Customer Reviews

The Best of Spanky & Our Gang: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sunday morning, 7:15AM. I'm sitting at my local McDonalds when over the squawk box comes on "I Like to Get to Know You." This happens like once every other week. I thought to myself I liked Spanky & Our Gang when I was a kid of the 60's, and now approaching 50, they sound good again. Are they on CD? Once again, Amazon.com comes through! Universal/Mercury released this compilation in 2005 of their lost classichits.
But while this album sounds good, I must make some comments. As typical as in the 60's, the stereo separation at times is not pleasing to the ear. I found they could of done a better job in the remastering because the drums sound suppressed and you have to strain to hear them.
The major point I want to make on why they should of used the single versions deals with "Sunday Morning'" and "Echoes (Everybody's Talkin)." On Mercury Single 72765, "Sunday Morning'" you can hear the drums and near the end there was a 3 second bit of a record skipping. Its not on this version! Thats what made the song hip. This version has a dead spot instead. And "Echoes" had seashore sounds on it. Not on this CD!
Finally, when it comes to "Everybody''s Talkin," Spanky & Our Gang came out with it a year before Harry Nilsson made it a Grammy hit. Even today, Spanky & Our Gang's version is far superior that Harry's and I'm glad they did included it here.
I would recomment this album, but Mercury needs to retool and reissue it.
By the way, while I was eating my breakfast at MickeyD's two weeks ago, an old couple came in and heard "I Like to Get to Know You" and asked me "Isn't that Spanky & Our Gang?" I said yes. Indeed, lost classics!

I simply can't afford replacing my old vinyl versions of these classic sixties tunes. Spanky and Our Gang still has that extra special something, that keeps me puttin' them on my stereo. This cd version comes across like clean, brand-spakin' new vinyl. Those were the days...

This CD compliation fills the need for old songs in clear quality which the old 45's (probably melted by now) can't supply. I'm entranced when I see the video of the 60's artists as I was probably doing something other than watching TV when these folks were on.

As harmony groups go, Spanky and Our Gang was quite a combination of talent. All six members contributed vocals to a blend of pop, rock, folk, country, blues, and jazz material. The hits included here were mostly upbeat sunshiny tunes that sounded great on 60's AM radio. Because of their smooth crossover sound and considerable comedic skills, Spanky and Our Gang were featured on many television variety shows of the day.
As is the case with most collections in the "20th Century Masters Millennium Collection" series, the "Spanky and Our Gang Best Of" is an economic sampler for someone wanting the basics of the group's recorded work. Arranged in chronological order of chart appearance, the three biggies are here: "Sunday Will Never Be The Same", "Lazy Day", and "Like To Get To Know You", as well as lesser hits "Sunday Mornin'", "Making Every Minute Count" and "Yesterday's Rain". Don't overlook the wonderful "Give a Damn", a subtle beauty of vocal work and production that was used to promote the cause of the Urban Coalition League in New York City. The first cover of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" is here also-when the Gang recorded it before Nilsson, they knew it as "Echoes" and gave it the full harmony treatment.
Of the ten tunes featured, three are from the debut LP, three from "Like To Get To Know You", and four from the "Anything You Choose" disc. If you want more than the hits, you'll have to explore more of the catalog on LP or Japanese import CDs.
Unfortunately for Spanky and Our Gang, their music was so vocally and instrumentally intricate that most cover groups can't reproduce their sound. Because of that, you don't hear these hits performed very often by others. As a result, they aren't remembered as much as they should be. Too bad, because Spanky and Our Gang were truly one of the more talented and sophisticated groups of the era.

Like many classics reissued on CD, you can hear the difference between LP and CD - or rather, you do NOT hear much of the richness and depth of the LP. In addition, some of the tracks in the beginning play a fraction faster than the original LP. I keep trying these reissued CDs, but not many of them are worth the money.

I feel connected to this CD because my aunt was good friends with Spanky. Gotta love the music on this CD. One great hit after another. AS soon as I saw the write up on this CD, I knew it was the one I wanted. It has the best of this group on it.

I like the cd! I remember 3 of the songs on the album (Sunday will never be the Same, Lazy Day, Like to get to know You). "Sunday will never be the Same" is a fantastic song! what a beautiful melody! "Lazy Day" is almost as good.
hearing them brings back memories of my childhood.ah, wonderful!

Listening to this CD brought back a lot of great memories. Their harmonies are wonderful.

As I said in the review title, "Typical 1960s recording" dubbed to CD format. Just getting old memories collected.