A double-CD compilation featuring most of the cuts that appeared on their 1966-68
Jamie singles, along with the non-45 tracks that were on their 1967 LP
It's Just a Matter of Time, and a bunch of odds and ends. Those include several single and LP songs that they did for
Jamie in 1969-70 after changing their name to
New Hope; their unreleased 1966 cover of
the Alley Cats'
"Puddin' 'N' Tain"; and
"From Here On In," done for
Virtue before their stint at
Jamie. There are no less than three versions of one of their standout originals,
"Won't Find Better Than Me" -- the original 1966 single B-side, the 1967 LP cut, and the 1969 remake that went to the middle of the charts. One could reasonably argue that a more judiciously edited, single-CD compilation would have served the band better. Only about ten minutes would have needed to have been edited out of the program to make the whole kaboodle fit onto one disc. Some numbers, like the strange disconnected
"Won't Find Medley" and the boring covers of
"Cotton Fields" and
"He Was a Friend of Mine," are obvious candidates for exclusion. Still, the best music here makes a convincing case for
the Kit Kats as an interesting, underrated, well-produced band with a creative blend of harmony pop, doo wop, classical, and soul influences, such as the singles
"Let's Get Lost on a Country Road," "Won't Find Better Than Me," and
"That's the Way." There are also a good number of quality songs that even those who remember
the Kit Kats from their Philadelphia stardom might not be familiar with, such as
"Cold Walls," which isn't too far from the material
the Zombies presented on
Odessey and Oracle, and
New Hope's
"Money Game," an uncommonly tough cut that sounds like an American slant on
the Easybeats' late-'60s sound. Includes extensive liner notes and sessionography. ~ Richie Unterberger
