Gary McFarland & Co.: Does The Sun Really Shine on The Moon

Despite the name value of the respected vibist/leaders, the quality of the music on these two reissues of deservingly forgotten 1960s LPs is so slim and pop-oriented that it takes a supreme effort to even hear them through without suffering mounting impatience. Indeed, the impatience and boredom settle in by the end of each of the second tracks, when it becomes discouragingly clear that absolutely nothing of interest is going to take place from there on. Apart from the fact that these two egregiously short albums could have been transferred to a single CD with ample room to spare, one must question the producer’s sense of musical discrimination. Since DCC is apparently an audiophile-targeted label, one might think that the justification for these reissues lies in some extraordinary aural experience. But, no the stereo separation and sound quality are quite typical of many pop albums recorded in the mid and late ’60s, and, as a matter of fact, even if used for demonstration purposes, they cannot match the contemporary applications of the Allsop Surround-System Laser Lens Cleaner disc.

Originally Published November 1, 1998