John Sebastian - The Best Of John Sebastian (1989)[Rhino}
Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
Original Release Date: 1989
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Rhino / Wea
ASIN: B0000032BP
This excellent CD compiles sixteen tracks released on John Sebastian's four studio albums issued on the Reprise label between 1970 and 1976.
When he began his solo career, John Sebastian already had a prestigious past. His early career as a studio folk-blues musician was followed by an incredibly successful stint with the Lovin' Spoonful. He wrote (or co-wrote) their seven Top 10 and four further Top 50 singles. He also sang lead on all of them.
Sebastian quit the band in 1967 to become more of a "singer-songwriter" (which he had, actually, been all along within the ranks of the Lovin' Spoonful, just as, say, Paul McCartney had been within the Beatles). With the Spoonful, John Sebastian experimented with a potent mixture of folk, jug band, rock & roll, country and even orchestrated movie scoring. This sense of experimentation remained a constant during his solo career as well, especially as he was able to draw on numerous supporting musicians.
Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 come from his first Top 20 LP titled "John B. Sebastian" (1970) recorded with a bunch of L.A. luminaries. This is widely considered his best LP. All the selections are very, very good, although I have personally never like "The Room Nobody Lives In". The studio version of Woodstock's "Rainbow All Over Your Blues" might have been a better choice. "You're A Big Boy Now" (track 4) is more fully realized than on the original Lovin' Spoonful soundtrack LP and I like this interpretation better.
Two tracks are lifted from "The Four Of Us" (1971), the best being a rocking version of "Well, Well, Well" (track 15) with John in splendid voice on this old blues tune first waxed by Blind Willie Johnson as "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed" (1927). The title track is also superb, with its tuneful, relaxing voice and instrumentation backing.
Tracks 7, 12, 13 are taken from the eclectic, superlative and underrated "Tarzana Kid" (1974.) These songs are truly wonderful and I wish that more tracks had been chosen from this album. The most glaring omissions are John's renditions of Lowell George "Dixie Chicken" and of Melvin Endsley's "Singing the Blues". The backing musicians are stellar, featuring Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Amos Garrett, David Grisman, Buddy Emmons, etc. Famed Spoonful producer Erik Jacobsen reunited with John for this album.
Tracks 8, 9, 10 and 14 are from John's last major label album "Welcome Back" (1976). The title track topped the US pop singles charts. "Didn't Want To Have To Do It" (track 10) is really top-notch. It is delivered in a weary voice that slightly betters, IMO, the already superfine original Spoonful track. The two other original are also very effective.
Finally, ""Give Us a Break" is a quiet, nice, non-LP single from 1972 that is welcome.
The sound is pretty good for a 1989 digital mastering, although not quite up to the standard of the Rhino Handmade box set released in 2001.
A final word: Collector's Choice will release all of the aforementioned albums (as well as the live "Cheapo-Cheapo Productions") in 2007, using Rhino's remasters.
If you only want a single CD collection from John Sebastian, do consider buying this one while it is still around. You will not be disappointed. (~ jayhikkss "Dr Simon to you", Amazon.com)
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