The Kingsmen lay it down live in late 1963
This stereo recording, excerpted from two live dates late in 1963, is of surprisingly good quality for its era. Kingsmen lead vocalist Jack Ely was not with the band at this point, so sax player Lynn Easton sings most of the leads, but no matter – this is club music for dancing, and the band lays down some mean beats. Much like the group’s iconic national anthem of garage rock, “Louie, Louie,†this is invitingly sloppy at turns, but the drums and bass will keep you moving, and the guitar and organ carve out passable, if not particularly inventive, jams. This isn’t a carefully rehearsed group recording a live album for posterity; it’s a rock ‘n’ roll band running through their repertoire for a club crowd. For maximum enjoyment, turn it up, have a drink or two, and dance. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com] 