John Koerner
,
Dave Ray
and
Tony Glover
, who emerged from the same University of Minneapolis music scene that produced
Bob Dylan
, were the best white folk blues group of their day. This reissue of one of their influential mid '60s albums -- which sounds at times like a cross between the
Kingston Trio
Sonny Boy Williamson
-- provides ample evidence of that.
Koerner
Ray
were first-rate guitarists,
Glover
could play harmonica like nobody's business and they all sang with style, enthusiasm, and a dash of humor. Plus, they had great material, some from blues giants like
Lead Belly
Memphis Minnie
, but much of it original. Three cheers to the folks who put together this reissue so well. The 21 remastered tracks include all of the original album, plus five songs from the same sessions that got bumped from the LP due to the format's space limitations. The liner notes feature all the original commentary from critic
Paul Nelson
and an extensive new essay by
. ~ Jeff Burger