As far as PPM themselves are concerned, this album is much more representative of their sound than the 1978
Reunion LP was. Recorded live in New York City in October of 1981, it was originally released in America on the Peter Paul & Mary label (and later picked up by Warner Bros.), during the period in which the trio was between contracts. The trio returns to their mid-1960s sound, accompanied principally by
Yarrow and Stookey's guitars, and Dick Kniss' bass, with intermittent embellishment on individual songs from Hugh McCracken on electric guitar, Dick Kniss on bass, Dominic Cortese on accordion,
Paul Butterfield's harmonica, and Charles McCracken on cello.
Such Is Love is a perfect follow-up to PPM's work circa 1964-1966, even offering reprise of "Stewball" as the closing number. The title track, written by
Peter Yarrow, deserves a place on any contemporary best-of collection by the group, and they do well by the work of
Phil Ochs ("There But for Fortune," which gets a lushly expansive performance),
Stan Rogers ("Delivery Delayed"), and Steve Goodman ("Would You Like to Learn to Dance"). The group also captures the sense of humor that was essential to their appeal in the early 1960s, in what is really a 1980s sequel to their 1964
In Concert album. ~ Bruce Eder