''No Easy Walk to Freedom'' is a 1986 studio album by American

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

trio

Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary was an American folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of tenor Peter Yarrow, baritone Paul Stookey, and contralto Mary Travers. The group's repertoir ...

. Its release coincided with the group's 25th anniversary. Produced by John McClure and

Peter Yarrow Peter Yarrow (born May 31, 1938) is an American singer and songwriter who found fame for being in the 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Yarrow co-wrote (with Leonard Lipton) one of the group's best known hits, " Puff, the Magic Dragon". H ...

, the album was nominated in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category at the

29th Annual Grammy Awards The 29th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 24, 1987, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Paul Simon won Album of the Year for ''Graceland'', and Burt Bacha ...

Background and composition

Without a label,

signed with

Gold Castle Records Gold Castle Records was an American record label. It was co-owned by music industry veteran Danny Goldberg and Julian Schlossberg (co-producer/co-director of the live music film '' No Nukes''). The label's name is formed from the first halves of ...

to record ''No Easy Walk to Freedom''. Released in 1986, it marked the trio's 25th anniversary. The album was their first in almost nine years. The title track was written for

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

. The group sought to connect the causes of Mandela and

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

A few years later, Peter, Paul and Mary would perform "No Easy Walk to Freedom" at an event in Tokyo honoring Mandela shortly after his release from prison. A music video for the song, directed by George Gage and Jim Shea, features archival footage depicting the group's involvement in human rights issues, along with performance clips. Other songs on the album include "El Salvador", a

protest song A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. Among social mov ...

about the United States' involvement in the

Salvadoran Civil War The Salvadoran Civil War ( es, guerra civil de El Salvador) was a twelve year period of civil war in El Salvador that was fought between the government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a coalition or ...

, and "Light One Candle", written for Jewish dissidents in the Soviet Union.

Critical reception

''No Easy Walk to Freedom'' received a 1987

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nomination in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' noted the group's "familiar formula of story-songs and socially conscious material" and described the album as "a pleasant return to form." A review in '' Digital Audio and Compact Disc Review'' wrote that the album's songs are "each stamped with PP&M's unique voice and harmonies, that deal not only with protest, but also with love, friendship, and childhood."

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's L. Katz wrote, "This is one of the trio's later releases and, if their fire is a bit dimmed, one can't blame them. However, if you want a CD that brings you back to the dawn of the flower-child generation, this probably isn't the one." Keith Tuber of '' Orange Coast'' said: "Makes you wonder why it took 10 years and a new label to showcase the talent of these legendary performers." A review in the ''

Reno Gazette-Journal The ''Reno Gazette Journal'' is the main daily newspaper for Reno, Nevada. It is owned and operated by the Gannett Company. It came into being when the ''Nevada State Journal'' (founded on November 23, 1870) and the ''Reno Evening Gazette'' (fou ...

'' called the album "an extraordinary comeback, a set of 10 political broadsides and topical ballads. The arrangements are clean and fresh and the performances are genuinely moving from start to finish."

Track listing

Side one

Weave Me the Sunshine "Weave Me the Sunshine" is a song written by Peter Yarrow, and was first released by Peter Yarrow in 1972. It was later covered by American singer Perry Como, whose 1974 Victor Records release peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Adult Contemporar ...

" (

) #"Right Field" (Willy Welch) #"I'd Rather Be in Love" (

Pat Alger Pat Alger (born September 23, 1947, in LaGrange, GeorgiaCarlin 2003, p. 3.) is a country music songwriter, singer and guitarist and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (2010) and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame (2013). Early ...

, Walter Carter) #"State of the Heart" (Richard Kniss,

Noel Paul Stookey Noel Paul Stookey (born December 30, 1937) is an American singer-songwriter who was famous for being in the 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary; however, he has been known by his first name, Noel, throughout his life. Nowadays, he continues to w ...

) #"No Easy Walk to Freedom" (

Margery Tabankin Margery Tabankin (born 1948) is an American progressive political activist. She is known for serving as a conduit between Hollywood donors and liberal political causes in Washington D.C. Biography Tabankin became a nationally known campus radic ...

, Peter Yarrow)

Side two

#" Greenland Whale Fisheries" (

Fred Hellerman Fred Hellerman (May 13, 1927 – September 1, 2016) was an American folk singer, guitarist, producer, and songwriter. Hellerman was an original member of the seminal American folk group The Weavers, together with Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, and Ronn ...

) #"Whispered Words" (Peter Yarrow) #"

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

" (Noel Paul Stookey) #"Greenwood" (Peter Yarrow) #" Light One Candle" (Peter Yarrow)

Charts

Personnel

– vocals, guitar * Noel "Paul" Stookey – vocals, guitar *

Mary Travers Mary Allin Travers (November 9, 1936 – September 16, 2009) was an American singer-songwriter who was known for being in the famous 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, along with Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey. Travers grew up amid the burg ...

– vocals *David Brown - acoustic guitar on tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 *Anthony MacDonald - percussion on tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10 *Richard Kniss - acoustic bass on tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 10 *Eric Weinberg - banjo on track 2 *

Warren Bernhardt Warren Bernhardt (November 13, 1938 – August 19, 2022)''WBGO'', (Newark, NJ)"Warren Bernhardt, pianist with Steps Ahead, Steely Dan and other bands, dies at 83" August 24, 2022. Retrieved on August 24, 2022. was an American pianist in jazz, pop ...

- keyboards on track 3 * Anthony Jackson - electric bass on tracks 3, 5, 8 *Ed Walsh - keyboards on tracks 4, 7, 8, 9 *

Mick Moloney Michael Moloney (15 November 1944 – 27 July 2022) was an Irish-born American musician and scholar. He was the artistic director of several major arts tours and co-founded Green Fields of America. Early life Moloney was born in Limerick, Ire ...

- mandolin on track 6 *

Séamus Egan Séamus Egan is an Irish-American musician. Early days Séamus Egan was born in Hatboro, Pennsylvania to Irish immigrants Mike and Ann Egan. At the age of three his parents moved the family back home to County Mayo, Ireland. He learned acc ...

- penny whistle on track 6 *Lori Cole - concertina on track 6 *

Jay Leonhart Jay Leonhart (born December 6, 1940) is a double bassist, singer, and songwriter who has worked in jazz and popular music. He has performed with Judy Garland, Bucky Pizzarelli, Carly Simon, Frank Sinatra, and Sting. Leonhart is noted for his cl ...

- acoustic bass on tracks 7, 9 *New York Choral Society - chorus on track 10

References

External links

* {{Authority control Peter, Paul and Mary albums 1986 albums PolyGram albums