The departure of
Dave Guard could have dealt a death blow to
the Kingston Trio, but they added
John Stewart and soldiered on, making some great popular folk music before being made obsolete by the very trends they instigated. The Stewart Years is a gorgeous ten-disc box set with hardbound book that collects everything
the Trio recorded during
Stewart's tenure, including numerous unreleased tracks and live performances. The
Stewart version of the trio was more pop-oriented, political, and experimental (some unsuccessful attempts at folk-rock are preserved for posterity here). While they had their successes ("Reverend Mr. Black," "Greenback Dollar"), their clean-cut collegiate image could never quite adapt to the counterculture and protest folk movement. Studio recordings are on the first six discs, followed by four discs of live recordings. The Stewart Years is a beautiful, comprehensive, and expensive artifact suitable for libraries and affluent fans.