Old Songs. New Songs

This album, a hybrid best-of/singles/remix record, was put together by Family to promote a planned U.S. tour. When the tour was cancelled, the album was released in the U.K. in March, 1971. Songs from the first three albums are included, along with four non-album singles. Special treatment was given to “Hung up Down,” “Observations from a Hill,” “Weaver’s Answer” and “Hometown; ” instrumental tracks were re-recorded for these numbers, due to the band’s dissatisfaction with the original mixes. The album was an unusual mid-career release, and it filled the gap between the stylistically opposed Anyway and Fearless. – Patrick Little