You Could Be Born Again

The Free Design | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 9, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 1968
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Light in the Attic
• ASIN: B0002C9ZBG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #247,447 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Remastered reissue of soft-psych vocal band's 1968 sophmore album, first time on CD in the U.S., features 14 tracks including cover versions of popular songs of the time such as the Beatles' 'Eleanor Rigby', as well as 2 Christmas bonus tracks, 'Close Your Mouth (It's Christmas)' & 'Christmas Is The Day', both originally released in 1968. Includes 16-page color booklet with unseen photos & new liner notes by Sean O'Hagan (High Llamas). Light In The attic. 2004.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Elegy, May 26, 2008

By 

EmperorTomato "music lover" (Massachusetts USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Could Be Born Again (Audio CD)

You Could Be Born Again, released in 1968 is the second album by The Free Design. The group was a family act, the members were all members of the Dedrick family. Despite the title, this is no Christian rock, this is a moving blend of 60's pop, jazz rhythms and amazing multi-part vocal harmonies.

I first became aware of the Free Design when Stereolab named a song and an EP after the group in 1999 (great song and EP, I love "Escape Pod"). Having listened to most of their catalog by now I can definitely see the Free Design's influence on Stereolab and associated groups like the High Llamas. While they have a twee/sunshine pop edge that can be a little to cutesy at times, there is a lot of variety and some excellent songwriting on their albums make them quite enjoyable, Born Again is no exception.

Like some of their of other releases, there are a few covers that most people will recognize on this album, those being: The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby", The Turtles' "Happy Together" and The Mamas & the Papas' "California Dreamin' ". While I felt "Eleanor Rigby" fell short, both of the other two covers were great and very different from the original versions (at least in terms of vocal arrangements).

Of the original material, the closer "An Elegy" is an absolute standout. Eerie strings accompany a sad tale delivered via an incredible vocal from one of the Dedrick sisters. The song is beautiful and haunting and is so different from the sunny, happy mood of the rest of the album. It is a true showcase of what makes The Free Design not just fun, but smart and interesting.

Other good tracks include "Daniel Dolphin", "I Found Love" and "Quartet No 6 In D Minor". "Daniel Dolphin" is strange story about a dolphin and features some neat psychedelic lyrics.

The rest of album is sunny jazzy pop with great vocal arrangements. Recommended for fans of the group or 60's vocal pop, the song "An Elegy" is for everyone.

Kid Koala & Dynamite D. did a remix of "An Elegy" that appeared on the 2005 The Now Sound Redesigned remix album of the Free Design (following the group's reformation in 2000 to record the excellent Cosmic Peek-a-boo). The remix album also features the incredible Caribou as well as Dangermouse, Stereolab, The Super Furry Animals, Madlib and The High Llamas, also recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars solid harmonies drive this one, July 8, 2011

By 

Michael P. Dobey (colorado springs) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: You Could Be Born Again (Audio CD)

Their first disc was perhaps a little more pop friendly than this one but their at least several tracks on here that are extremely well crafted pop songs. The jazz influence is evident on other tracks and there are a number of covers here. The first cd 'kitss are fun' had some good covers too. I went ahead and bought this bands entire catalog because they were quite interesting and can really sing well. The brothers played quitars and hnd the sisters laid out sweet singing as well. Thier next cd 'heaven and earth' is better than this one pop wise but still you can't go wrong with any one of this groups cds. It's soft listening at it's finest and the band to me bridges the gaps between older pop and jazz and just pop. This one added a sister to the mix and that only improved the singing here too. The first track may have inspired the term 'born again' , I don't know it's about singing songs and not religion and should have been a hit single. Few bands were as sweet as this one and yet made incredible music anyways.