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I had these albums as a teenager and somehow they didn't survive all of my moves.They were Ibelieve the first two albums of the post Dave Guard/ early John Stewart era of the Kingston Trio.John brought something different to the trio , his own writing and vocal skills. My eigthteen year old son has picked up on this music and put it on his laptop and taken it to college with him. Not bad for forty something year old stuff.
I had the College Concert on 33 1/3 LP when in High School in the 60's but somehow managed to loose it. Was so glad to see it available on CD. Excellent concert.
There's a ton of really genuine, funny dialogue between the boys that doesn't seem forced. This is another great 2fer from Collector's Choice. Recorded in 1962, it shows the Trio sounded pretty much the same as they did in the studio. It's a really funny, unique song, with some very subtle comedy. Every song is magnificent. Their energy is incredible, and the sincerity is unsurpassed.
It was John Stewart's first album with the Trio (you can see him nowadays on The Daily Show on Comedy Central), and it is filled with great songs. I like both of them very much, with a special nod going to College Concert. Close Up is pretty damn good, too. They could kick Green Day's butt anyday. The version of MTA is better than the studio cut, Little Light is wonderful, and I really like The Ballad of the Shape of Things. Coming from the Mountain, Don't You Weep Mary, Reuben James, Karu, ah, hell, they're all fantastic.
Buy this one along with New Frontier/Time to Think, and everything else by the Trio.
Not a KT fan already. KT fans will immediately recognize these two albums released following the departure of Dave Guard and his replacement by John Stewart in 1961. It produced no singles that charted, but it is underrated in the quality of these studio performances, and its release certainly kept KT fans happy. The liner reproduces the back covers of both albums, but nothing more. These two albums could make you a KT fan. College Concert (1963) is true classic KT.
However, you might be more familiar with some of the earlier KT albums with Dave Guard available as double CDs through Collector's Choice, particularly At Large/Here We Go Again., or Capitol's Collectors Series CD - The Kingston Trio with all 17 KT singles that charted. Close-Up (1961) departed from previous KT albums with only one novelty cut and introduced John as a writer of more reflective songs for the Trio. If you're over 50, these albums should bring back some pleasant memories even if you didn't follow the group. Recorded live at UCLA, the concert includes a haunting version of Pete Seeger's "Where Have All The Flowers Gone," as well as a mix of songs and repartee that demonstrates why this group was so popular during the contemporary folk era. This CD is faithful to the original vinyl recordings and in stereo as well; remember monaural. If you're under 50, these guys reflect a more innocent time in popular music, and they could really sing and play.
I always thought that the Trio was a serious folk group, but, especially on College Concert, they crack several jokes which are definitely not dated at all (this album came out a long time ago). I bought these albums because my dad LOVED The Kingston Trio when he was a young boy (he still has most of their vinyl records), and boy was I in for a surprise when I heard this. Like most of you, if you've even heard of The Kingston Trio, you've probably only heard their most famous songs "Tom Dooley" or "M.T.A." (that was the case for me too). If you're looking for a good folk album with a lot of heart, you can't go wrong with The Kingston Trio (or at least this collection). There are three great things about this group: the singers (Nick Reynolds, Bob Shane & John Stewart) are great, every song is catchy and interesting, and the albums are very funny. This last thing especially caught me by surprise. Having two albums in one makes it twice as better. Highly recommended.Highlights include:the entire album.
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