LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Certain great lost works of art, no matter how buried or obscured they may become, exude such inert brilliance and creative intensity that we’re eventually compelled to seek them out, dust them off, and again make them a part of our lives.In just such a spirit, Rhino Handmade has created Essra Mohawk’s Primordial Lovers MM, an expanded, year-2000 (hence the "MM" in the title), 22-track collection containing both of Mohawk's long out-of-print second and third albums. Released in 1970, Primordial Lovers, Essra Mohawk's second album, was written and recorded when she was 21 years old. It was released in the very same year as Joni Mitchell released Ladies Of The Canyon, Laura Nyro released Christmas And The Beads Of Sweat and Neil Young released After The Goldrush, and is the creative, equal to each of those. However, it was, it must be fairly said, probably a far more demanding first-time listen for folks in 1970 than each of those classics. It should also be noted that Primordial Lovers was cited in a 1977 Rolling Stone review as one of "the 25 all-time best albums."If Alanis Morissette, Liz Phair or Fiona Apple had been able to record an album thirty years ago, it would almost certainly have contained the themes, attitudes and insights first explored by Essra Mohawk. Primordial Lovers was, though freeform and jazz-tinged in its presentation, perhaps the first album to ever openly embody what is now referred to as "grrrrl power."Four years later, in 1974, Mohawk recorded and released her third album, the eponymous Essra Mohawk. Both Primordial Lovers and Essra Mohawk are collected together for the first time ever on CD on our tastefully appointed Primordial Lovers MM compilation. Each has been remastered from the original 2-track vault masters. We’ve filled out the collection with both of Mohawk's non-LP Reprise 45-RPM single B-sides. All of the tracks, except one, are, of course, in STEREO. The one MONO track (for which no STEREO master existed) is "Jabberwock Song" which was MONO on its original Reprise single. The 24-page booklet includes Mohawk's recollections on the making of these recordings as well as all of the lyrics for all of the tracks.Primordial Lovers MM is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 2,500 copies.
TRACK LISTING I Am The Breeze (3:11 ) Spiral (4:08 ) I'll Give It To You Anyway (3:18 ) I Have Been Here Before (6:39 ) Looking Forward To The Dawn (8:38 ) Thunder In The Morning (4:34 ) Lion On The Wing (6:41 ) It's Up To Me (2:20 ) It's Been A Beautiful Day (2:11 ) Jabberwock Song (2:45 ) Image Of YU (2:02 ) New Skins For Old (2:30 ) Openin' My Love's Doors (2:24 ) Full Fledged Woman (3:10 ) You're Finally Here (2:56 ) Summertime (2:28 ) Back In The Spirit (2:40 ) You Make Me Come To Pieces (3:09 ) I Cannot Forget (4:47 ) Song To An Unborn Soul (2:19 ) If I'm Going To Go Crazy With Someone It Might As Well Be You (3:32 ) Magic Pen (2:25 )