This New Jersey quintet's second album,
Touch n' Go With the Critters
, was the group's first outing for arranger/conductor
Enoch Light
's
Project 3
label, which was devoted to using cutting-edge "enhanced stereo" technology, the best available. By now, only the group's de facto leader, guitarist
Jim Ryan
(a founding
Critter
, he had been in the high school band called
the Vibratones
with
Don Ciccone
, who sang the lead vocals on the band's impressive hit
"Mr. Dyingly Sad"
), and bassist
Kenneth Gorka
remained in the lineup from the band's earlier
Kapp
period. Nevertheless, the performances as evidenced here are still first-rate, and the amazing stereo production and songwriting are among the best of the group's career. The title song,
"Touch N' Go,"
was written by
Alan Gordon
and
Gary Bonner
, the great songwriting team who had been members of the New York-based group
the Magicians
a few years earlier; they also wrote
the Turtles
'
"Happy Together"
"She'd Rather Be With Me,"
among others. The
"Touch N' Go"
track and a handful others, including the
Tim Hardin
cover
"Reason to Believe,"
were produced by
Charles Koppelman
Don Rubin
, who also managed
the Critters
. The remaining tracks were produced by
Ryan
. There's a nice version of
the Lovin' Spoonful
"Younger Generation"
(
John Sebastian
"Younger Girl"
had provided a huge hit already, so why not see if lightning strikes twice?).
The Critters
were subsequently featured on
Light
's "Popular Science" series of stereo/quad test LPs, and recorded another album for the label, but hits continued to elude the group thereafter.
later worked with
Carly Simon
, while
Spinella
went on to join
Steeplechase
.
Gorka
later became the manager of
Bitter End
in New York City.
Darway
became inventor in residence at Princeton University. This album is often considered one of the top harmony
pop
LPs of all time, an East Coast classic highly treasured by collectors. ~ Bryan Thomas