The Castaways: Liar, Liar The Best Of The Castaways 1999

 

The Castaways are an American rock band from the Twin Cities in Minnesota, United States. They

were formed in 1963. Best remembered for their garage-rock perennial "Liar Liar," the Castaways formed in 1962 around the nucleus of guitarist Roy Hensley, bassist Dick Roby and drummer Denny Craswell; originally founded simply to perform at a fraternity party, the group proved such a smashing success that it remained an ongoing concern, expanding to a quintet with the subsequent additions of lead guitarist Bob Folschow and keyboardist Jim Donna.
              

In 1966 Jim Donna left the band. Bob Folschow ended up being drafted into the army. The band ended up breaking up 2 years after this in 1968. Jim Donna restarted The Castaways in the 1970s with new

members. Following the dissolution of the band, original drummer Dennis Craswell (co-author of the song "Liar Liar"), went on to join Crow, a Minneapolis-based rock band of the late 1960s and early 1970s. and now plays under the name: The Original Castaways (summers) and plays under the name: The Castaway in the Rio Grande Valley playing dances in the 55+ parks, and on South Padre Island (winters).
                       

The Castaways' lone hit, "Liar Liar" was written by Donna and released on the Soma label in 1965,

reaching the number 12 slot on the U.S. charts on the strength of its inimitable echo-drenched vocals and wheezing keyboards. A series of follow-up efforts flopped, however, and despite an appearance in the 1967 film It's a Bikini World, the Castaways' career ground to a halt, although the band often performed live in the decades to follow.
                            

Rhythm guitarist Roy Hensley (born on 31 December 1947) died on 8 June 2005, at the age of 57, and

was buried in Lewisville, Minnesota. In 2006, all five members of the classic Castaways lineup were inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with the group's former producer, Timothy B. Kehr accepting the award on behalf of posthumous inductee Hensley.
                        

The Castaways, with original band leader Jim Donna, continue to perform for fairs, festivals, and

private events in the upper Midwest. The modern line up consists of Bob Donna on Guitar, Rick Snider on the drums, Ralph Hintz on bass guitar and lead vocals and Jim Donna on the keyboards. This 22-track anthology takes listeners through the band's entire history, right up to the present time, including a "Liar Liar 2000" remake.
              

Along the way, the band goes through the customary stylistic changes (from garage to Beatles cops to

soul to psychedelia) in search of that elusive second hit that most bands go through, trying new styles to fit the changing times until coming full circle back to their original sound. Great notes on the band's history and the new cuts brings a nice sense of closure to the package.

                                      

The Castaways – Liar, Liar - The Best Of The Castaways
Label: Plum – 14032
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1999
Genre: Rock
Style: Garage Rock, Pop Rock

TRACKS

                    

01. Liar, Liar    1:52
02. Sam    2:33
03. Goodbye Babe    1:40
04. A Man's Gotta Be A Man    1:56
05. She's A Girl In Love    2:30
06. Why Should This Happen To Me    2:50
07. Lead Me On    2:32
08. Everytime    2:35
09. Watching The Time Go By    3:25
10. Work Song    2:19
11. (I) Feel So Fine    2:15
12. Hit The Road Jack    2:45
13. Walking In Different Circles    2:05
14. Just On High    2:30
15. Lavender Popcorn    1:56
16. What Kind Of Face    2:25
17. Words On Fire    3:05
18. Bad Hair Day    2:24
19. Lucille    2:18
20. That Was Then, This Is Now    2:38
21. The Music That I'm Making    3:02
22. Liar, Liar 2000    1:38

Flac Size: 239 MB