Never before released, this CD comprises the only recorded output from The Town Criers. Their principle draw today is that they number a pre-Jefferson Airplane Marty Balin in their ranks (Airplane fans will be pleased to hear Balin’s dry humour in between songs). The Criers weren’t a full-time professional outfit, however, and this is a window into a world of a typically struggling group of kids with dreams – and day jobs (Balin, for example, worked with his father at a print shop).
Purveyors of traditional American folk, the Criers were savvy enough to write their own work, with the duties being evenly shared. The quality is pretty high too. Their problem was that they never made the breakthrough before the folk scene went down the pan and The Beatles invaded. During 1964, when gig offers dried up, the Criers finally decided to split.
