The Lovin’ Spoonful/John Sebastian solo in the ‘70s

[@namesameasu]

Thanks for your review. I think Sebastian was one of the best songwriters of the mid 60s. One of my biggest unansswered mysteries in life is why that ability ran out of gas. He later became more introspective which eventually weighed down his songwriting perhaps, becoming an acquired taste. Still, not bad though until Forur Of Us. Perhsonally, I believe Four OF Us is the weakest of the solos. It's like a home movie that a friend forces you to watch lol. Tarzana Kid's first side is good, but the second side is total filler. Welcome Back, for me --- and perhaps nobody else it seems, was a return to form. He doesn't take himself as seriously as he did on his last two solos from that time. I could hear Zally's influence on One Step Forward. She's Funny is better than all of Four of Us and Tarzana Kid combined. Hideaway is a mid 70s attempt at a pop tune that almost works albiet it didn't chart very well. Dolly Parton later covered I Needed You Most When I Told You To Go I beilieve. A Song a Day In Nashville is Sebasitan's introspective songwriting at its best. The downside for me is that it's really Sebasitan's last ... so far ... and I've been waiitng since the mid 70's..... By the time of Tar Beach in the 90s, Sebastian was already losing his voice and I believe his songwriting reflected that limitation, weakening the formula. The J-Band and Satisfeid were more satifiying later works in some ways that utilized his vocal change, but were all collaborations with few original tunes. Overall, I wish he continued to write. My Passing Fantasy from the 90s is perhaps his most recent original song and even that has its charms. At any rate, thanks for allowing me this time to vent. I still have the Spoonful era that I cherish, including Everything Playing and his first solo album + Welcome Back, so I shouldn't complain.

[@lancewilson7038]

Thanks for the review! Maybe I should give Tarzana Kid and Welcome Back another try then.