If you want to know why producer
Gary Usher is revered in some circles, play The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading next to the pretty much self-produced For Children of All Ages. A name as trendy as
the Jefferson Airplane -- and a sound that is absolutely
the Airplane -- meets
the Mamas & the Papas; the '60s guitars sound smart; the 1967 liner notes by Lawrence Dietz tell you nothing about the group; and the front cover looks like something Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper encountered during Easy Rider. "It's a Happening Thing," like much of this record, tries too hard. Decades after it was recorded, there is charm in a band like the PBC (which rhymes with PCP) being such an authentic figment of someone's countercultural imagination. Sandi Robison is stunning on "Then Came Love," and the production by
Gary Usher really is impressive -- it makes the record something special. But if the intro to "Twice Is Life" sounds like
the Monkees (and it does), The Peanut Butter Conspiracy ends up sounding like an FM version of
Spanky & Our Gang. Spanky McFarlane's hits are what made her so hip, and the PBC's lack of hits makes for an interesting trip back to the days of flower power, and not much else. "You Took Too Much" has gorgeous harmonies, a sing-songy guitar riff, and lyrics bogged down by blatant references to the hippy-dippy mindset of a record company trying to cash in. "Second Hand Man" could be
Peter, Paul & Mary on mescaline. That's not a knock; the song actually works in its audacity. A very hip oldies station could play this and attract listeners. It's just hard to take songs like "Why Did I Get So High" seriously when artists like
Marty Balin and
Grace Slick were freaking out their record label and doing this for real. But credit must be given when it is due -- the Peanut Butter Conspiracy was everything
the Ultimate Spinach aspired to be, and this record has merit and is very listenable despite the flaws. ~ Joe Viglione