Good for the Money
M. Garland | Seattle, Wa | 05/27/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Although I should give 1 star for each Platter, 5 stars would be pushing it for such a small sampling of The Platters hits. I recommend this cd only if you want just some of their biggest hits and you can get it for just a few bucks.
For myself, I'd much rather put out a few more bucks and get a used - good condition "Magic Touch Anthology" cd that has far more songs. Don't forget that in their day, The Platters were so popular that many of the "B" sides also charted. Songs such as "It Isn't Right", "Remember When" and "Heaven on Earth" didn't chart in the top 10, but were super good.
All of the songs here are the original versions, are well recorded and are with Tony Williams on lead. It's also a treat (and surprise) to hear a few of their tracks in stereo, especially "Harbor Lights" where it sounds like the birds and ships are all around you in the beginning. Not like my old 45.
A tip-of-the-hat to Mercury and its engineers for recording the Platters stuff so well back in the 50's. They must have had top notch equipment and were more concerned with sounding clear than loud. It's sad how many old master-tapes have slowly deteriorated over the years leaving us with muddy or distorted music. Luckily, most of The Platters stuff still sounds like ...well .. Heaven on Earth."