Here's Hoping for 100 More Years and 500,000 More Miles
Written: Feb 25 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: beautiful harmonies, Mary's solos, contains most PP&M hits
Cons: several songs I associate with other artists; these versions don't always compare favorably
The Bottom Line: Although not my favorite PP&M album, it contains most of their hits and might be my choice if I were only allowed to own one PP&M album.
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| quasar's Full Review: The Best of Peter, Paul & Mary: Ten Years Together... |
I was never a typical teenager. At a time when my classmates were going ga-ga over Prince, Madonna, and Michael Jackson I was listening to showtunes, oldies, and folk music. I detested the popular music of that time (I like it more now, actually), eschewing what was popular for the Everly Brothers, Ricky Nelson, Simon & Garfunkel, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul & Mary (PP&M).
When my 15th birthday was approaching, my dad asked me what I wanted as my gift. I told him I wanted to go to a Peter, Paul & Mary concert. They were in the midst of their 25th Anniversary concert tour, and as luck would have it were playing at the Valley Forge Music Fair for three days including the actual day of my birthday.
Being a PP&M fan himself, my dad readily agreed to take me to the concert. The remaining time passed and soon it was the day of my birthday - and the concert. My dad came up to me, somewhat shamefaced, and admitted he forgot to actually buy the tickets. We called the music fair, but the concert was already SRO, and even those tickets were selling fast. In some ways I was still a typical teenager so I proceeded to lay a guilt trip the likes of which has not been seen since on my poor dad. Luckily for dad, we soon discovered that the local PBS station was debuting the Minnesota PP&M concert that had been taped a few months before that night. I did get to spend my birthday at a PP&M concert, just not the live one I was expecting.
Several years later I was living in Philadelphia going to graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania. I discovered a wonderful used book and record store on 20th Street between Walnut and Chestnut. One day I was browsing through their wares and I came across a vinyl copy of Ten Years Together: The Best of Peter, Paul & Mary, one of the few PP&M albums I didn't own in some format. At the exhorbitant price of fifty cents, I decided to splurge and add it to my collection. I've since purchased a CD version, which has some extra tracks. I will review the CD version here.
The first song on the album, Blowin' in the Wind was written by Bob Dylan and has been recorded by many well known folk acts. The PP&M version is my favorite, and an excellent way to start this album. Their harmonies blend well, adding more power to the already powerful Dylan lyrics.
The second song is another Dylan song, Too Much of Nothing, one of the disappointments on the album. I hadn't heard this song before, and I wasn't missing much.
The third song, Lemon Tree, is one of my favorites. Although I prefer the version by The Kingston Trio, the PP&M version is still good. It is slightly faster than The Kingston Trio version and the harmonies don't work quite as well, but I still enjoy listening to this song that teaches us that beauty needs to be more than skin deep.
The fourth song, Stewball, is also a particular favorite of mine - when sung by Joan Baez. The PP&M version is still effective, but the Baez version is hauntingly beautiful. I think the song is better suited for a female voice - perhaps if Mary had sung the lead vocals I would enjoy the PP&M version more than I do.
Early Mornin' Rain written by Gordon Lightfoot, is a beautiful song. I could listen to it over and over again without getting sick of it. The harmonies on this version are incredible, and I was very glad to discover this song, a song I hadn't heard before purchasing this record. To be honest I couldn't tell you much about the lyrics or what the song means - it's so beautiful that I always get lost in the music and forget to pay attention to the words.
500 Miles is another song that has been recorded and re-recorded by many different folk acts. In my mind, the PP&M version is the best around. The song starts with Mary plaintively crying out to those she is about to leave behind. Most of the song is Mary singing solo, with only some very basic harmonies on the chorus from the men of the group. It works well.
I Dig Rock and Roll Music is a jab at the popular music of the time, poking fun at how pop radio won't accept any music that might have actual content in the lyrics. Mentioning the Mamas and the Papas, Donovan, and the Beatles, this song is bluesy in tone, practically a rock song itself:
I dig Rock and Roll music I could really get it on in that scene.
I think I could say somethin' if you know what I mean
But if I really say it, the radio won't play it
Unless I lay it between the lines!
The next song, Leavin' on a Jet Plane written by John Denver, was PP&M's first and only #1 hit on the Billboard charts. A song about the difficulties of life on the road and leaving loved ones behind, this song was an instant classic that still has me in tears every time I hear it:
Now the time has come to leave you
One more time
Let me kiss you
Then close your eyes,
I'll be on my way.
Puff the Magic Dragon is the most well known Peter, Paul & Mary song. A delightful song written by Peter Yarrow ostensibly about how children have to grow up eventually, there is some question about possible drug connotations in the song. Peter addressed this issue in his introduction to the song during the 25th Anniversary concerts: "Puff the Magic Dragon is simply about the loss of innocense of children. Now you can tell people that you've heard it from the dragon's father's mouth.
For Lovin' Me is the second song on this album written by Gordon Lightfoot. It's a melodious song with beautiful harmonies. It assures a newly lost love that he or she is dispensible and can easily be replaced:
I ain't the kind to hang around
With any new love that I've found
Movin' is my stock in trade, I'm movin on
I won't think of you when I'm gone.
With a similar message to For Lovin' Me, Bob Dylan's Don't Think Twice, It's All Right is less melodic, more forceful in its message of hurt feelings and moving on from ended relationships. I definitely prefer the other song, although this one perhaps is a better at expressing the hurt involved in these situations.
Other than Blowin' in the Wind, If I Had a Hammer is the only protest song in this collection. Written by Lee Hays and Pete Seeger, this song's strident lyrics push a message of justice for all and love of all people:
Well I've got a hammer, and I've got a bell
And I've got a song to sing all over this land
It's a hammer of justice, it's a bell of freedom
It's a song about love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land
The final song on this album is Day is Done, Peter Yarrow's song about a parent's desire to make the world perfect for his children even though we all live in an imperfect world. Powerful words combine with a simple melody resulting in a truly memorable song. This is a fitting way to end the recap of the first ten years of Peter, Paul & Mary:
Tell me why you're crying, my son
I know you're frightened, like everyone
Is it the thunder in the distance you fear?
Will it help if I stay very near?
I am here.
This isn't my favorite PP&M album, and although I genuinely like most of the songs, many of them are songs I associate with other artists. All of that said, I am glad that this album is part of my collection, and would recommend it to any music lover, especially one who doesn't intend to purchase the entire Peter, Paul & Mary discography. Most of their hits are here, as well as several truly beautiful songs that never made it onto the charts.
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying
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