ALBUMS: Reunion (1978); In Concert (1964); 1700, (1967)
MVC Ratings: Reunion 3.0/$; In Concert, 3.5/$$; 1700 3.0/$
Peter, Paul and Mary (PP&M) are the Three Dog Night of folk music. And I don’t mean that in any disparaging way, to either party.
They both were accomplished performers and recorded great music that touched millions of people. They just weren’t trailblazers, they were interpretors. PP&M’s voices blended like milk in coffee. But they were doing other people songs. It was all to a good end. When they recorded Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ they made people pay attention to an almost perfect song sung in harmonic synchronicity as opposed to Dylan’s version, which was heartfelt and great but urban sidewalk busker-like with Dylan blowing harp and finger picking his guitar. Some would say PPM were homogenized and they were.
In a similar but reverse way, Three Dog Night did small hits of folksy sounding songs and turned them into convincing rock and rollers: Think Laura Nyro’s ‘Eli’s Coming, Randy Newman’s ‘Mama Told Me Not to Come’ and Harry Nillson’s “One.’ (Actually the Nyro song rocks about as hard as Three Dog Night’s.)
Now there’s nothing wrong, as I’ve said, with covering other songs. Singer-songwriters, it seems to me are relatively new thing. Folks like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Elvis didn’t write their songs. But they could deliver them in a charismatic or appealing way and had nice careers.
The singer-songwriter phase really kicked in with the Beatles and Dylan. During the British invasion led by the Beatles, many acts were just starting to write their own including the Beatles, Buddy Holly and the Rolling Stones.
I’ve got here three PP&M albums. The newest from 1978 is Reunion. The other two are old, with tape on the seams, albums played to death by mi esposa, Catherine, who grew up loving them, Carol King, Carly Simon, James Taylor and the Beach Boys. Oh, and Simon and Garfunkel.
All singer-songwriters. In fact that little group right there have written some of the best known songs in contemporary times. Meanwhile Peter Paul and Mary just made beautiful music. Beautiful like this: