Reflections of a Former Life

Description

Reflections of a Former Life is a compilation album by the late American singer and songwriter Mark Heard, posthumously released on Home Sweet Home Records in 1993. It features earlier works recorded by Heard on his five studio albums released on Home Sweet Home Records between 1981 and 1985. Featuring musicians like John Patitucci, Harry Stinson, Carl Pickhardt, Alex MacDougall, Billy Batstone, John Mehler, Tom Howard, Leslie Phillips, Pat Terry, and Larry Norman.

The collection ‘Reflections of a Former Life’ represents the difficulties at the heart of Heard’s love/hate relationship with the business of Christian music. When Mark Heard signed on as a fledgling artist to Home Sweet Home Records he signs away the rights to ownership and the financial rewards from his own songs, a situation that later haunted and frustrated the artist. Looking at and listening to ‘Reflections’, one is perhaps most struck by what isn’t here – why no liner notes, why is the packaging so banal and impersonal, and why so little music?

The fact that there are only 12 tracks present, when at least five or six more tracks would fit comfortably on the disc, suggests an unwillingsness to fully serve the memory of the artist, or be fair financially to consumers. Then there’s the moral issue that Mark Heard’s family and estate will not benefit from the release of his old songs.

Even though one has to be grateful that these songs – some true classics – are finally available in the CD format, still it gives a person pause. Nonetheless, Heard’s voice remains as vital, his lyrics as incisive, his melodic instincts as true here as they were the first time through. If no remedy is offered – no compensation given to Mark’s family, and no truer representation of his important legacy – you would be smart to buy this collection through a distributor like True Tunes, who has promised to honor the Heard Family Fund with a donation given for each sale. This music is too important, Mark Heard too real an artist, these songs too influential, to not recommend them, especially to those who missed Mark Heard in life. Still, I hope it doesn’t set him to spinning in his grave. [Brian Q. Newcomb, Syndicate, 1994]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/reflections-of-a-former-life/266335149)

CD tracklist:

01. Stranded At The Station
02. Dancing At The Policeman’s Ball
03. Threw It Away
04. Heart Of Hearts
05. The Winds Of Time
06. Stuck In The Middle
07. Eye Of The Storm
08. Family Man
09. One Of The Dominoes
10. Nothing Is Bothering Me
11. Carry On
12. Brown Eyed Sue

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Home Sweet Home Records.