"This review, unlike most that I write, is highly personal.
I am the world's biggest SPANKY & OUR GANG fan, unabashedly so. All the group's albums and 45s (picture sleeves, mostly) were treasures in my youth. Fifteen years after they disbanded (following the untimely death of Malcolm Hale), I would invariably reach for an Our Gang album to play, even though surrounded by thousands of options in my record store. This group was that compelling for me.
In the early 90s, I met Spanky McFarlane briefly, after a South Florida New Mamas & Papas concert. She was a pretty little thing, and had the BIGGEST singing voice imaginable. When we spoke of the loss of Malcolm, you could actually feel her pain. Spanky is a real person, and a true star.
As for THE COMPLETE MERCURY RECORDINGS--
DESIGN:
This is a compact, nicely organized collection. All four Our Gang albums have been sonically spruced up and given a clarity the original vinyl never had. Song order and mixes remain intact. The Limited Edition book-styled set is made of sturdy paper and has 24-pages of liner notes and data. Several group photos are included, but since there's no captions to match faces to names, those less-familiar with group members will be left to guess who (besides Spanky) is who.
MUSIC:
My favorite is still the posthumous LIVE album. Without overdubs and orchestrations, you can clearly hear what made S&OG so special: their superb voices, personalities and humor. Highlights include the intricate four-part acappella harmony on "Waltzing Matilda," and a version of Gordon Lightfoot's "Steel Rail Blues" that may be the ultimate interpretation of that fine song. Spanky wails away in perfect Chicago blues style on "Oh Daddy" while the guys cut up behind her. The live recording is an album full of smiles.
WITHOUT RHYME OR REASON B/W ANYTHING YOU CHOOSE, their last recorded LP, is simply put: a masterpiece-- one of THE finest issues of 1969 (see my review of it for details). After hearing this thoughtfully put-together and lovely album, one is left wanting more and wishing that Malcolm's loss in late '68 hadn't hastened the group's dissolution.
LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU, with it's Roaring 20's nostalgia cover, contains the very first (and in my opinion BEST) version of Fred Neil's "Echoes Of My Mind." A year or so later, Harry Nilsson (and MIDNIGHT COWBOY) would score big with the same song, retitled "Everybody's Talking." The Gang's take on Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne," with their changing moods and rhythms is another album highlight, as is the opener, "The Swinging Gate." The five-part harmonied "Sunday Mornin'" is still, IMO, this group's very best single.
SPANKY & OUR GANG, their first release, contains the most charting singles (three), but also has the first-ever version of "Leaving On A Jet Plane." "Commercial" is still quite funny, and "Distance" is an overlooked gem.
SPANKY'S GREATEST HIT(S), with cover shot of new-mom Spanky, offers remixes of top sellers. The original extended-length "Sunday Mornin'" is here, as well. Spanky comments on the LP in this compilation's liner notes.
PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED RARITIES includes "Crying," which is a song from the Gang's first recording session, in 1966.
THE MONO SINGLE MIXES features the Gang's first 45, "And Your Bird Can Sing/Sealed With A Kiss." This one missed the mark in 1966, but only by a little.
SPANKY & OUR GANG * THE COMPLETE MERCURY RECORDINGS presents two years worth of remarkably varied music. Buy this one with confidence, for it is GREAT GREAT stuff! Listen, and you too just may end up "Stuperflabbergasted."
P.S. to Spanky: Somebody in Florida (besides Nigel) loves yah!
TOTAL RUNNING TIMES --
DISC ONE - Spanky & Our Gang - Like To Get To Know You -- 68:08
DISC TWO - Anything You Choose (etc.) - Spanky's Greatest Hit(S) -- 75:19
DISC THREE - Spanky & Our Gang Live - Previously Unreleased Rarities -- 60:32
DISC FOUR - The Mono Single Mixes -- 58:33"
Where to begin?
Dr.D.Treharne | Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom | 11/05/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Having waited years for somebody to remaster the Spanky and Our Gang albums, along comes this four CD boxed set to remind me why I was so enthusiastic about what they were doing in the late 60's and also chart their rise, success and eventual demise.It's possible to argue that this is for completists only, but to listen to them remastered and as is pointed out in another review, having shelled out $30+ for a single unmastered Japanese CD puts the price you have to pay into perspective. Undoubtedly the relative familiarity (if you're that old!) with the material on disks one and two makes them the obvious plce to start, but the other two disks have some 'buried treasure" to yield. That said I always though the vocal mix on the "live!" album was strange, and it remains so, because that's how it was recorded!The rarities (Tracks 13 to 19 on Disk 3) have stereo mixes of tracks which were considered for single release. Disk 4 has all the mono single including the ultra rare (in Britain anyway) of the first two single sides, followed in chronological order by the rest. If you missed out on the band first time around this is an excellent investment, and although it appears to be 'a limited' edition there's no indication on my boxed set what that actually means.One gripe and then the exhortation to purchase. Someone, in remastering the second album has missed out nearly all the spoken exchange about the slipper in "like to get to know you"; why? This collection ought to be a 'must have' for anyone remotely interest in the quality music that was being produced in the U.S. at the end of the sixties. As I said in the title of the review, 'where to begin?' to which the answer might be buy this set."
Superb fusion of Jazz, Blues, Pop, Rock, and Folk!
