The Lovin' Spoonful

Artist: The Lovin' Spoonful

LP: Daydream
Song: "Warm Baby"
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Song: "Jug Band Music" 
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Here's a big lovin' spoonful for ya directly from Seattle. Fill the spoon with whatever you want! I can't help but think that jug band music might well be the answer to curing the world of all its ills. Terrorism? Hateful murderous lunacy? Fanatical despotism? Institutionalized racism and discrimination? Apply a few bars of playful jug band music and get some rest; the symptoms should dissipate momentarily. 

Over the past few years The Lovin' Spoonful has emerged as my #1 favorite American pop band of the mid-to-late 1960s. They've got talent, an enviable wardrobe, a sort-of zip-a-dee-doo-dah/laissez-faire about them, and, rarest of all, they've got a sense of humor. You can read about The Lovin' Spoonful here and go here to visit their website. Best-ever LP liner notes are included below.

[ The Lovin' Spoonful ]

Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band

Artist: Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band

LP: The Best of Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band

Song: "Never Swat a Fly"

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Spring is here! That means colorful blossoms on the trees, birds chirping, flowers everywhere, and lots and lots of flies. Most people consider flies a nuisance, and it's true they can sometimes carry serious diseases. But before you go and swat a pesky musca domestica this season, I'd like you to pause for a second to think of how you might feel if the roles were reversed. Remember, flies have loved ones too! You can read about Jim Kweskin and his Jug Band on Wikipedia here and go here to see where they're performing on their 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour. Looks like they'll be spending most of April in Japan, where jug bands are evidently all the rage.

Panama Limited Jug Band

Artist: Panama Limited Jug Band

LP: Panama Limited Jug Band

Song: "Cocaine Habit"

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After winding my way down the California coast via Highways 1 & 101, taking in the breathtaking scenery and driving through a tree, I crossed the Golden Gate bridge and landed in downtown San Francisco. After (literally) getting lost in the concrete jungle as darkness began to fall, I finally located my bargain-priced hotel in the Japantown/Tenderloin part of town, got some big slices of pizza at a lively little joint up the street and settled in for a restful night's sleep. I had several (more like several dozen) record stores on my list that seemed worth visiting, so early the next morning I set out on foot toward the nearest one, but it was closed. A few blocks away I approached Rooky Ricardo's Records on Haight Street just as the owner was unlocking the door.

The store has a great selection, four state-of-the art vinyl listening stations and the owner was friendly and helpful and even gave me one of the store's postcards:

I found lots of great stuff at Rooky Ricardo's Records—so much stuff, in fact, that I got the big bell. (The store's owner rings a small bell after every sale, but reserves a larger, louder bell for when somebody buys a ridiculous number of records.) I first heard of the Panama Limited Jug Band when my friend Doowad in Missouri put one of their songs on a mix. I looked them up and discovered their CDs were expensive imports and their two LPs (the second released under the shorter group name of Panama Limited) were long out of print...so of course I was delighted to find their first, self-titled 1969 LP at Rooky Ricardo's for just $10! You can read about the Panama Limited train service between Chicago and New Orleans on Wikipedia here.