Search - Peter Paul & Mary :: Peter Paul & Mary Album

Takes me back

M. J. Walters | Chicago, IL USA | 11/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must be getting old; I find myself revisiting my youth more often these days. Or maybe it's just the high comfort level of the old familiar things. Either way, I found myself humming a song from this album the other day, and wondered if it was out on CD. Amazon is usually my first stop for things like this and a few minutes of searching netted the correct item. I felt as if I'd found an old friend.It didn't disappoint either. The things that made me play the vinyl album half to death back in the 60s still appeal: gorgeous harmonies, the sweet voice of Mary Travers, and songs that are easy to sing along with. I found myself playing it over and over, belting out "And When I Die" at the top of my lungs, harmonizing on "Pack Up Your Sorrows" and trying vainly to make out the words to "Mon Vrai Destin" which was the song that sent me on my search to begin with.Most of the songs hold up well, though "Norman Normal" still irritates me almost as much as it did when I was a teenager. Sure, there's a little saccharine here; what 60s folkie group didn't occasionally suffer from that particular malaise? But it's bearable, offset as it is by tunes such as "Well, Well, Well" and the aforementioned "And When I Die." Bottom line, in my opinion, is that if you're familiar with PP&M and like their work, you'll like this album. If you don't know them but are curious, it's a good place to start. (Any album with no trace of the ubiquitous "Puff, the Magic Dragon" is a good place to start.) Give it a try. Sing along.One complaint, and it's not big enough to detract from the five star rating since I gave high marks for nostalgia and the comfort of a childhood friend: I really would love to see the song lyrics printed here. There's more than enough room; how hard would that have been? It'd be nice to sing the right words to "Mon Vrai Destin" for once."

Destin

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 01/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The simply titled ALBUM, by Peter, Paul and Mary, is this folk trio's greatest work. Contained within it are some of the most poignantly beautiful songs ever written. Harmonies and musicianship here are outstanding. The overall mood of ALBUM is one of sadness, so it's generally not for those seeking fairy tales, whimsy and lightness. The rewards this set holds for the engaged listener however are immeasurable.



The finest, most unforgettable song here is in French, and is called "Mon Vrai Destin." These are the lyrics:



La la la......

Dans mes reves j'entends une voix

Qui me dit "Ne pleure pas",

Quel dommage mes yeux sont des source claires.

Dans mes reves j'entends une voix

Qui me dit "Ne souffre pas!"

Quel dommage mon ame n'est pas de pierre.

Mais les voix de mes fantomes ne connaissent pas la douleur de l'homme

Pourtant les cloches m'annoncent toujours mon vrai destin.

La la la ......

La la la ......



Dans notre maison fragile et grise

Nous partageons le reve d'la vie

Et la lune souriait sur l'innocence

Dans un monde plein de nean

Meme les promesses sont du vent

Et le soleil parfois se perd dans les nuages

Ne me quitte pas encore,

Ne me laisse pas partir

Pourtant les cloches m'annoncent toujours mon vrai destin.

La la la....etc.



Very roughly translated: I hear a voice in my dreams that urges me not to cry- it tells me, "do not suffer." This ghost doesn't really know my pain, and the bells remind me of my destiny.



In our fragile gray house, we share life's dreams. The moon smiles innocently. Promises are like the wind; the sun gets lost in the clouds. Don't leave me yet- don't let me go. But the bells remind me of my destiny."

The last of the great 60's albums

Mr. Geoffrey M. Teece | Birmingham UK | 11/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After a brilliant 'See What Tomorrow Brings' this 'follow up' was different but equally as fine. A departure in that they used members of Paul Butterfield's Blues Band , this is a very strong album and the last, for me, of the albums when they couldn't go wrong. Wonderful tracks include, 'Sometime Lovin', 'Hurry Sundown', 'The Good Times We Had, 'And When I Die', 'Kisses Sweeter than Wine'. Again they managed a definitive cover version-this time Fred Neil's 'Other Side of this Life'. From their first album until this one, Peter, Paul and Mary produced music and records of an incredibly high quality.It surprises me that Peter Yarrow doesn't think they got the sound right and were searching for a style here. Listening to this on CD now some 35 years after I bought it as a 15 year old it sounds wonderful. This is a very beautiful record. The title might suggest they couldn't think of a title. But these songs are, largely, all about time. It remains my favourite PPM record. The next one 'Album 1700' was okay but didn't seem quite to carry on the excellent direction of this album."