Another top-notch release from the series of private label pressings that is becoming an important part of the Radioactive reissue programme, this time by the New York electric folk/rock singer-songwriter, Tom Lucas. Although virtually nothing is known about Lucas, Red Letter Day is an extremely fine album on the New Fate label (New Fate 500) that in all probability the artist funded and distributed himself. The sound is awesome, the song writing tight and occasionally politically motivated (particularly the title track with its eye glancing towards Woody Guthrie's tribute to Sacco and Vanzetti), and the music often risky and experimental. Lucas's vocal style is almost pure Neil Young (although on 'Broken Wheel' his New York roots do make him sound very similar to Lou Reed), and at times Red Letter Day feels almost like the album Young never got around to making. Other influences come up and take a bow without in any way detracting from Lucas's own original style. However, it is the consistently-high standard of just about everything to do with this superb folk/rock album that leaves the listener gasping in disbelief that any record this good has only been heard by the 500 people (and possibly some of their friends) who were fortunate enough to acquire a copy when it was originally released in 1976.
