Under normal circumstances, an album as fresh and entertaining as this one might get a higher rating, but with
Glenn Yarbrough's departure late in 1963,
the Limeliters had gotten stale. Consistent innovation, with the neat harmonies of
Yarbrough,
Alex Hassilev and
Lou Gottlieb surrounding unusual songs or fresh arrangements of traditional tunes, had created an aura of familiarity about the group. You expected them to be superlative. With the addition of
Ernie Sheldon, unfair comparisons between him and
Yarbrough became evident. It's too bad, because
Sheldon was a seasoned, talented performer. But, to paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen, he was no
Glenn Yarbrough.
Sheldon's voice is too similar to
Hassilev and
Yarbrough's; the group needed the high tenor on top of the two baritones. And despite some interesting selections --
Gottlieb's quirky adaptation of a World War I Italian marching song, "Inspection Time," and the sly "My Love Doth Walk the Picket Line" -- this album just doesn't measure up to even the most mediocre
Limeliters albums with
Glenn. It shows you what chemistry can do, and that, like in a good recipe, essential ingredients are hard to replace.