The Best of the Youngbloods

In broad terms, The Youngbloods picked up where their fellow New Yorkers The Lovin' Spoonful left off, mixing folk and blues influences with pop savvy and rock 'n' roll energy. This collection came out in 1970, when there were only three Youngbloods studio albums; it captures the band in what many regard as their golden period and finds them still keeping in close touch with their roots. For much of this anthology, the band cover old blues and folk tunes (misleading writing credits notwithstanding) like "Sugar Babe," "C.C. Rider," and "Grizzly Bear" (the latter adapted from the blues song "This Morning She Was Gone"). But the more modern side of their sound shines through on the evergreen hit "Get Together," the moody, minor-key "Darkness, Darkness" (later covered by everyone from Robert Plant to Richie Havens), and the chamber pop of "Quicksand." Despite its brevity, The Best of The Youngbloods is an excellent introduction to one of the most underappreciated bands of the '60s.