Buck,
In one of those amazing coincidences that happen, I was at the library over my lunch hour and noticed the PPM CD you mentioned. I checked it out and gave it a listen. As I mentioned above, I was too young in the 1960's to really appreciate most of the "folk" supergroups (by this I mean people like Peter Paul and Mary, The Kingston Trio, Burl Ives, and other popularizers of folk music). So it was somewhat of a pleasant surprise to me that I actually enjoyed this CD. The guitar playing is first rate, for the style that they play. However, of the five (out of 12) songs on the CD with which I was previously familiar, I have to say that I enjoy versions which are closer to the "Original" (whatever that means with folk music) than PPM's versions on four of them. Their version of "Tryin' to Win" (I'll concede that's the right title) is a fairly straight cover of Sonny and Brownie's but lacks the punch of the original. I have "Betty and Dupree" as "Dupree Blues" recorded by Willie Walker in 1930, on Yazoo 1013, "East Coast Blues", a wonderful if a somewhat raw-edged version. PPM's slowed down, dreamy version of the Irish rebel song "The Rising of the Moon" would be hard pressed to stir any Irishmen up to rebellion and failed to stir my soul. I guess the rather defensive album liner notes say it best: "They don't claim to be authentics. They couldn't possibly be. They're not Negroes and they weren't born in the Ozarks, and it would be hypocritical of them to sing in any manner other than they do." I guess I just like authenticism too much.This isn't meant to be criticism (as I said, I enjoyed the CD overall). It's just commentary.