One of America’s favorite folk groups — among the cornerstones of the “love and peace” movement in the 1960s — Peter, Paul and Mary sang at Martin Luther King’s big rally in Washington, D.C. when he made his famous “I have a dream” speech to a crowd of 250,000 people 50 years ago this year. The trio’s stealler harmonies communicate their passionate commitment to peace and social justice, albeit in a simplistic and innocent way. This 13 song compilation, “The Best Of Peter, Paul and Mary” is a definitive introduction to the trio’s memorable songs.

Mary Travers (born in 1937 in Lousville), Peter Yarrow (1938 in New York City) and Paul Stookey (1937), got together in New York and, after securing a recording contract from Warner, went on to score 22 hit singles from early 1962 to late ’69, and see 15 cross over to Adult Contemporary and 1 R&B.

The threesome sometimes wrote their own songs, but most of the numbers they are famous for are actually covers. Not just any covers; often they selected numbers by people who were unknown at the time, but who became famous partly as a result of Peter, Paul and Mary making them hits.

Gordon Lightfoot is represented by two songs on this CD — “Early Morning Rain” and “For Loving Me” — while John Denver was extremely grateful to the trio for their recording of a song he composed, “Leaving On A Jet Plane.” It became their biggest hit and helped to get John’s solo career off the ground (pardon the pun). Just listen to the acoustic guitar work on this track! Magnificent.

Pete Seeger was already a legend by the time Peter, Paul and Mary had a hit with his song, “If I Had A Hammer.” Bob Dylan’s sad, weary, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’ lends it a bittersweet quality that’s missing from his own version. “Too Much Of Nothing” has a sassy, almost Mamas-and-the-Papas quality to it.

“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 Stewbal, we’d like to learn more about her!

One of the songs the group wrote themselves, “Puff (The Magic Dragon)” is among the finest children’s songs ever written, though over the years it has frequently been cited by paranaoics as extolling drugs. (Which it doesn’t). “Too Much Of Nothing” is, in fact, anti-drug. “Lemon Tree” is highly sexist but a classic, while “500 Miles” is absolutely haunting. “Day Is Done” is a great, upbeat way to round off this collection.

Showcased throughout is Mary Travers’ voice — an instrument of such crystalline purity that it has something of the angels in it. Peter and Paul back her up beautifully, content to let her be (usually) the lead vocalist while they harmonize.

There are no fancy orchestrations here — primarily just guitars and voices — which proves how much music people can create when they simply have talent. Which these three do. One complaint is the reissue cover is crappy, with a tiny little photo of them and 1 page of liners — the same as the original vinyl album. But after all, it’s the music that counts. Old-timers will enjoy revisiting a more innocent time; newbies will find the music intriguing.

To sample some of the tracks, click the speaker icon below to hear them. Then scroll down the page to order today!