Customer Reviews

Kingston Trio Greatest Hits

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of the most stellar groups rising out of the pop woof and warp of the late 1950s was the counter-intuitive group, the Kingston Trio, who, singing traditional folk songs, popularized it to the point of creating a cottage industry with imitators by the score. Yet it was with their singular hit of "The Legend Of Tom Dooley', recounting the sad last moments of a condemned man that they caught the public imagination and lit a fire under contemporary folk music. They were sophisticated, mainly urban, and yet quite down to earth and folksy in their approach, and showed that they had a sense of humor with another hit, "M.T.A.", recounting the dilemma of a Boston commuter caught on board the "T" without sufficient money to get off.

Yet they recorded and released quite serious songs too, such as the traditional "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", an early anti-war song, "Rueben James", and "Reverend Mr. Black". Also included here are hits such as "Greenback Dollar" and a rather interesting diversion in the way of "Tijuana Jail". They also had a minor hit with "Scotch And Soda", which was mainly aimed at the late fifties-early sixties college crowd. So was one of their final hits, "Worried Man". They blazed the way for a number of other, more mainstream vocal groups like the Limelighters, the Brothers Four, and Peter, Paul and Mary. The original Kingston Trio toured for years, and in the decades since have had a number of revivals since with different group members than the originals. This is a great album including most of their best-known songs. Enjoy!

The VERY first record album I knew as a child in Monterey, California was the Kingston Trio's "Sold Out" (1960) I was a year old! "El Matador" is beautifully sang by Bob Shane and this group is wonderful any which way you look at them! My personal faves of this truly magnificent trio are"Adelita" "Billy Goat Hill" "Tijuana Jail" "Take Her out of Pity" "Tom Dooley" among MANY others. These guys were college friends who simply got together and sang at such places as the Hungry I in San Francisco. Their versatility and heartfelt vocals are warmly remembered by millions!

They don't make music like this anymore. It's unfortunate, becausethe folk era of the late 50's and early 60's was one of the greatestin the history of popular music.

The Kingston Trio ranks right up with the Beatles in terms of forever changing the musical landscape. They provided the inspiration and opened the door for a whole generation of performers. Not many artists can claim to have left such a mark.

Our so-called "artists" of today are worth a dime a dozen compared to those of yesteryear. I'm too young to even remember those days -- but I know what's good. The Kingston Trio is what's good. END

The Kingston Trio Greatest Hits is a fairly good although incomplete retrospective album of hits by The Kingston Trio. Of course, what is on this album is choice material; but it just isn't complete. Too bad; but that's Curb Records for you! The sound quality, however, is excellent and the artwork is quite good.

The CD starts with The Kingston Trio singing their great hit entitled "Tom Dooley;" this tune showcases the trio's great vocal talents and they harmonize to perfection! The guitar work greatly enhances the ballad and they sing this very well. "Greenback Dollar" speeds up the tempo somewhat and they sing and play this very well. "Greenback Dollar" is easily a highlight of this album and I predict that you'll like this folk rock tune if you haven't heard it already. Great!

"Reverend Mr. Black" places The Kingston Trio squarely front and center--and that's OK by me! They sing this and I like how one man sings the lyrics while the other two harmonize in the background to bolster the vocals of this tune. "Reverend Mr. Black" sounds really great when The Kingston Trio sing this one out!

"The Tijuana Jail" really shines when The Kingston Trio belts this out like the pros they always were! "The Tijuana Jail" has a line or two with an embarrassingly dated Spanish accent but it still is a rather good number on this album. Listen also for "Where Have All The Flowers Gone;" this charmingly beautiful folk ballad gets the royal treatment from The Kingston Trio who perform this with all their hearts and souls. "El Matador" also has a Spanish flavor to it--as you may have guessed--and The Kingston Trip pulls this off without a hitch. The guitars are very good for this number and "El Matador" is another highlight of this album.

"Everglades" has a stunning melody that I always enjoy whenever I hear it; and The Kingston Trio again do a fine job with "Scotch and Soda." "Scotch and Soda" has a nice and slow, easy does it tempo and they do this one up right! The CD also ends strong with The Kingston Trio performing "Reuben James;" "Reuben James" makes a fine ending for this album and I like that a lot.

Naturally, you can't take a group like The Kingston Trio and condense their "greatest hits" into such a short CD. I can't give this a four star review; three and ½ stars is much more like it. However, this is a good album to start with if you're just discovering The Kingston Trio; more diehard fans will appreciate other CDs that are much more substantial.

The Kingston Trio opened the door for Dylan, Baez, Peter, Paul & Mary, and all the other folkies that became popular in the 60's -- and they did so because they were serious about the music & the quality of their performance -- they avoided preaching politics & got slammed for that, but they excelled at musical expression & continued the "folk process" admirably! Great harmonies & instrumentation are a hallmark of every K3 album, this one included.

From the timeless "Tom Dooley" to the whimsical "M.T.A." this collection of hits really brings home the period of folk music. The music was simple, yet told a story that was either poignant or could put a smile on your face. A simpler time in America was truly that...the music was simpler, the lifestyles simpler and there was a clean cut wholesomeness to groups like these gentleman. No fancy technical equipment needed, just a few simple acoustic guitars and a few guys that could really belt out hits. All in all a great CD. If you like folk music, this is a must have!

Excellent Sound Quality. Great Music.
I never get tired of listening to these.
A Nice one to have in your collection.

True classics, all original songs and no freaky overdubs!!
Again a classic!

Get this CD!!

If you weren't around for the folk singing 'boom' of the late 50s-early 60s, this is one of the more accessible (commercial) groups of the era. (And if you remember what Charlie's wife handed him through that open window, you're already a fan.)

Excellent. All tracks as good if not better quality than the original album