Record company executives are getting creative day by day and aping the west. The CD is interestingly packaged in a neat story book format, with each CD on the front inside cover and the other on the inside back cover of the hardbound book. A flip through the pages and you get the lyrics to all the songs on this double album. The neatly screen printed design adds beauty to the album that boasts of 40 remastered original folk songs from 1959 to 1979.

You can forget for the time being about those old LPs, for here are everlasting oldies in perfect digital format. Disc One has Jamaican Farewell (Harry Belafonte), Streets of London (Ralph McTell), Both Sides now (Judy Collins), Over and Over (Nana Mouskouri), Scarborough Fair (Simon And Garfunkel), Those were the days (Bobby Vinton), Devoted to you (Carly Simon and James Taylor), Diary (Bread), Annie’s Song (John Denver) among many others like Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, Joan Baez, Jim Croce, Loggins and Messina, Seals and Crofts, Janis Ian, Kansas and Heart.

Disc two has equal memorable moments beginning with The Boxer (Simon and Garfunkel), Mr. Tambourine Man (The Byrds), Let it be me (Glen Campbell and Bobbie Gentry), El Condor Pasa (Andy Williams), Guantanamera (The Sandpipers), Danny Boy (Johnny Cash), Evergreen Tree (Cliff Richard), All kinds of everything (Dana), All I have to do is Dream (The Everly Brothers), Rhythm of the Rain (Cascades) and Michael Row the boat ashore (Pete Seeger), among many others like Don McLean, John Davidson, The New Christy Minstrels and Timi Yuro.

One band that makes it’s presence felt more on this album is the Brothers Four for they have five tracks on this never before folk compilation that includes their hits, 500 Miles, Puff the Magic Dragon, and We Shall overcome among others which may seem like an overdose of one artist. No doubt limiting them to two tracks would’ve been a good idea, as a few other artists could’ve been included in their space.

Over two hours of fabulous songs to recount days when only the gramophone records played such tunes. Get this on CD and relive the magic.

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira