The Lovin' Spoonful: Greatest Hits

If you believe the backstory, Marvin Pontiac was a 1950s Afro-Judeo pop-blues prodigy (raised in both the Midwest and Mali) who was killed in a 1977 bus accident shortly after a stint in a Detroit mental institution. And if you believe that, the spontaneous praise from artists as diverse as Flea and Leonard Cohen will seem equally plausible. But suspicion rules modern society, and quick minds can't help but deduce that the man behind the ploy is actor, composer, and Lounge Lizards leader John Lurie. Maybe it's the familiar voice, or the familiar backing musicians, or even the great vanity label that has recently reissued many of Lurie's best recordings, but it seems a sure bet that, yes, this is Lurie. Call it a hunch. In any case, you have to wonder why Lurie felt compelled to hide behind a silly pseudonym. Between the fake name and the newfound visibility from the cult TV show Fishing With John, the reliance upon novelty doesn't do justice to his long and varied career. Lurie has a way with weird music, and Greatest Hits dishes weirdness in droves. Much of the album is akin to the ethno out-jazz Lurie has played with The Lounge Lizards lately, albeit more concise, and a few tracks wouldn't sound out of place on one of his film scores. But there are also strange pop songs like "Wanna Wanna" and "Runnin' Round," the latter of which would be a big hit in a perfect world. Too bad there's no Marvin Pontiac to run the press gamut and endure the tour circuit: This is just what kids today need. Really.