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Kenny & the Kasuals Biography

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This Dallas group -- too accomplished to be called a garage band in the usual sense of the term -- was pretty popular in their hometown in the mid-'60s, but never made any noise on the national level. It's ironic that much of their reputation rests on a live album of covers, Impact, that ranks among the most collectable LPs of the '60s, as the group actually wrote a lot of their own material. Starting in the mid-'60s as a sort of raucous Dave Clark Five-meets-the Stones combo, the Kasuals progressed to acid punk with their most popular local hit, "Journey to Tyme" (which would become one of the most valued singles by '60s garage collectors). They were a typical '60s group in that they also cut covers of popular R&B and British Invasion tunes, and sappy pop ballads that were most likely encouraged by the shortsighted local label owners for whom they recorded. The group tried their luck in New York City briefly and split in late 1967. A spin-off group (without leader Kenny Daniels) released a promising single with progressive and folk influences under the name Truth, and the group reunited very briefly before splitting again after several members were drafted. Their material was reissued in Europe in the '80s, along with a fair number of previously unreleased outtakes. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi

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