Review Summary: It seems that during the making of this soundtrack, frontman John Sebastian went missing. Along with any creativity the band previously had.
Woody Allen's comedy flick "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" needed a soundtrack that could bring some publicity. Meanwhile, The Lovin' Spoonful were riding on the wave of success named "Daydream", their second album. The hit song of the same name reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and John Sebastian, the band's frontman, was finally embracing his role as lead songwriter. The Lovin' Spoonful seemed to be a perfect match for "What's Up, Tiger Lily?". Sebastian and his band accepted the offer and a follow-up to their praised album had to wait.
The majority of the songs on "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" are instrumental. The Lovin' Spoonful had a few instrumental pieces on previous albums ("Night Owl Blues" and "Big Noise from Speonk") which were either mediocre ("Big Noise from Speonk") or average but featured great guitar playing ("Night Owl Blues"). Not a fantastic résumé by any stretch. The first notion is that the band were punching above their weight. All but one of the instrumental pieces are uninspired, below-average blues songs. They just seem to meander on until the album is over. The songs clock in at the minute mark, give or take. They're so forgettable that you don't even notice when they end. "What do they lack?", one might ask. Well, for one thing, they lack John Sebastian's voice. His vocal performances are always of the highest standard and they can single-handedly make a song even better. The instrumental pieces also lack the vocal melodies that Sebastian has become a master at putting together. They don't really have his trademark on them.
But, I did say that all but one of the instrumental pieces are uninspired, below-average blues songs. And that one song is "Lookin' To Spy". On the surface it sounds like the usual background music to a comedy action film; it's almost Pink Panther-esque with its mysterious guitar riff. But if we go deeper, there are some interesting things going on behind the scenes. The whale sounds, the tambourine, the sound of wind and the grandiose bass guitar. These are all small things but they add a lot to the piece itself. The track that follows "Lookin' To Spy" is "Phil's Love Theme". It's an average track but hasn't got enough going for it compared to "Lookin' To Spy". "Pow!" and "Fishin' Blues" (featured on "Do You Believe in Magic", their debut album) are two of the few tracks that actually feature Sebastian's vocals and they're probably the two strongest tracks on the album, along with "Lookin' To Spy". I think it speaks for itself that "Fishin' Blues", which was one of the weaker tracks on "Do You Believe in Magic", is one of the strongest on "What's Up, Tiger Lily?".
John Sebastian's prolific songwriting and consistent vocal efforts are missing throughout the majority of the album. And even though there are a few hidden gems in there, it's not worth the bother to sift through the big pile of stale blues instrumentals.
Recommended tracks:
"Lookin' To Spy"
