Conference cookie::notes$archive:cd_v1

    Actually, I don't think that Warner's even *has* a "budget" CD
    line. They may well be the only one of the Majors that doesn't.
    
    --- jerry

    Sure they do - their Super Saver series.  All the Roches CD's on
    Warner's are at a budget price, for instance.

    OK, I stand corrected. I couldn't think of any discount CD's
    on Warner.
    
    --- jerry

    
    
    Having just plunked down $15.99 for the first PP&M disc, I suppose
    I need to admit that the final straw was the review in CD&DAreview.
    I was a senior in hi-school when this was riding the charts and
    I've gone through at least 2 vinyl copies of it over the years.
    I can't think of a better debut folk lp by anyone, ever - including
    the Vanguard JOAN BAEZ double lp. There're 6 original compositions
    and include the 1st two PP&M charted singles - If I Had A Hammer
    (Trini Lopez fans need not apply) and Lemon Tree. The 2 hits, of
    course are wonderful, but the original composition "Early in the
    Morning," "Cruel War," and Pete Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers
    Gone" by this threesome, have no peer, in my opinion. Paul Stookey's
    depth, Peter Yarrow's mid-range & Mary's 2 octave voice have endured.
    
    In the review (actually partially an interview with Peter Yarrow),
    it's discovered that the first 5 PP&M lps were 3 track recordings,
    rather than the usual 2 tracks in use during that '62-'65 time frame.
    Yarrow himself, along with original recording engineer, Bill Schwartau
    carefully re-mixed the original 3 track tapes, which sound to be
    in fantastic shape. I'm listening now as I type and find it difficult
    to concentrate, since this disc sounds at least 10 times better
    than I can ever recall my vinyl copies sounding. The mix is different,
    but not so different that a purist would say it's changed the content
    from one media to the other. If anything, the vocals are brought
    more up front & Mary's voice centered, rather than coming from either
    left or right speakers. Stookey owns the right channel, while Yarrow
    lives in the left when the trio sings together. Fantastic is all
    I can say - and the hell with the $15.99. I'm in folk heaven !
    
    For DDD lovers, don't buy this one looking for perfection, unless
    you're willing to put up with some inherent hiss. It was also pointed
    out that because of using tube microphones, some distortion (actually
    pushing peaks) is evident in a couple of songs. I noticed this in
    only one song - "Cruel War" - and only in Mary's miking. Yarrow
    also claimed of a dropout or 2, which I couldn't detect anywhere
    (this is reminiscent of the mistakes pointed out in Frankie Goes
    To Hollywood's first CD - I still haven't heard those "pops").
    
    If anyone can listen to "Early In The Morning," "If I Had My Way"
    and "If I Had A Hammer" without being a bit moved then folk music
    isn't their cup of tea. For those of you who remember these tunes
    - run, don't walk to get this one. It's a pleasurable 31 minute
    journey into the not-so-innocent past.
    
    				The Cruiser
    
    

    While I've been meaning to pick this one up, I haven't been going
    out of my way to track it down, figuring that, yes, it'll be nice
    to get this on CD, but given its age, it won't be a sonically
    spectacular CD. After reading your review, Al, I decided I had
    to push it to the top of the queue.
    
    Everything you say is right on the money. I haven't listened to
    the LP in much too long a time, but I still noticed that Yarrow's
    remixing has given a richness to this that makes it effectively
    a new recording. The stereo imaging is wonderful. You can close
    your eyes and almost feel that PP&M are standing in the living
    room playing. I've only gotten this feeling once before -- from
    the CD of Dave Brubeck's TIME OUT.
    
    Good stuff, Maynard.
    
    --- jerry
    
    P.S. As for "peak-pushing", the most noticible one for me was right
    in the first track, "Early in the Morning". In Paul's last solo
    before the final refrain, there is a very audible break-up.

    
    
    Glad you liked it, Jerry....and I'm looking forward to getting
    Brubeck's Time Out in a week or two. I've been unable to find it
    locally, so used one of my CBS half price coupons to order it. I've
    heard that sonically it blows the lp off the turntable. I can't
    even imagine that, thus my excitement at hearing the 2 really
    historic tracks of "Take 5" & "Blue Rhonda ala Turk" on disc.
    
    Also, back to the PP&M subject - it seems that WB is hesitant to
    release the rest of their library. In the latest Compact Disc &
    Digital Audio Review, there's a coupon to fill out and send back
    in to them concerning these held back reissues. As soon as they
    get a large amount, proving interest in the recordings, they'll
    mail them en masse to WB. Mines in the mail now. 
    
    				La Cruizoid
    
    

    There's a brand new PP&M CD out on Gold Castle -- A HOLIDAY
    CELEBRATION. It's an album of Christmas music that they recorded
    with the New York Choral Society. It was recorded live at
    Lehman Center in NYC (and this concert was shown on PBS).
    
    I have to confess that I'm not really that fond of full choral
    arrangements of Christmas songs, so I'm less than full enthused
    by the CD. However, the quality is high (I'm coming to expect
    that from Gold Castle), and the arrangements on some of PP&M's
    old standards, "A Soalin'" and "Children Go Where I Send Thee"
    (the and non-Christmas finale, "Blowin' in the Wind") are quite
    nice.
    
    I suspect that Christmas music fans will get more out of this
    than PP&M fans (and if you're both, you'll probably *really*
    like it), but check it out for yourself.
    
    --- jerry

    From the Feb. INTERNATIONAL CD EXCHANGE is the news that Warner's
    will be releasing in March PP&M's IN CONCERT double album on one
    CD. While it's certainly great news, I'm feeling uneasy. I just
    totalled up the track time on my LP copy, and it adds up to
    78:13 (not including blank-groove time). I'm not convinced that
    Warner won't cut something to give themselves some leeway.
    
    --- jerry

Let's hope they're using a plant that makes the up-to-80 minute
CD's for this one.  Apparently several CD plants will do that now,
and I've seen several major label CD's that are over 75 minutes
long.

If they do cut something, I bet it will be Paultalk, either in
whole or in part.