Customer Reviews

Ten Years Together: The Best Of Peter, Paul And Mary

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This trio sometimes wrote their own songs, but most of the songs they are famous for are covers. Not just any covers - often they selected songs by people who were unknown at the time, but who became famous partly as a result of Peter Paul and Mary's hits.

So it was that they were among the first to record Bob Dylan's songs. Of those, Blowing in the wind, Too much of nothing and Don't think twice its all right are included here.

Gordon Lightfoot is represented by two songs - Early morning rain and For loving me, while John Denver was extremely grateful to Peter Paul and Mary for their recording of Leaving on a jet plane. It became their biggest hit and helped to get John's solo career going. Pete Seeger was already a legend by the time Peter Paul and Mary had a hit with his song If I had a hammer.

Stewball is a lovely song about a racehorse. British skiffle singer Lonnie Donegan also recorded a song with the same title and clearly about the same horse, but the lyrics are different. If there ever was a racehorse called Stewball, I'd like to learn more about her, although the story may be pure fiction.

Of the songs they wrote themselves, Puff the magic dragon is one of the finest children's songs ever written, while Day is done is a great, upbeat way to round off this collection.

Peter, Paul & Mary's "Ten Years Together" is an excellent introduction to the group for anyone who's not familiar with their work. It shows off their seamless, sumptuous harmonies, their willingness to step back and let the songs be the stars of the show, and the ease with which they move from ballads to more upbeat tunes.

Showcased here, of course, is Mary Travers' voice, an instrument of such crystalline purity that it has something of the angels in it. Paul and Peter back her up beautifully, content to let her be (usually) the main vocalist while they harmonize. Their choice of material is top-notch. They do Dylan's sad, weary "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and lend it a bittersweet quality that's missing from his own version. On John Denver's excellent "I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane," the trio captures the fear and hopefulness of the lyrics. "Too Much of Nothing" has a sassy, almost Mamas-and-the-Papas quality to it, and "Stewball"--an improbably wonderful tune about a racehorse--manages to convey genuine regret despite the oddness of its subject. "Lemon Tree" and "Puff the Magic Dragon" are but two others of the many wonderful songs on this CD.

Do yourself a favor and listen to how true, trained harmonies can elevate a song well beyond itself. Peter, Paul & Mary are the real thing--a necessary quality missing all too often from the so-called work of so many folk and pop singers today.

I've always been a Bob Dylan fan through all these years for despite the raw and guttural quality of his voice, the melodic and, oh boy! lyrical brilliance of his songs are more than enough to fall back on. Combine Bob's melodic edge with Peter, Paul and Mary's fine songmanship and what have we got? A truly masterful product of the highest musical standard.

What's so good about this trio is their superior choice of materials coupled with the ability to give the materials the right treatment that they deserve, whether they are Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot or John Denver tunes. Their perfect harmony, delivery and guitar work are simply outstanding.

Peter, Paul and Mary may no longer be recording but a spent force they certainly are not. Their music has affected a generation of folk music fans and I'm sure their influence will continue to grow in the years to come.

Am I impressed with this album? No, I'm not. I'm stunned!

The harmonies of "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young", "The Mammas and the Pappas" and "Peter, Paul and Mary" were the cornerstone vocals of the "love and peace" movement. Many of PP&M's songs don't come to mind until I hear them on some oldies station. Then I once again hear that simplistic innocence of yesteryear flood the air waves with the heartfelt idealism that created these masterpieces. When I hear "500 Miles" and "Day Is Done" thirtysome years later, the time warp of today's digital world vanishes. These two are folk music at its very best. Then we have the pop hits "I Dig Rock And Roll Music" and "Leaving On A Jet Plane" and it's the late 60's and early 70's. Both are as fresh today as they were thirty years ago. "Blowin' In The Wind" is Dylan's song. PP&M give a harmonic interpretation but this one needs the cutting edge of Dylan's sarcastic vocals. "Lemon Tree" and "Puff (The Magic Dragon)" have their place but have never held my attention. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" works well with their style. "If I Had A Hammer" still rings true and right! "Early Mornin' Rain" and "For Lovin' Me" are two of those campfire folk songs that sound good even without the harmonies and snap, crackle, pop of a campfire.

Well, let's see: "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" is excellent; "Too Much Of Nothing" you'd *never* recognize as being sung by P.P.&M. but is excellent too (and anti-drug!); "Lemon Tree" is a highly sexist classic; "500 Miles" is absolutely haunting. All of the others tunes here are only marginal -- with, of course, ONE big exception: "Puff! The Magic Dragon". This is the FIRST, the ORIGINAL version, sung slowly, seriously, and with a quiet dignity which no "kiddie record" can ever duplicate. This version of "Puff" is easily worth the price of the entire CD, so if you get no other title in Peter, Paul & Mary, this is the title to get. Enjoy!

LATE ADDENDUM: I must confess that I based the above review, NOT on the CD, but on the original vinyl LP on which this CD is based. Now that I've actually heard the CD itself, I can ratify all that I have said above -- with ONE caveat: "Puff! The Magic Dragon" has been "remastered", which is to say that the bass has been greatly boosted. This is not entirely welcome -- for God's sake, why mess with perfection!? -- but it does not, on the whole, detract from one's enjoyment of the song. Nevertheless, I thought I would mention it because there are some people who (quite understandably) take exception to that kind of tampering.

