"In The Wind" by Peter, Paul, and Mary (October, 1963)

Dad's Take:

This one brings back memories. My mom has this record, and I heard it a lot growing up. When I got a bit older, I used to play it myself. This and her Kingston Trio albums helped me develop my inner folkie at an early age.

I remember as a small child really liking "Hush-A-Bye." "Stewball" has always been a favorite, probably my favorite on the record. Brad might have fun imaging Little Dad singing along. "Rocky Road" is another favorite. Later, I appreciated their "Go Tell It On The Mountain" (this is the version I hear in my head when I think of this song, even though they changed it from a Christian spiritual to a civil rights anthem). Of course, the album features their classic "Blowin' In The Wind," which probably helped as much as anything to cement Dylan's place in the cultural mind.

So, for me, this is truly a classic album, one that has always been there, as long as I can remember. I haven't listened to it for many years, but it holds up to my grown-up ears as well. Songs like "Long Chain On" and their gorgeous cover of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" still hold up well.

"In The Wind" is a feel-good record for me. It's like a bridge between the fifties folk of the Kingston Trio and the heavier folk of the Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. The harmonies are impeccable, with a perfect blend that inspired later groups like the Mamas & the Papas.

Brad's Take:


Folk music was in full force by the time In The Wind was released so it's no surprised that this album shot up to #1 on the Billboard charts. It might have helped that they cashed in on Bob Dylan's success by releasing their own versions of "Blowin' In The Wind" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" as their singles for this album.

It's a shame that they didn't release a single of an original song because they were great songwriters. "Rocky Road" would have been a good choice for a single, in my opinion. "Very Last Day" could have been a good one, as well. In that song, you can definitely hear where the Mamas & the Papas got their harmonies for "California Dreamin'."

Before listening to this, "Puff The Magic Dragon" was the only Peter, Paul, and Mary song I could have named off the top of my head. I liked that little ditty and the movie when I was younger, but it's not on this album. I was kind of bummed about that.

I kind of liked the album. The 60s folk music/hippy scene isn't something I can relate to at all so it's hard to get into these folky albums. It was fun listening to it though, imagining watching a young version of my dad swaying back and forth to "Stewball."

"String Along" by The Kingston Trio (July, 1960)

Dad's Take:

We've covered just about every genre in popular music so far, so it's about time we move into folk music, one of my favorite genres. What better place to start than The Kingston Trio.

The Kingston Trio peaked commercially with "Tom Dooley" in 1958, but this album, their fifth studio record, captures everything I like about the trio. It has impeccable harmonies, humor, social awareness, and catchy melodies. By 1960, folk had been popular for a few years among the college crowd who where a little too old for rock and roll's dance beat, but it was only on the verge of becoming the force it would be with the ascent of Dylan, Baez, and the rest of the sixties folk icons.

The Kingston Trio were among the pioneers of modern folk music, and "String Along" makes it clear why. Great songs like "Leave My Woman Alone" are accessible to the aging first generation of rock and rollers (and, indeed, were influenced by people like the Everly Brothers), but with a maturity and social awareness that had not yet broken into rock and roll music. Those things would become part of rock and roll soon, thanks to people like The Kingston Trio and their influence on a folk scene that would soon give birth to Dylan and his cult of followers in all popular genres.

But back to the Trio. Not long after this album was recorded, Dave Guard left the Kingston Trio, putting an end to the first major era of the Trio. He was replaced by John Stewart, who I always liked as a member of the Trio and as a solo act. They weren't quite the same after that. They continued to have chart success for a couple more years, but "String Along" was their last album to top the charts. Six of their next seven albums hit the Top Ten, though, so Guard's departure definitely didn't kill the group.

I'm not sure why this is the album the authors of our list chose to represent the Kingston Trio, but I'm not complaining. I've never hear this whole album before, and I'm happy to have it now. "String Along" is a good, solid album, with strong songs and very little obvious filler. Like other Kingston Trio albums, it was criticized by some folk fanatics because of its political neutrality in a left-leaning genre, but record buyers ate it up and found it highly satisfying. It's a very good record.

Brad's Take:


Like a lot of the albums we've reviewed so far, I've heard of the band, but never actually listened to any of their music, until now. Although folk music isn't typically my cup of tea, this was a nice little surprise.

"Bad Man's Blunder" is an up-tempo silly little song that I thought was okay, but the next couple of tracks were a bit slower, and full of perfect harmonies. I liked all of the slow songs the most on this album.

They have great voices that sound great when they're harmonizing together. On songs like "When I Was Young," they harmonize the entire song together. It reminds me a lot of a band I occasionally listen to called Kings Of Convenience, who must have at least some Kingston Trio influence in their vocals.

 As a whole, this album is good. It's not my favorite, but there's some songs that I really liked a lot, and some that I sort of struggled to get through. Fortunately though, the entire album is only 30 minutes long so the songs are short and sweet, getting to the point from the get go.