Peter, Paul and Mary - Flowers and Stones (1990)

By 1990 Peter, Paul & Mary had settled into their role as a live attraction, still releasing an album each year--many of them live--to their larger-than-cult audience, but hardly expecting hits anymore. Not that they still couldn't sing a great song in the studio when they wanted, as this nonlive recording proves. They still rely heavily on their Bob Dylan connection 30 years on via fine covers of Zimmy's "I Shall Be Released," "It Ain't Me, Babe," and "The Last Thing on My Mind." "Danny's Downs" is truly gorgeous. And "Yuppies in the Sky"--done to the theme of "Ghost Riders in the Sky"--was a humorous live staple throughout the late '80s and early '90s. Even after years of pretenders to the throne, Peter, Paul & Mary were still the essence of folk pop.