At Large
Encyclopedia
In reviewing At Large for Allmusic, music critic Bruce Eder wrote the album "shows in the far more complex sound achieved by the trio throughout this album, with voices and instruments more closely interwoven than on their earlier studio recordings and achieving control over their volume that, even today, seems astonishing." He specifically praised Guard's banjo playing, writing it "shines throughout this album, and it was beginning here that Guard was to exert a separate influence on a whole generation of aspiring folk musicians and even one rock star (Lindsay Buckingham) with his banjo."
Music critic Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. reviewed the Capitol reissue and wrote "Vocally, the group also began to sweeten its harmony... While some argue about the worth of these changes, many consider At Large to be the band's finest effort. At Large and Here We Go Again! capture the Kingston Trio early in their career, grounded in the success of their first albums and searching for new directions. Fans, folk revival enthusiasts, and the curious will enjoy this one."
Music critic Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. reviewed the Capitol reissue and wrote "Vocally, the group also began to sweeten its harmony... While some argue about the worth of these changes, many consider At Large to be the band's finest effort. At Large and Here We Go Again! capture the Kingston Trio early in their career, grounded in the success of their first albums and searching for new directions. Fans, folk revival enthusiasts, and the curious will enjoy this one."
Reissues
- At Large was reissued in 1992 on CD by Capitol with Here We Go Again!.
- In 1997, all of the tracks from At Large were included in The Guard YearsThe Kingston Trio: The Guard YearsThe Kingston Trio: The Guard Years is a compilation of The Kingston Trio's recordings when Dave Guard was a member of the Trio along with Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds....
10-CD box set issued by Bear Family RecordsBear Family RecordsBear Family Records is a Germany-based independent record label that specializes in reissues of archival material ranging from country music to 1950s rock and roll to old German movie soundtracks.-History:...
. - At Large was reissued in 2001 by Collector's Choice with Here We Go Again!. This reissue has three bonus tracks: an alternate version of "A Worried Man" and the non-LP single "The Tijuana Jail" backed with "Oh Cindy."
- At Large was reissued by Capitol as Scarlet Ribbons (SF-515) minus two tracks—"The Seine" and "Long Black Rifle".
Side One
- "M.T.A." (Bess Lomax HawesBess Lomax HawesBess Lomax Hawes was an American folk musician, folklorist, and researcher. She was the daughter of John Avery Lomax and Bess Bauman-Brown Lomax, and the sister of Alan Lomax.-Early life and education:...
, Jacqueline SteinerJacqueline SteinerJacqueline Steiner is an American folk singer, songwriter and social activist. Steiner is known for having written the lyrics to the song "M.T.A.", about a man stuck on the Boston subway because he could not pay the exit fare...
) - 3:16 - "All My SorrowsAll My TrialsAll My Trials was a folk song during the social protest movements of the 1950s and 1960s. It is based on a Bahamian lullaby that tells the story of a mother on her death bed, comforting her children, "Hush little baby, don't you cry./You know your mama's bound to die," because, as she explains,...
" (Arranged by Dave Guard, Nick Reynolds, Bob Shane) - 2:48 - "Blow Ye Winds" (Traditional, Guard) - 2:00
- "Corey, CoreyDarlin' Cory"Darlin' Cory " is a well-known folk song about a banjo-picking, moonshine-making mountain woman. The first known recording of it was by Clarence Gill as "Little Corey" on 6 January 1927, but it was rejected by the record company and never released. A few months later, folk singer Buell Kazee...
" (Traditional, Guard, Reynolds, Shane) - 2:07 - "The Seine" (Irving Burgess) - 2:41
- "I Bawled" (Traditional, Shane) - 1:51
Side Two
- "Good News" (Lou GottliebLouis GottliebDr. Louis Gottlieb was bassist and lofty comic spokesman for The Limeliters. He was considered one of the so-called "new comedy" performers such as Mort Sahl, Nichols and May, and Lenny Bruce: a new generation of unabashed intellectuals.Lou's special trademark on stage was a delightful burlesquing...
) - 2:00 - "Getaway JohnJohn Hardy (song)"John Hardy" is a traditional American folk song based on the life of a railroad worker in West Virginia. The historical John Hardy killed a man during a craps game, was found guilty of murder in the first degree, and was hanged on January 19, 1894....
" (Traditional, Guard) - 2:35 - "The Long Black Rifle" (Lawrence Coleman, Norman GimbelNorman GimbelNorman Gimbel is an American lyricist of popular songs, television and movie themes whose writing career includes such titles as "Sway", "Canadian Sunset", "Summer Samba", "The Girl from Ipanema", "Killing Me Softly With His Song", "Meditation" and "I Will Wait for You", along with an Oscar for...
) - 3:05 - "Early in the Morning" (Randy Starr, Dick Wolf) - 2:04
- "Scarlet RibbonsScarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)"Scarlet Ribbons " is a popular song. The music was written by Evelyn Danzig and the lyrics by Jack Segal."Scarlet Ribbons" was written in only 15 minutes in 1949 at Danzig's home in Port Washington New York after she invited lyricist Segal to hear her music...
" (Evelyn DanzigEvelyn DanzigEvelyn Danzig Levine was an American songwriter best known for writing the music for the popular song "Scarlet Ribbons" with lyrics by her collaborator Jack Segal.-Life:...
, Jack SegalJack SegalJack Segal was a composer of popular American songs...
) - 2:17 - "Remember the AlamoRemember the Alamo (song)"Remember the Alamo" is a song written by Texan folk singer and songwriter Jane Bowers. Bowers details the last days of 180 soldiers at the Alamo and names several famous figures who fought at the Alamo, including Mexican general Santa Anna and Texans: Jim Bowie, William Barrett Travis and Davy...
" (Jane BowersJane BowersJane Bowers was a Texas folk singer and songwriter best known for her composition "Remember the Alamo". Many of her songs were primarily recorded by The Kingston Trio.-Selected songs:...
) - 3:01
Personnel
- Dave GuardDave GuardDonald David "Dave" Guard was an American folk singer, songwriter, arranger and recording artist. Along with Nick Reynolds and Bob Shane, he was one of the founding members of The Kingston Trio.Guard was educated in Honolulu, Hawaii, at Punahou School in what was then the pre-statehood U.S....
– vocals, banjo, guitar - Bob ShaneBob ShaneBob Shane is an American singer and guitarist and, with Nick Reynolds' passing in October 2008, the only surviving founding member of The Kingston Trio. In that capacity, Shane became a seminal figure in the revival of folk and other acoustic music as a popular art form in the U.S...
– vocals, guitar - Nick ReynoldsNick ReynoldsNick Reynolds was an American folk musician and recording artist. Reynolds was one of the founding members of The Kingston Trio, whose largely folk-based material captured international attention during the late fifties and early sixties.- Early life :Growing up in Coronado, California, his...
– vocals, tenor guitar, bongos - David "Buck" Wheat – bass
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Billboard Pop Albums | 1 |