Peter Paul & Mary Albums - mastering problems?

Subject: Peter Paul & Mary Albums - remastering?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Jun 19 - 01:18 PM

The "original" PP&M albums could all use a remastering. They sound like they're singing with a lisp. It's almost painful to listen to them. I don't know if there's any sort of engineering that could fix that.
What problem made them like that in the first place? Peter had a reputation for being really fussy about sound quality, but these albums really sound bad. What happened?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Peter Paul & Mary Albums - mastering problems?
From: Severn
Date: 28 Jun 19 - 04:50 PM

They're making a lisp
Joe's checking it twice.....

Subject: RE: Peter Paul & Mary Albums - mastering problems?
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 28 Jun 19 - 07:18 PM

Hi Joe,
I have not listened to any of their albums for many years, don't
recall any problems.
Are you listening to the original LP pressings on vinyl, or CD reissues - early CD's tended to sound bad because the
engineers hadn't the sense to re-equalize the masters for digital, they
simply used the LP masters which were adjusted for the peculiarities
of that technology (i.e. vinyl played with a stylus).
Later CD remastering tended to be quite good.
If you are auditing LP's, make sure your stylus is not worn, has not accumulated dust or other debris, is properly aligned to the record groove, and tracking pressure is proper. Also, old LP's may have problems if they are worn, warped, etc.
Thomas.

Subject: RE: Peter Paul & Mary Albums - mastering problems?
From: gillymor
Date: 28 Jun 19 - 08:00 PM

Mary Travers is one of my all-time favorite singers and I went back and listened to some of the songs that featured her with PPM- No Other Name, Leaving on a Jet Plane, For Baby etc. on Spotify through a JBL3 bluetooth speaker (I don't listen to my vinyl LP's anymore, life's too short) and she sounded just fine to me.

Subject: RE: Peter Paul & Mary Albums - mastering problems?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Jun 19 - 08:04 PM

Yeah, Thomas, I acquired those CDs between 1989 and 1998, so that was early mastering technology. I'll have to watch for remasters and see how they sound.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Peter Paul & Mary Albums - mastering problems?
From: michaelr
Date: 29 Jun 19 - 01:33 AM

That's assuming the original tapes didn't burn in that disastrous UMG archive fire we're finding out about.