John Sebastian (lovin' Spoonful) Life and Times 1964-1999

Liner Note Author: Ian McFarlane.
Arranger: Johnny Young.
Though he's never had as high a profile, John Sebastian is as important to the development of rock and pop as Paul McCartney or Brian Wilson. As leader of the Lovin' Spoonful, he was among the first to merge folk and rock in the mid 1960s, combining sophistication and effervescence like an American equivalent to the Beatles. LIFE AND TIME is an ambitious chronicle that covers the key tracks from the Spoonful's '60s masterpieces as well as cherry-picking the highlights of Sebastian's subsequent solo career. Though the collection is weighted heavily toward the former, cuts like the country-rock gem "Stories We Could Tell" (later covered by the Everly Brothers) and the undeniably feel-good pop hit "Welcome Back" stand to prove that Sebastian remained a valid musical force long after his contemporaries traded their Beatle boots for Birkenstocks.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Folk