Their work is characterised by its directness of expression, simplicity of language, suitability for live performance and concern for contemporary subjects and references.
The anthology The Mersey Sound was published by Penguin in 1967, containing the poems of Adrian Henri, Roger McGough and Brian Patten, and has remained in print ever since, selling in excess of 500,000 copies.
It grew out of the success of The Incredible New Liverpool Scene, a CBS LP featuring Henri and McGough reading their work, with accompaniment by the guitarist Roberts.
After Radio London closed down, Peel visited Liverpool and met the band; as a consequence, they were featured in session on his BBC Top Gear and Night Ride shows, and in 1968 he produced their first LP.
Ringo Starr's bass drum was used; also featured were Jack Bruce from Cream, Graham Nash from The Hollies and Reg Dwight, later renaming himself Elton John.
A touring and recording ensemble, Grimms (1971–76), contained an ever-changing cast of Adrian Henri, Brian Patten, Roger McGough, John Gorman, Mike McGear (McCartney), George "Zoot" Money, Neil Innes, Vivian Stanshall, Michael Giles, Kate Robbins, John Megginson, Andy Roberts, David Richards, Peter "Ollie" Halsall, Norman Smedles, Brian Jones, Ritchie Routledge, Valerie Movie, Gerry Conway, Pete Tatters and Timmy Donald (amongst many others).
His conclusion was: The emergence of the Liverpool poets as pioneers of "pop poetry" in the UK engendered hostility from the literary establishment.
Ian Hamilton said: Al Alvarez wrote about "the fashion for the diluted near-verse designed for mass readings and poetry-and-jazz concerts", linking it with pop lyrics as "the logic of a traditional form at its weariest", scolding "the poet resigns his responsibilities" and concluding, "what he offers is not poetry", a criticism remarkably similar to that made by F. Dalton in The Times Literary Supplement, on 31 June 1917 about "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock": "The fact that these things occurred to the mind of Mr. Eliot is surely of the very smallest importance to anyone, even to himself.