March 25, 2003

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  Mark Eric

  title:: A Midsummer's Day Dream
  label:: Rev-Ola

  Every so often, there is an album recorded so out of touch with the times that there is nothing for it to do but die on the vine, even if that album is a masterpiece. Mark Eric's album A Midsummer's Day Dream is just such an album.

  If there were awards for the most loving care lavished on a reissue (and why shouldn't there be, there's awards for everything else?), Rev-Ola would get one with how incredible A Midsummer's Day Dream looks and sounds. Not only has Rev-Ola reissued this entire album in incredibly pristine sound, they have also included 4 unreleased bonus tracks and the alternate 45 mono mixes of a handful of the songs.

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  The Forum

  title:: The River Is Wide
  label:: Rev-Ola

  The Forum's only album, The River is Wide was a blip on the map in 1967, and while it and the group were soon swallowed by time's evil hand, what the Forum left behind is a melting pot of incredible musical influences.

  Lost in a river of pop music no more, thanks to Rev-Ola - who have lovingly restored it, in its entirety - plus a slew of bonus tracks, the Forum are riding high again in 2003 - The Time is indeed now for the Forum.

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  Hearts and Flowers

  title:: Now Is The Time For Hearts and Flowers
  label:: Rev-Ola

  Hearts and Flowers were a 60s folk rock band out of California with a startling fresh sound, full of angelic harmonies, incredibly organic folk instruments and tremendous song choices, and had that certain modern touch (in that the production is spare but effectively evokes the instruments used in a simple but sublime manner) that was certainly an influence on the sounds that appeared in the LA scene in the 1970s.

  Since the old Hearts and Flowers reissues were now hard to find on the market, it is great to see Hearts and Flowers getting the modern reissue treatment.

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  The Moon

  title:: Without Earth and the Moon
  label:: Rev-Ola

  The Moon recorded two albums in 1968-69 that were both heavily influenced by the British invasion sound of the Beatles. The Moon's Without Earth from 1968 was a lost, classic slice of late 1960s pop, and it is wonderful to finally hear it, after all of these years.

  Thanks to Rev-Ola, both of The Moon's albums (1968's Without Earth and 1969's The Moon) plus alternate single mixes and a few related singles by Matthew Moore Plus 4 have all been released on a single cd.

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  Strut Sampler One

  various artists
  label:: Strut

  This compilation focuses on funk, Afro beat, dance floor jazz, underground disco, and old skool hip hop.

  Each track on this sampler from Strut lusciously presents these lost treasures in their original sonic glory and mixes a few of them to give the songs a modern appeal.