The Kingston Trio

The second lineup of the Kingston Trio -- John Stewart, Nick Reynolds, and Bob Shane -- cut this live album in 1966, just before they disbanded. They knew they were calling it quits, so they recorded most of their three-week gig at the Sahara Tahoe hotel for a farewell album. Their label at the time, Decca, wasn't interested in releasing it, despite the almost million-dollar advance they gave the Kingston Trio only four years earlier. The original farewell set, Once Upon a Time, was released on Tetragrammaton in 1969 and charted briefly before vanishing to become the most sought-after album in the band's oeuvre. This 24-song set was recorded during the same run and is marked by an amazing in-yer-face digital mix. Their playing is still top-notch, but the set list is almost identical to Once Upon a Time. That said, Twice includes two of the best Stewart tunes from the group's latter years, "Hit and Run" and "The Spinnin' of the World," as well as a bonus DVD track of Dylan's "Tomorrow Is a Long Time." Two hits that didn't fit onto Once Upon a Time are here as well -- "The Merry Minuet" and"Little Maggie" -- but the rest of the numbers are also included on the Once disc, making Twice Upon a Time for die-hard collectors only. ~ j. poet, All Music Guide