After providing their own share in generating the infamous Northwestern mid’60s sound along with a bit more prolific likes of The Wailers and The Sonics, fronted by the guy responsible for the just as infamous keyboard riff in The Kingsmen’s Louie Louie, not unlike most of their contemporaries, Don & The Goodtimes moved along with the times, catching up with the wave of sunshiny harmonies and generally more melodic based sounds.
This happens to be the first ever CD re-release, of their 1967 Epic album, which, along with its accompanying singles, was a result of Jack Nitzsche taking over the production, and even more importantly, new recruit Ron “Buzz” Overman taking over the bassist, as well as most of the songwriting duties.
The band’s highest charting single, the Nitzsche co-written I Could Be So Good To You was not only recorded with a little help of the similar Wrecking Crew line up, but also takes you on a genuine Yellow Balloon-ride, as Gary Zekeley’s one, and it’s also the most representative of their general mood of the time.
Along with a couple more equally harmony soaked ones, such as Happy And Me, Hate To Hate You or Bambi, and they also stick close enough to the concept with the lighter perspective of the ‘Spoonful’s good time music box with The Music Box, or the Turtles-like ballad I Could Never Be.
The ones that kinda create the most of the “buzz” for me though, are Buzz’s And It’s So Good, recalling some of Sloan & Barry’s songwriting highlights, Sweet Sweet Mama, taking it back to the band’s origins, and making sure to provide you with the Raiders’ “good thing” or two, just like the fuzz laden You Were Just A Child, and there’s also the Gouldman-nered You Did It Before.
Goodtimes are guaranteed for all !!!
[Released by Rev-Ola 2006]
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