Seldom has an album impressed me as much as this new, 25-song
collection, "Around the Campfire," (Warner Bros) by the legendary Peter,
Paul & Mary.
Four of the songs - "Kumbaya," "Michael Row the Boat Ashore,"
"Goodnight, Irene" and "Down By the Riverside" - are newly recorded for
this project, with the remaining tunes having been skimmed from about a
half-dozen of PP&M's past live and studio albums.
In some ways, this is a "greatest hits" package of sing-along folk
favorites, but that only hints at the artistry presented here.
>From Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" through John Denver's
"Leaving on a Jet Plane," PP&M deliver heartfelt acoustic renditions of
songs from our collective cultural subconscious.
On several tracks, such as the PP&M cover of David Mallett's "Garden
Song" (taken from the live "Peter, Paul and Mommy" CD) PP&M can be heard
teaching the song to their young audience, then encouraging the
youngsters to sing along, a cappella, and in harmony. Who better to
learn from than the masters?
On "River of Jordan" (from the album "Lifelines Live), PP&M are joined
by a chorus that includes Richie Havens, Odetta, Tom Paxton, Fred
Hellerman, Ronnie Gilbert, John Sebastian, Buddy Mondlock, Dave Van
Ronk, and Susan Werner.
Every song here is a keeper, among them: "If I Had A Hammer," "Where
Have All the Flowers Gone," "The Marvelous Toy," "Puff," "Blowin' In the
Wind," "We Shall Overcome." Lesser known, but equally enjoyable tunes
include: "Light One Candle," "Right Field," "Inside," and "Somos El
Barco."
In this era of the singer/songwriter manifesto, it's wonderfully
refreshing to hear true folk artists performing a wide-ranging,
audience-pleasing collection of tunes that are timely and timeless.
Long-time fans of PP&M will enjoy both the familiar and sometimes
not-so-familiar recordings offered here. Folk music fans not already
familiar with PP&M owe it to themselves to check out this inspired
collection.