Not that it would have helped Remco, but just imagine how different things might be now if Stollman had accepted the offer for the entire ESP catalog offered to him by the Smithsonian Institute on behalf of the Folkways label, just prior to his making the deal with Calibre. Think of how it might have improved the general public (and academic) perception of this catalog as a valuable body of work. Think of the careful packaging and extensive liners (no slight to the good work done by Remco!) and the sturdy distribution network Folkways enjoys. Think of the economical boon to we consumers had they been allowed to realize their intention of pairing appropriate sessions to create packages with more generous running times. Think, too, about the precedent set by Alan Lomax and his heirs by tracking down the performers in the Lomax series and making sure they were paid something - even the nearly unknown prisoner who sang the work song that became a minor sensation on the 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' soundtrack was located in a Chicago housing project and handed a royalty check for $20,000. (Granted, Folkways isn't Lomax, but it's got a similar operation and a mandate to preserve and celebrate traditional music, of which "The New Thing" is certainly a valid part.) Think about all of that, and lament once more Stollman's short-sightedness. Calibre briefly reaps the benefits of name recognition, which they'd hoped to funnel into new recordings a la Impulse. And instead, the market dips and the company can't realize its vision. Pity, that. Let's hope Greg Ginn has more foresight when he's approached by Folkways 40 years from now for his valuable documentation of the West Coast scene of the early '80s... Steve Smith ssmith36@sprynet.com