Search - Lovin Spoonful :: Live at the Hotel Seville

Know What You Are Buying! Then enjoy it.

07/12/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"OK, I'll likely be a lone voice here, but I really like this album. That's not to say that the other reviewers are wrong for feeling ripped off, though.If I had not recently seen this band live, I would have been very upset with this CD. I knew what I was getting into and can really enjoy the music as a result.The Lovin' Spoonful consists of Joe Butler (original drummer, now on autoharp), Steve Boone (original bassist), Jerry Yester (long time behind-the-scenes Spoon and later sorta original gutarist), a really good young drummer and Jerry's daughter on keyboard. That means that two key.....perhaps the MOST key..... players are missing. But let's look at the situation.As Spoons fans know, Sebastian lost his voice many years ago. He still does wonderful concerts without the voice. He kind of whispers the lyrics and the audience (which knows the lyrics, anyway) sings along. It's GREAT fun! His recordings with his jug band sound good, since they pump his voice up in the studio. So, even if he WANTED to do a Spoonful show, he most likely couldn't. But I doubt that he wants to.Zal is out of the music biz. He has a very successful eatery in Canada. It's the kind of place that (as Joe Butler told me), "wouldn't let a guy like Zal into." We all grow as we age. I'm not doing the same thing at 46 that I was doing at 20. Are you?So, what we have are three guys who are keeping some great music alive. They put on a very good show and they are genuine good guys. Hey, the Glen Miller band toured for years without Glen. Danny & the Juniors still tour even though Danny blew his brains out years ago. Umm...OK....bad example. I do think it was a mistake to issue this CD without noting on the cover just who is (or isn't) in the band. Yeah, there's a photo, but it's about one square inch big. They are just opening themselves up for angry consumers by not telling the whole truth. In the band's defense, I have heard (but cannot verify) that the CD was meant to be sold only at the live shows and on the Web site. Obviously, that didn't happen.If you can accept a Lovin' Spoonful that lacks Sebastian and Zally, get this album. It's a lot of fun, it's great music, and it promises to make you smile and sing along. And be sure to check out one of the live shows! You'll have a blast!"

What's the Point?

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 03/07/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The Lovin' Spoonful without John Sebastion is like the Who without Pete Townshend. The Lovin' Spoonful without John Sebastion AND Zal Yanovsky is like the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It just isn't the same. And that's the whole problem with this live album. I'm reminded of an oldies package I saw a few years back that was headlined by the Monkees during their twentieth anniversary tour. It also featured Herman's Hermits (with only Derek Leckenby from the original group), and Gary Pucket (with an all-new Union gap). Even the Monkees were without their key member Michael Nesmith. I felt cheated. And this album is a cheat also. Sure, you get 15 Spoonful gems that are adequately performed, but the spark isn't there. Original members Steve Boone and Joe Butler, and Jerry Yester (who only appeared on the final Spoonful album Everything Playing) offer competent renditions, but what's the point? They all pale in comparison to the originals.Stick with Rhinos's excellent Anthology and hope the Spoonful's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this month will generate enough interest in the band to see Kama Sutra re-release their original albums (ideally with bonus tracks--how 'bout live tracks from the ORIGINAL band?)."

Acoustic Live in 1998--NOT Electric Sixties!

Craig A. Buxton | Midlothian, Virginia | 02/08/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Beware! This is not a rock recording from the 60s! Neither John Sebastian nor Zal Yanovsky is on it. This is a five-person group of two founding members: Joe Butler and Steve Boone, one almost original member (Jerry Yester who replaced Zal in 1967, but he did play piano on the original "Do You Believe in Magic"), all in their 50s ("not that there's anything wrong with that"), and two new(er) members. With that warning in mind, this is the kind of music you might expect to hear on a "Prairie Home Companion" episode: excellent quality recording, nice chemistry among the members, and an appreciative audience. But it's not rock 'n roll (glaringly apparent on "Summer in the City"), and I think it's downright deceitful that you don't know what you've got until you've opened it--and it's too late."