, so I'm guessing it's an AAD job - Analogue Tape recorder used during session recording and subsequent mixing and/or editing & Digital Tape Recorder used during mastering (transcription) - I think. Having said all that my album appears to sound quite good and don't have any major dramas with it the cover suggesting that it's been done in Stereo, though as times have progressed and recording technologies have advanced, had this album being done in the 21st Century using all the same instrumentation and band members performing at their peak, it wouldn't sound as dated perhaps - feel free to debate!
At the time Hums of The Lovin' Spoonful was released the band consisted of John Sebastian as Lead and Background vocals, Guitar, 12-string Guitar, Autoharp, Piano, Organ, Ocarina, Pedal Steel Guitar, Irish Harp. Steve Boone playing Electric and Double Bass, Piano, Organ & Percussion. Joe Butler playing Drums, Percussion, Background Vocals and Lead Vocal for "Full Measure". Zal Yanovsky playing Electric and acoustic guitar, Banjo, Background Vocals, Slide Whistle & Lead Vocal for "Voodoo in My Basement". Additional Personnel for this album were Henry Diltz playing Clarinet, Artie Schroeck playing Electric Piano for "Summer In The City" and Larry Hankin playing **** Harp.
With my CD I've got a brief summary about the Lovin' Spoonful & their history, their success in the charts and how the Lovin' Spoonful was one of America's answers to the British Invasion, the majority of their hits were based in the US and had four in the UK and five in Australia - three of them being on Hums of The Lovin' Spoonful - those being "Summer In The City", "You And Me and Rain On The Roof" and "Nashville Cats".
Here's the Track Listing For The Hum's Of The Lovin' Spoonful:
1. Lovin' You
2. Bes' Friends
3. Voodoo In My Basement
4. Darlin' Companion
5. Henry Thomas
6. Full Measure
7. You And Me And Rain On The Roof
8. Coconut Grove
9. Nashville Cats
10. 4 Eyes
11. Summer In The City
Well I guess it's no surprise why I brought Hums of The Lovin' Spoonful. At the time I was Lovin' "Summer In The City" and I saw this album and it turned out to be a very wise impulse buy because I haven't seen the album on CD or anything since in Music Stores! "Summer In the City" was the song I had to have, though I also knew "Nashville Cats" and knew that was a great song as well. While critics tend to slide this album in the Folk-Rock arena, it's an album which I feel has got a big Country-Rock feel about it, though it also has it's Folk roots about it as well as a hint of acid with those Guitars roaring in "4 Eyes" for example! Initially I was still quite young when I got this album, and didn't know what to make of this album, but it soon very quickly grew on me in the depth of it's Instrumentation & since it came out in 1966 - one could probably say that a bit of "Pet Sounds" played a role on this album and likewise many albums from different bands to come! Tracks like "Henry Thomas" literally throw in everything and the Kitchen Sink, at first I didn't know what to make of it, but that funny voice of John Sebastian made it sound appealing and amusing, making it a satire of sorts but quite rewarding. "Full Measure" is perhaps one of my favourites on the album, though the whole album is wonderful, though because Joe Butler did lead vocals on Full Measure, it offered quite a somewhat similar voice to John Sebastian, though somewhat softer and lounge like.
Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful is the third album to come out from the Lovin' Spoonful, sadly it's the only album I have, apart from a Very Best of Compilation album from them and a couple of 45s, their a band I would love to hear their music on, the Compilation album I had has some wonderful tunes not found on Hums of The Lovin' Spoonful, though misses some great tracks which aren't on the Compilation album, but personally I found to highly enjoy their music, which includes harder edged songs like "Voodoo In My Basement" & "4 Eyes" to the softer side of them with tunes like "Coconut Grove" & "You and Me And Rain on the Roof" to ballards like "Lovin' You" & "Darlin' Companion" and the more unusual "Bes' Friends", "Henry Thomas" and "Full Measure" which is something different from everything else which is on the album, but in an amazing way and to cap it off with the hit songs "Summer In The City" and "Nashville Cats" it's definitely worth a look if you're into something that has a sort of Country-Rock sound about it with a bit of Folk-Rock to Boot! 4.5 Out of 5 I Give an album like this!
