The FreeDay Of Decision For Lost Soul Blue/What Makes You
Released 1968 on Atco/Marquee
Reviewed by Dave Furgess, 11/05/2007ce
The record originally was issued on the small Marquee label before being picked up by Atco for national distribution, which most likely indicates it was a regional hit somewhere in Michigan (but of course that's just a guess on my part.) In truth "Day Of Decision For Lost Soul Blue" was probably a little too long and involved to have been a major hit but it does have commercial appeal. The song is filled to the brim with every psychedelic trick in the book, meaning heaping helpings of fuzztone and wah wah. But what really makes the track stand out is the group's singing, which is both vibrant and melodic. This song actually sounds like a British group and would have not sounded out of place on one of the "Chocolate Soup For Diabetics" samplers.
The flipside "What Makes You" is also quite good, but it sounds like it was recorded years earlier, possibly 1966. It's carries a strong folk-rock sound with a kinda Bobby Fuller guitar rhythm. I'm not sure if either of these tracks is currently available on any compilations, but the A-side has made the rounds over the years. "Day Of Decision For Lost Soul Blue" is certainly deserving of the "lost psychedelic classic" tag. It clearly shows the other side of Detroit area rock, with their strong melodic sense, I could easily compare The Free to The Amboy Dukes & SRC.