Customer Reviews

Peter, Paul and Mary In Concert

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Original stereo and monaural pressings of the 1964 WARNER BROS. gatefold double-LP entitled PETER, PAUL & MARY IN CONCERT are on their burnished gold label. Tracks are compiled from three California live shows plus one each in Daytona Beach, FL. and Terre Haute, IN. This LP peaked at #4 on the BILLBOARD chart.

The program is evenly divided between brand new material and popular sides from the group's first three albums, PETER, PAUL AND MARY (1962), MOVING (1963) and IN THE WIND (1963). The guitars of Yarrow and Stookey are accompanied by Richard Kniss on bass.

Noel Stookey's intro to the second track reveals something the record-buying public wasn't aware of, his enormous talent for stand-up comedy. Paul uses the mike for vocal sound effects much in the style of aother WARNER artist of the time, Bill Cosby. The album's longest track ("Paultalk") is his unique style of humor.

The trio opens this show as a team, then about halfway through each member gets a solo spot. Side four is a group encore of sorts.

My favorite track, and the one that prompted this Xmas Day review is Paul's A' Soalin'. He combines new lyrics with "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" and a tune that derives from an ancient English ballad called "Hey Ho, Nobody Home." The title refers to All Souls' Day, a time when the poor begged households for soul cakes, flat cakes marked with crosses and in return, they promised to pray for the households' families and departed loved ones.

In the Celtic tradition that dates back to pre-Christian times and is the origin of All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween, the cakes weren't meant for the poor but for those who'd died during the year. On the last day of October, which was also the final day of the Celtic year, spirits of the recently dead arose, ate their last Earthly meal (the soul cake) and then departed forever. In his song, Stookey refers to a more recent British custom of wassailing, or singing for "apples and strong beer."

The first verse of A' Soalin' is offered here with my best wishes for the Xmas season:

God bless the master of this house, and the mistress also
And all the little children that round your table grow.
The cattle in your stable, the dog by your front door
And all that dwell within your gates we wish you ten times more.


PROGRAM--

SIDE ONE
[3:16] The Times They Are A-Changin'
[5:28] A' Soalin'
[3:02] 500 Miles
[4:01] Blue
[3:54] Three Ravens

SIDE TWO
[3:12] One Kind Favor
[3:36] Blowin' in the Wind
[5:01] Riding in My Car (Car Song)
[6:18] Puff, the Magic Dragon
[4:24] Jesus Met the Woman

SIDE THREE
[4:32] Le Déserteur
[5:47] Oh, Rock My Soul
[12:38] Paultalk

SIDE FOUR
[2:31] Single Girl
[3:00] There Is a Ship
[5:23] It's Raining
[2:51] If I Had My Way
[2:35] If I Had a Hammer

TOTAL TIME: 61:48