Kingston Trio - The Lost 1967 Kingston Trio Album: Rarities Vol 1

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The Kingston Trio will forever be associated with the late 50s/early 60s ‘clean’ folk boom in America, where their happy recycling of standards and safe folk led them to mega sales. By the mid-60s, other songwriters had arisen in the wake of Dylan and folk had electrified, and this recently discovered album of 12 tracks shows how the Trio adapted. These are demos, and as such are some way from the polished sounds of, say, Paul Simon, whose Homeward Bound features here. They dip into obvious material choices from Fred Neil, Bob Lind, John Sebastian, Donovan and Tim Hardin, aiming towards what would have been an obvious ‘other folks hits’ album, though they do also pick up on Steve Gillette and Tom Campbell’s lovely song Darcy Farrow. Lead vocals are shared between the three voices, though John Stewart’s lead on Fred Neil’s The Dolphins stands out above the rest. Certainly an interesting artefact from the folk-rock era, though not as essential a purchase as a properly finished version of the album could have been.

Collectors’ Choice | CCM 819

Reviewed by Kingsley Abbott
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