That's the Way It's Gonna Be

The first Mitchell Trio album without Chad Mitchell is an uneven affair, mainly due to erratic material and some poor arrangements. Mitchell himself had never been the dominant personality in the group, and Mike Kobluk and Joe Frazier were effective enough lead singers to carry the group themselves. New member John Denver showed excellent skills on the harmony vocals and did a marvelous lead turn on "Mr. Tambourine Man." The problem here is that along with a few numbers that are every bit as fine as anything the band had done before, such as "Song for Canada," there are some tracks that sound forced and unnatural. The title cut and the choppy version of "Get Together" are prime offenders in this regard. Modern listeners will find other cuts odd or offensive. It can be hard for 21st century listeners to remember that in 1965, the legacy of the Second World War was still fresh enough that the "I Was Not a Nazi Polka" was topical. Other attitudes have changed even more -- the anti-Semitic stereotypes on "Ecumenical March" will make modern listeners wince. The album is nevertheless worth having for cuts like "Never Coming Home" and the still-humorous "What Kind of Life Is That"." The Mitchell Trio had lost a member, but could still turn out material that was enjoyable even if it was far from the cutting edge. ~ Richard Foss