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Thank you. Great. Saw them live a couple of years ago and now they are still with us.
We anxiously awaited the release of every new album and to have four great LPs released in 1958-1959 was just incredible. These four LPs were, I think, all in the top ten at the same time. In addition look at their next two albums (At Large and Here We Go Again), also now on one CD. And somehow when we crooned we all took different harmony lines. At half time I met a woman who was sitting ON the stage but wanted another perspective. We knew every song by heart, no lyric escaped us.
Check 'em out. Did any of us play guitar before the Kingston Trio burst onto the scene in 1958. Overnight the entire neighborhood gang all owned guitars. The Trio was rocking the joint.
I was split up from my brothers and sat alone in the second balcony. I saw the original Kingston Trio live at the Academy of Music in Philadephia, which was then the largest venue in town and was sold out to the rooftops. Wonderful to observe them up close, so personable, gentle gentlemen who were having a great deal of fun and sharing their joy with us. Millions and millions of dads can't be wrong.
Imagine my brothers' surprise to see me up on stage with 'em.These, their first two albums (The Kingston Trio and From the Hungry I), are the cream of the crop for sure, and I highly recommend your purchase. Amazing. They'd turn around at times and play directly to us, felt like a jam. I sure followed suit and bought an old Gibson I still own today.
So we swapped tickets and I saw the second half of the show sitting about 10 feet behind the Trio. And then we'd sing for hours and hours on those soft summer nights of our youth. The guitar chord progressions were never too difficult to master. We'd listen to those LPs for hours and hours.
I bought the cd for the merry minuet which I sing to grumpy people in my care facility and at the very least it raises a smile. The Kingston Trio were a major part of my adolesence, ivy league shirts with button down collars became the craze. The songs, the harmonies and the sheer "singability" of the music created a joyous experience.
Though there are many favorites on this CD, the classic Scotch and Soda makes it all worth the price. This CD has excellent sound and is a good representation of the group's wit and harmony. This is the group we all sang with and laughed with. It's hard to just listen to The Kingston Trio, you find yourself joining in.
Not so much the Kingston Trio. "Scotch and Soda" was the tune that would assure that you would be having breakfast with last nights date. Fella's, it just doesn't get any better than this. American music with a light snap of latino twang just for flavor. I only have one wish for Kingston Trio music; That "Fast Freight" will be covered by Crosby Stills Nash and maybe Young. Not so. The message often overode the ability to listen.
They could cover every emotion; fun, somber, sad, happy and happy drunk. The latter day versions of the K.T were good but not the original receipe.
And by "fun", I don't mean dance music or bubbly pop crap of the time. Dave Guard, Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds were the perfect band, the perfect group.
I call it perfect because it is. You can hear the "fun or nothing" rule in each cut.
All perfect. This is college folk music that's actually fun to listen to.
Folk music coming out of the 50's and 60's was often a bit of a bummer to listen to.
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