John C. Cassetta | Can't 4get theMotor City | 01/03/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"About 25 years ago a good friend introduced me to a Spanky and Our Gang LP, Without Rhyme Or Reason. For a person with eclectic tastes, such as myself, it was a delight! Socially conscious lyrics and humor, an occasional blues and even a cover of a 1940's composition (Hong Kong Blues; also covered by George Harrison). The CD versions of the original S&OG LPs had been only offered in Japan and the price (about $30. each) seemed prohibitive. When I heard that Hippo-select remastered EVERYTHING S&OG had recorded I broke my rule of only buying used and immediately ordered this. It has been wonderful to discover many new S&OG tracks, both original and covers (so well done). These recordings drip with the essence of all the positive vibes we associate with the 1960's. Enjoy this wonderful compilation. Only one small issue; the packaging is all cardboard, so it needs to be taken care of. This remaster package was limited to 5000 pressings, although not numbered, I believe it will be certainly a difficult item to own as the years pass."
Classic Music From Halcyon Days
Richard S. Ledford | Provo, Utah | 03/31/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was fortunate to have been old enough to remember and appreciate songs from the halcyon days of pop music (1965-1972). One group which excellently typified this period of music was Spanky and Our Gang. The group was lead by Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane and a host of at least four other male vocalist at any given time. Their diverse music styles ran the gamut from folk (their pre-hit years) to blues to jazz to brilliant pop. They were like a more diversified Mamas and The Papas. Many songs incorporated complex vocal arrangements. They are probably best remembered for the songs, "Sunday Will Never Be The Same," "Lazy Day," and "Like To Get To Know You." All three of these songs made the top twenty on Billboard's Hot 100.
This is a superb boxed set which has been beautifully remastered to near-sonic perfection. It also contains all their recorded works between 1966 and 1969, including their eleven singles, their three studio albums, their rather rare "Live" album, their Greatest Hit(s) album, some alternate versions and one unreleased song. The booklet also mentions the lead vocalists on each of the songs. Here are some of the song highlights:
"Sunday Will Never Be The Same" - This is probably their "signature" song which still gets plenty of airplay on oldies stations. A timeless classic!
"Making Every Minute Count" - Their follow-up single and another song typifying the "Summer of Love."
"Lazy Dat" - Still another catchy, lilting song and their third single from 1967.
"Commercial" - This almost sounds like a Public Service Announcement. I still chuckle when I hear this one.
"Distance" - A pleasant but yearning ballad sung by Oz Bach.
"Leaving On A Jet Plane" - This is probably the first recording of this song by the (then) fledgling songwriter, John Denver.
"Five Definitions Of Love" - A truly original song incorporating the five definitions of love found in the latest Webster's Collegiate Dictionary of that day.
"Three Ways From Tomorrow" - A song containing some complex vocal arrangements. One of my personal favorites.
"Sunday Mornin' " - A haunting song written by Margo Guryan who has a couple of her own, fine C.D.s of "period piece" compositions- definitely worth seeking out.
"Everybody's Talking" - Spanky and Our Gang beat Harry Nilsson to the punch (by well over a year) in recording this excellent song by fred Neil.
"1-3-5-8 (Pedagogal Round)" - This song is a novel way to teach beginning music students the notes in a musical octave by numbering them from 1 to 8 and making a song about them. This song is a round where four of the vocalists come in at different points, singing the same lines (similar to Row, Row, Row Your Boat).
"Jane" - The music motif from 1-3-5-8 smoothly segues into this song. This song is perhaps the happiest and most ludic (and nostalgic) song in their catalogue with a pleasant flute and horns in the accompaniment. This is perhaps my very favorite song by S. & O.G..
"And She's Mine" - A beautiful, plaintive, harmonic ballad written by band member Kenny Hodges. The solo French Horn adds a nice touch. The song should have fared much better on the Billboard charts.
"Yesterday's Rain" - A song written by band member Lefty Baker. This is a metaphoric ballad expressing a sense of urgency in the mood and equating a lost love affair with "rain."
"Give A Damn' - This is probably their most socially conscious song about the ghetto streets, circa. 1968.
I have a couple of suggestions about this boxed set. First, store the individual discs in soft sleeves or in jewel cases to avoid scratching the discs. My only caveat about this set are the cardboard jackets used to house the discs. Second, the Anything You Choose album intuitively sounds best when it begins with "Leopard Skin Phones" and ends with "Give A Damn." Thus, on disc two, program tracks 7-13, followed by tracks 1-6. The original vinyl album had a side A and side 1, leaving it up to the listener's discretion as to which to play first.
I heartily endorse this boxed set for two reasons. First, the remastering is excellent. Second, it is more cost effective to buy this set rather than to pay the high prices of each of the albums individually.
"
"Amelia Earhardt, we have your luggage."
Chester Cannon | Midwest | 06/01/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I had all three of the Japanese imports, but still ordered this set. Why? Because the LIVE album was there. As mentioned in another review, this set showcases the amazing vocals and outstanding comedy of the group. "Waltzing Mathilda" has some of the finest harmonies you ever heard. Some of the songs are NOT p.c. (Join the Klan for one...), and I'm glad no one said "We can't re-issue this, somebody might be offended!" There is one lp missing, "CHANGE", on Epic in 1975. This is worth finding in the garage sales. If you are a fan of Spanky and Our Gang, this is one you'll want for your collection."
Track Listings (24) - Disc #1