Sky was one of the numerous folky singer-songwriters to be placed in the new
Dylan camp during the '60s (and, for that matter, ever since). Although the comparison with
Dylan is basically unfair, and his talents were not without modest charms, they didn't measure up to
Dylan in the slightest. On this 1965 debut,
Sky did present a mixture of original and traditional material that, inadvertently or not, recalled
Sir Bob's early acoustic efforts in their basic arrangements and keening phrasing, although
Sky's voice and compositions are ordinary. Not everyone knew it at the time, but this brand of folk, and of singing-songwriting, was on the verge of being rendered totally passé. But as a '60s folk recording of this style goes, it's an adequate job, including some of his most famous compositions ("Many a Mile" and "Love Will Endure," the latter of which was covered by
the Blues Project), and committed interpretations of "Wreck of the 97" and songs by
Tom Paxton and Peter LaFarge. ~ Richie Unterberger