My introduction to contemporary folk music was through my immersion in the innovative music of Peter Paul and Mary early in the 1960s, as they first came to prominence with songs like "The Lemon tree" and "Blowin' In The Wind". Of course, with the advent of the anti-war movement a few years later, they became quite involved, just as they had been in the struggle for civil rights in the American South quite early on. Yet Peter, Paul, and Mary were much more than urbane and well-educated Jewish intellectuals singing traditional and avant-garde folk music. They introduced a whole generation of young Americans and Europeans into a whole welter of cultural ideas and issues that both they and others like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Paul Simon were also dealing with as performing artists. Yet what is central to remember is the fact that the music of Peter, Paul, and Mary came first.

They acted as the forerunners and popularizers for the work of artists as diverse as Dylan, Baez, John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, and Tom Paxton. Their early albums were filled with what became standard contemporary folk classics like "500 Miles', "If I had A Hammer", and "Stewball". Yet they also had a number of top-ten hits, the biggest being "Puff, The Magic Dragon', which despite their stringent and consistent denials is about the joys and hazards of smoking dope. They also scored with "Day Is Done" late in their career, and had success with "I Dig Rock And Roll Music", "Leaving On A Jet Plane", and "too Much Of Nothing".

Also included here are their quite classical covers of songs written by others but made famous as album grist for them, including "For Loving Me" and "Don't Think Twice". Unbelievably, they are still touring, with Peter and Paul now in their seventies, and I am sure they are as terrific on stage now as they were when I first saw them in the Boys' Club gym in my home town one snowy Friday night in December of 1963, about three weeks after JFK was assassinated. They are a part of American history, and this album serves up a wonderful dollop of their original recordings for your listening pleasure and cultural edification. Enjoy!

This CD is one of those rare times a single CD can demonstrate all the incredible beauty of a powerful group like Peter, Paul and Mary! The CD offers very thoughtful and beautiful classic ballads such as "Blowin' In The Wind," "Stewball," and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right." "Blowin' In The Wind" is also an example of the group's being willing to take a stand on social and moral issues facing our society. The group's versatility is demonstrated with the song about "Puff (The Magic Dragon," which, although it's a children's song, can easily be enjoyed by adults as well. Although they are mainly folk singers they also celebrate rock and roll music with the song "I Dig Rock and Roll Music;" many thought Peter, Paul and Mary were making fun of rock and roll with this song but they insist they are paying tribute to it-and I think that they are. The CD ends with the song "Day Is Done" which is defiant of the evil in this world. This song includes a good sized chorus and adds a triumphant flair to the end of the song set.

The artwork on the CD is very good; but unfortunately the only photo we get of the group is very tiny on the front cover. The sound quality is excellent. There is a brief history of the group although it about them in the 1960s when these songs were originally recorded. I only wish that lyrics had been included!

I recommend this CD for Peter, Paul and Mary fans as well as fans of folk music. This is also an excellent choice for music lovers who want a superlative introduction to the group if they are as yet unfamiliar with their work. We are better off for having their music and Peter, Paul and Mary should be congratulated as well for not being afraid to deal with social and moral issues throughout their long history!

This is a lovely CD with beautiful melodies and harmony. Although these songs are from yesteryear, they still bring a calming effect and a sense of peace and joy. There is no one on earth who can escape the magic of these songs. They are certainly a gift to the Universe. Everyone will be thrilled to receive this CD as a gift. And don't you deserve one as well? It will brighten your day and lighten your load.........

I never gave much thought to Peter, Paul, and Mary when growing up except I thought they were some kind of musically innocuous leftist hippie folk trio. We sang Puff the Magic Dragon, Lemon Tree, 500 Miles, and If I Had A Hammer in elementary school and there was usually a lesson within the lyrics the teacher was trying to impart.
In Jr High came Too Much of Nothing which I kind of liked and Leaving On A Jet Plane which at that time I found sappy. I was into Jethro Tull, Procol Harum, Cream, and John Mayall. Peter, Paul and Mary were far too tame for me.
I hadn't really thought of them at all since then until the other day when my girlfriend and I happened to catch them singing on a holiday special shown on TV. Then, a couple of days later came this CD which someone anonymously sent her as a gift. She took it to work and played it, liked it, told me about it, and then I asked her to loan it to me for a couple of days.
To my surprise, I found myself really liking what I heard. Their earnest and clear harmonies carried me back to my youth and filled me with a feeling of serenity.
My favorites here are the splendid Gordon Lightfoot penned Early Mornin' Rain, For Lovin' Me, and Dylan's Don't Think Twice, Its All Right. I still look at Puff the Magic Dragon as a kid's song, but its enjoyable nonetheless. And try as I might, I couldn't find the pro-drug message so often imputed to the song. To me, its the story of a kid ultimately outgrowing a childhood fantasy.
The Best of Peter, Paul, and Mary is an excellent recording for anyone of any age who simply enjoys good singing. But I suppose it will sound best to those of us of a certain age who will find themselves carried back to simpler yet exciting times.

This is originally a 1990 Japan WEA compilation of Peter, Paul and Mary's best songs which was later reissued by Australia WEA with different cover photo. It is a custom that the best of album issued in the USA has less songs than those issue in other countries, it seems that the USA record companies are less generous (the original best of album, "Ten years together" has 13 songs only). Even though Rhino/WEA has issued "The very best of Peter, Paul and Mary", the latest greatest hits CD in 2005 which contains 25 songs, this one is still preferable to the Rhino latest issue because it includes "Settle down", "San Francisco Bay blues", "Hush-a-bye", "A Soalin'" , "All my trials" and "Gone the Rainbow". If you are perfectionist , with this best of CD, you still need to have their "In the wind", "A song will rise", the 1966's "The Peter, Paul and Mary Album" and the 1969's "Peter, Paul and Mommy" to build up a perfect collection of Peter, Paul and Mary. (updated Jan 7, 2007)