Paul and is the debut solo studio album by American pop and folk singer-songwriter Noel Paul Stookey released in 1971 on Warner Bros. Records.[1] "Wedding Song (There Is Love)" was issued as an advance single, reaching No. 24 on the Hot 100 in Billboard and No. 3 on the Easy Listening chart.[2][3][4][5] The album has appeared on best seller lists, charting in the US and Canada.[6][7]
Cover art
The cover art for Paul and was designed by Milton Glaser. The photos of Stookey on the jacket hide his trademark goatee identifying him in the Peter, Paul and Mary covers, to change his image as a solo artist.[8]
Critical reception
Ernie Santosuosso for The Boston Globe called it “good enough to make Stookey a star, a “live” ticket on the concert circuit. Describing the lyric of “Wedding Song” as “simple and sensitive”, “Sebastian” as carrying “the stamp of consideration substance” and “Ju Les Ver Negre En Cheese” making“allusions to the Moon shots”, he opined “You might get bogged down in the interpretation of some lyrics but the totality of the product somewhat offsets this. Paul Stookey is now his own man musically.”[9][1]
Ellis Widner of the Moberly Monitor-Index said it was a “fine package” with “some excellent satire,” and a “pure delight,” praising the “high quality of workmanship and production,” and well performed tunes.[10]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The album received positive reviews from music critics.[12][1][13]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Gabriel's Mother's Hiway Ballad #16 Blues" | Arlo Guthrie | 5:20 |
2. | "Been on the Road Too Long" | Paul Stookey | 2:07 |
3. | "Hey Sad Sack" |
| 3:32 |
4. | "Wedding Song (There Is Love)" | Stookey | 3:41 |
5. | "Meanings Will Change[14]" | Bill Hughes | 5:41 |
6. | "Give a Damn" | 2:20 | |
7. | "Sebastian" | Stookey | 4:06 |
8. | "Lucy" |
| 5:00 |
9. | "Ju Les Ver Negre en Cheese (Ed's Tune)" |
| 3:45 |
10. | "Tiger" |
| 3:45 |
11. | "Tender Hands" | Stookey | 3:45 |
12. | "John Henry Bosworth" | Stookey | 4:58 |
Total length: | 45:58 |
Production
- Jim Mason – producer
- Ed Mottau – producer
- Shelly Yakus – engineer, mixer
References
- ^ a b c "Paul Stookey comes up with the soft sell by Ernie Santosuosso, Globe Staff". The Boston Globe. August 22, 1971. p. 100. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 234.
- ^ Darden, Bob (September 2, 1989). "Lectern" (PDF).
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). October 30, 1971.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). October 9, 1971.
- ^ "This Week's Album Best Seller List". The Los Angeles Times. October 10, 1971. p. 521. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "RPM100 Albums" (PDF). World Radio History: 10. September 25, 1971.
- ^ Bielen, Ken (November 2, 2021). Portraying Performer Image in Record Album Cover Art. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-1-7936-4073-4.
- ^ "Renaissance Review, Pop music - Paul and...Paul Simon by Jon R. Kennedy". Goleta Sun. February 8, 1972. p. 4. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
- ^ "Worlds in Music by Ellis Widner Randy Newman, Paul Stookey, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Joan Baez". Moberly Monitor-Index and Moberly Evening Democrat. September 4, 1971. p. 6. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
- ^ Eder, Bruce. Noel Paul Stookey – Paul And: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
- ^ "Renaissance Review, Pop music - Paul and...Paul Simon by Jon R. Kennedy". Goleta Sun. February 8, 1972. p. 4. Retrieved December 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "STOOKEY". Detroit Free Press. July 24, 1977. p. 205. Retrieved December 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "STOOKEY". Detroit Free Press. July 24, 1977. p. 205. Retrieved December 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- Paul and discography at Discogs
- Official website
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