Album: Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful
Genre: Folk-Rock
This album was originally released on Vinyl in 1966, however for this Review I will be working off the CD version of this album. Unfortunately I don't know when my CD was released, I brought my copy in the mid-90s and as it is it's simply the original 11 track album of "Hums of The Lovin' Spoonful" without any bonus tracks. More recent versions of this CD I've noticed include additional tracks, unfortunately for this review I cannot include those, so if people want to comment on them, then feel free to include them in this thread! As my CD stands it appears to have no Digital Remastering, so I'm guessing it's an AAD job - Analogue Tape recorder used during session recording and subsequent mixing and/or editing & Digital Tape Recorder used during mastering (transcription) - I think. Having said all that my album appears to sound quite good and don't have any major dramas with it the cover suggesting that it's been done in Stereo, though as times have progressed and recording technologies have advanced, had this album being done in the 21st Century using all the same instrumentation and band members performing at their peak, it wouldn't sound as dated perhaps - feel free to debate!
At the time Hums of The Lovin' Spoonful was released the band consisted of John Sebastian as Lead and Background vocals, Guitar, 12-string Guitar, Autoharp, Piano, Organ, Ocarina, Pedal Steel Guitar, Irish Harp. Steve Boone playing Electric and Double Bass, Piano, Organ & Percussion. Joe Butler playing Drums, Percussion, Background Vocals and Lead Vocal for "Full Measure". Zal Yanovsky playing Electric and acoustic guitar, Banjo, Background Vocals, Slide Whistle & Lead Vocal for "Voodoo in My Basement". Additional Personnel for this album were Henry Diltz playing Clarinet, Artie Schroeck playing Electric Piano for "Summer In The City" and Larry Hankin playing **** Harp.
With my CD I've got a brief summary about the Lovin' Spoonful & their history, their success in the charts and how the Lovin' Spoonful was one of America's answers to the British Invasion, the majority of their hits were based in the US and had four in the UK and five in Australia - three of them being on Hums of The Lovin' Spoonful - those being "Summer In The City", "You And Me and Rain On The Roof" and "Nashville Cats".
Here's the Track Listing For The Hum's Of The Lovin' Spoonful:
1. Lovin' You
2. Bes' Friends
3. Voodoo In My Basement
4. Darlin' Companion
5. Henry Thomas
6. Full Measure
7. You And Me And Rain On The Roof
8. Coconut Grove
9. Nashville Cats
10. 4 Eyes
11. Summer In The City
Well I guess it's no surprise why I brought Hums of The Lovin' Spoonful. At the time I was Lovin' "Summer In The City" and I saw this album and it turned out to be a very wise impulse buy because I haven't seen the album on CD or anything since in Music Stores! "Summer In the City" was the song I had to have, though I also knew "Nashville Cats" and knew that was a great song as well. While critics tend to slide this album in the Folk-Rock arena, it's an album which I feel has got a big Country-Rock feel about it, though it also has it's Folk roots about it as well as a hint of acid with those Guitars roaring in "4 Eyes" for example!
Initially I was still quite young when I got this album, and didn't know what to make of this album, but it soon very quickly grew on me in the depth of it's Instrumentation & since it came out in 1966 - one could probably say that a bit of "Pet Sounds" played a role on this album and likewise many albums from different bands to come! Tracks like "Henry Thomas" literally throw in everything and the Kitchen Sink, at first I didn't know what to make of it, but that funny voice of John Sebastian made it sound appealing and amusing, making it a satire of sorts but quite rewarding. "Full Measure" is perhaps one of my favourites on the album, though the whole album is wonderful, though because Joe Butler did lead vocals on Full Measure, it offered quite a somewhat similar voice to John Sebastian, though somewhat softer and lounge like. Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful is the third album to come out from the Lovin' Spoonful, sadly it's the only album I have, apart from a Very Best of Compilation album from them and a couple of 45s, their a band I would love to hear their music on, the Compilation album I had has some wonderful tunes not found on Hums of The Lovin' Spoonful, though misses some great tracks which aren't on the Compilation album, but personally I found to highly enjoy their music, which includes harder edged songs like "Voodoo In My Basement" & "4 Eyes" to the softer side of them with tunes like "Coconut Grove" & "You and Me And Rain on the Roof" to ballards like "Lovin' You" & "Darlin' Companion" and the more unusual "Bes' Friends", "Henry Thomas" and "Full Measure" which is something different from everything else which is on the album, but in an amazing way and to cap it off with the hit songs "Summer In The City" and "Nashville Cats" it's definitely worth a look if you're into something that has a sort of Country-Rock sound about it with a bit of Folk-Rock to Boot!
4.5 Out of 5 I Give an album like this! 
: Be great if John went back to play with his old mates, lots of his songs simply appeal to me because he seems to be such a gentle guy with that tongue in cheek in the right quantity which I just love! 
