In those exhilarating times so many fantastic young musicians who fused a rock sensibility with trad music and values played a huge role in stoking the revival that was well under way on many levels throughout Ireland, Britain and America.

Of course the recording industry reflected those developments, and Mulligan Records founded in 1975 by the very creative and seminal force Donal Lunny played a very important part. In the past year, Compass Records has obtained the rights to the Mulligan catalog and has been releasing treasure after treasure recently on CD.

For those of us who sought out the expensive hard to acquire vinyl recordings back in the day without regard to how technology or lifestyle would relegate them to dusty boxes and bins in attics and basements, these releases on CD are wonderful.

For those in the digital world, they also offer the opportunity to hear classic recordings by then young masters, most of whom who are still producing mighty music these days but it is good to have a historical reference point.

In the case of the newly re-mastered Kevin Burke CD If the Cap Fits: the 30th Anniversary Edition, it is a very timely way to mark the reissue of the recording that emerged first in 1978 after Kevin had already logged two wild and wooly years with the Bothy Band, with all lore that people associate with rock bands but none of the loot.

The London-born Burke came from Sligo parentage and had already established himself as a player in the trad scene with great finesse, precision and style as this recording vividly shows. This was his second solo CD, but with the likes of Gerry O'Beirne, Paul Brady, Peter Browne, Donal Lunny, Jackie Daly and Micheal O'Domhnaill all appearing on the selections all produced by Lunny, it was going to be a recording that would capture an era of brilliance.

Filled with luscious gems from the Burke canon, the CD has eight tracks. The closing one is over 16 minutes long with 10 tunes sandwiched around the reel "Toss the Feathers."

It has the feel of a long session burst and provides for weaving in of some of the musicians on certain tunes for added dynamics. For that alone it belongs in every collection of the serous tradhead.

Also emerging among the re-releases is one of my favorite recordings of all time, the very first Bothy Band record which blew everyone away when it came out in 1975.

The super group was Paddy Keenan on pipes/whistle, Matt Molloy on flute/whistle, Donal Lunny on bouzouki and vocals, Triona Ni Dhomhnaill on harpsichord, bodhran and vocals and Micheal O Domhnaill on guitar and vocals.

The original group had Paddy Glackin on fiddle, who was replaced by Tommy Peoples (who appears on this the first record) and subsequently by Kevin Burke in May of 1976 just a few months before I caught them at the Project Arts Center in Dublin in August of 1976.

The opening track of 14 contains the Kesh Jig which explodes on you, and I can never hear the tune without thinking of the excitement that Bothy Band put into it and all their music. Triona's version of "Do You Love an apple" is on there as well, and so many more standout tracks.

Also out now on CD is the Tommy Peoples, Matt Molloy and Paul Brady recording of 1978, and Martin O'Connor's "The Connachtman's Rambles" released in 1979. These and other Mulligan recordings can be obtained at www.compassrecords.com.

It may seem like a journey into the past but with skillful and visionary musicians like those in the Mulligan stable you'll find that the music was going forward all the time. To truly appreciate the trad music scene we have been blessed with today, it is important to dial back and see how we arrived in such a healthy state for traditional Irish music today.

And as they say, everything old is new again.