AMG Review of Capitol Years

Richie Unterberger
All Music Guide

A mammoth four-CD, 107-song box set of their most famous and commercially successful work, recorded for Capitol between the late 1950s and mid-'60s. All of the big hits are here, as well as key album cuts and a whopping 33 previously unreleased studio and live tracks. Collectors will appreciate the inclusion of rarities by related groups like Dave Guard and the Calypsonians (a pre-Kingston Trio outfit), Dave Guard and the Whiskeyhill Singers (Guard's post-Kingston outfit, also featuring Judy Henske), and the Cumberland Three (John Stewart's pre-Kingston group), as well as the awesomely detailed 48-page insert...Obviously, with its far-reaching scope, this set is designed more for the Kingston fanatic than the casual fan. It's interesting to hear the Kingstons' now-obscure versions of songs that would become hits many years later by other artists, like "Sloop John B," "The First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face)," "Seasons in the Sun," "It Was a Very Good Year," and (most incredibly) "Let's Get Together..."