The final works from British rockers The Move were relatively ignored by everyone, including the band themselves - until listeners started to realize how it marked the trio's transition into a whole new sound. Cherry Red's Esoteric label will revisit the group's fourth album Message from the Country in a newly remastered and expanded package, available February 28.

The Move started life as a harmony-rich quintet from Birmingham in the late '60s, enjoying a half dozen Top 10s on the U.K. charts including chart-topper "Blackberry Way," "Night of Fear" and "Flowers in the Rain." By the '70s, though, only one vocalist remained - guitarist/songwriter Roy Wood, and he was starting to tire of the group's output. But Harvest Records wanted one more album before The Move could focus on what came next - so, working with co-founding drummer Bev Bevan and a singer/multi-instrumentalist named Jeff Lynne (recruited from Brummie band The Idle Race, for which Wood briefly played in the '60s, around the time of penultimate album Looking On in 1970), they cut the material for Message in the Country and a handful of non-album singles simultaneously with what would become their next iteration: an ensemble that combined rock and pop with the sweep of a string section known as the Electric Light Orchestra.

While Message from the Country certainly anticipates some of the grandiose DNA of ELO's early works, Lynne and Wood, while experimenting in overdubs on both albums, sought to embellish The Move's last works with horns as opposed to violins, violas and cellos. Unlike previous albums where Wood wrote the bulk of material, he shares and even cedes credits to both of his bandmates. (Lynne's most notable contribution might be "Do Ya," an irresistible pop nugget that was, at the time relegated to the B-side of Top 10 single "California Man." It later became an American Top 40 hit for the by-then-established ELO in 1977.) Even the band disagrees on the quality of Message from the Country: Bevan dismissed it as their worst album, while Wood saw it as their best.

After the Jerry Lee Lewis tribute "California Man" (a favorite cover for Cheap Trick) left the British charts, The Move were free to call it a day and herald the arrival of ELO, although Wood, who essentially spearheaded the rock-plus-classical concept, soon began to feel tensions with his bandmates, and left during sessions for their second album in 1972 to form the band Wizzard. Lynne kept ELO going for most of the '70s and '80s before becoming an in-demand producer for George Harrison, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and others (as well as a member of supergroup The Traveling Wilburys with those three and Bob Dylan); he's revived the group several times in the 21st century, wrapping up one final tour with them last year. (Bevan and founding member Trevor Burton) would revive The Move as a live act for a decade between 2004 to 2014.)

The bonus tracks on this edition of Message from the Country were all included on a CD reissue of the album in 2005; however, Esoteric has newly remastered this pressing from the original vaulted tapes. It's available next Friday, February 28 and can be pre-ordered below; as an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Message from the Country (Expanded Edition) (Esoteric QECLEC2900 (U.K.), 2025)

1. Message from the Country
2. Ella James
3. No Time
4. Don't Mess Me Up
5. Until Your Mama's Gone
6. It Wasn't My Idea to Dance
7. The Minister
8. Ben Crawley Steel Company
9. The Words of Aaron
10. My Marge
11. Tonight
12. Chinatown
13. Down on the Bay
14. California Man
15. Do Ya
16. Don't Mess Me Up (Alternate Version)
17. The Words of Aaron (Alternate Version)
18. Do Ya (Alternate Version)
19. My Marge (Alternate Version)

Tracks 1-10 released as Harvest SHSP 4013 (U.K.)/Capitol ST-811 (U.S.), 1971
Track 11 released on Harvest U.K. single HAR 5038/Capitol U.S. single P-3126, 1971
Tracks 12-13 released as Harvest U.K. single HAR 5043/United Artists U.S. single 50876, 1971
Tracks 14-15 released as Harvest U.K. single HAR 5050/United Artists U.S. single 50928, 1972
Tracks 16-19 released on expanded edition CD - Harvest (U.K.)/Capitol (U.S.) 09463 30342 2 8, 2005