Do You Believe in Magic/Hums

AMG Review of Do You Believe in Magic/Hums

William Ruhlmann
All Music Guide

This 57-minute, 23-track CD reissues the Lovin' Spoonful's first album, Do You Believe in Magic (November 1965), and its third, Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful (November 1966). While it might have made more sense to pair Magic with its follow-up, Daydream, this disc presents the bulk of the Spoonful's well-known material -- including "Do You Believe in Magic," "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind," "Rain on the Roof," "Nashville Cats," and "Summer in the City" -- along with more examples of John Sebastian's folk-country-blues-rock songwriting style, such as "Younger Girl," "Lovin' You," and "Coconut Grove," and showcases for guitarist Zally Yanovsky and drummer Joe Butler, who sings on a cover of Fred Neil's "The Other Side of This Life." A sleeve note reveals that the original multi-track tapes for the albums are lost, which explains why the sound, while good, does not exhibit the dramatic improvement that has become common on CD reissues of '60s music.