LOVE: THE END OF SUMMER
" Nothing gold stays "Robert Frost
As if in placid California summer of 1967 to float a dissonant element radiating sensations that only he could perceive, Arthur Lee left captive in" Forever Changes "a fleeting sensation of fullness in full swing, captured the moment just before this will wither and wither forever. In this sense impression that causes your listener must fit the historical context in which it was published and was living in the world these days, to attest to the ability of the leader of Love apocalyptic: the Summer of Love was passed; point height of the countercultural movements of the sixties, the French post May 68, the civil rights struggle, in short, the ideals of a generation that was believed capable of changing (for good) society of his time. Arthur Lee
crumbling vision that dream and was able to legarnos his testimony as privileged observer of that era, such plea located somewhere between schizophrenia and the most pessimistic utopian idealism (eternal changes referred to by the album title). Flooding each row of that light of dusk, whose light is more intense but also the most fragile, desperately trying to capture a moment of plethora eternal, forever, of that beauty immaterial, intangible as the summer haze, which was palpable the atmosphere of a time nearly slain. As if he knew beforehand that everything had to be lived intensely necessarily brief. So desperate and urgent sound of this album, which the author himself admitted having made imbued by intuition that he would die at that time.
paradigmatic
This work carries the incongruity of being at once the greatest expression of spirit of those days California death certificate at a time. Like Hitchcock in "Vertigo!" we plunged into the story of a love so great that exceeded even death, to show that romantic love could become, with a twist in the same scheme, in love fou by James Stewart obfuscated to dislodge the beloved of his personality to become obsessive in their ideal, Arthur Lee shows us that after the joie de vivre comes inexorably the spleen, as love bears within the seeds of enmity and hatred. Both artists show us the extent, without avoiding the darker areas, of what they depict. To do so immersed in what we unconsciously question to censure the collective paradigms. Than the cliches of love movies (with the same goal posts, another author could have created a "Romeo and Juliet" or "Love Story" in "Vertigo!" is Stewart himself who destroys Kim Novak) or in the case of Lee, using the ideological and musical corpus of his time, signing the sunset and the swan song of his age and his youth. Not by intention to criticize or look to parody but the inner one, which arises from the same passion as that which ships Captain Ahab to his own destruction in the "Moby Dick" Melville . What makes us more aware of the value of beauty is to be aware that this is finite, we say their work. Which apart from a revolt against conventions, share owning various reading levels. One calls us in the forms of a thriller of intrigue, another beckons with its siren song where danger awaits in the form of sound, where sound takes us to places that are memories, seeking shelter and comfort lost friction blurred face, a journey that promises pleasure ... until the last failure, no one can ever stop, even in the particular room, which is memory. The catharsis engendered new perspectives.
"One thing is certain, life flies, one thing is certain and the rest are lies, once the flower opening its petals, dies forever" Omar Khayin
These verses "Rubaiyat" condense the spirit of "Forever changes" and background are very similar to those of Arthur in "You Set The Scene" majestic closing album: "Solo am sure of one thing / And that every living thing will die . " This statement disagrees with the exultancia helplessness that, among the fanfare of trumpets, Lee repeated over and over again, crazy, pushing us toward life: " This is the time and this the time and it is time, time, time ". Warning us that "life is final draft " (Shakespeare). But this is to start the story at the end. Since the gestation of this work was not exactly simple.
trials to prepare the instrumental parts of the new material, the most complex they had written, were little fluid from the desultory nature of the group and the drug flowed freely for them. In addition, some live playing, which got to the studio rusty and out of shape. Elektra, who had hired musicians for orchestral sections of the album, after a failed take of the group, decided, together with Arthur, to hire some musicians, wrecking crew named components (the same genius as musicians Spector used or Brian Wilson) to shape the foundations instrumental song. Including drummer Jim Gordon and the great bassist Carol Kaye. But the outcome of these sessions the group also left satisfied or Elektra executives. So the recording was postponed began in June 1967 until group members were able to play their parts correctly. Thus, "Forever Changes" was recorded in autumn and was published in December of that same 1967.
In "Forever Changes" shaped a wonder where they spare a single second. The balance between the orchestral and electric outbursts place the disk in a limbo, half dreamlike baroque, meaty half thanks to the exuberance of those that give the album Latin rhythms used in profusion. Despite the abundance of orchestral arrangements, how to use these is far from the wall of sound Phil Spector, if it uses the accrual for impact, arrangements "Forever Changes" are plotted with surgical skill, so indivisible integrated in the songs of similar price to the first solo album by Curtis Mayfield ( think things like "The Makings Of You" or "Wild & Free" ). Sweat leaving the essence of the songs, leaving room for silence, giving way to a paradoxical intimacy that makes its way through dense sound masses, exemplified this dichotomy in the intensity grows and fades like a wave lapping sea "Alone Again Or ".
There is a giant leap from "Da Capo" , his previous work. In this album, and began using more color cast instrumental sound funding of the songs, the guitars were added to organ dizziness, flashes of harpsichord or flute and sax aromas and ordered in overlapping layers of sound. The taste of modal jazz previous album is here displaced, without leaving Los Angeles, the music of the film studios of his most famous hill: Hollywood.
Everything happens with a deceptively smooth spontaneous (when songs hide a complex) and any sound decision is chosen with a prodigious intuition, as if among the myriad infinite music solutions, was the only possible: mariachi trumpets "Alone Again Or" , this superb orchestral arrangement of Prokofiev inspired "Old Man" , both MacLean, the final electrical magma "A House Is Not a Motel ", the atmosphere to Morricone's spaghetti western " The Daily Planet ", games between guitar and trumpet " Live & Let Live ", orchestral loops to Philip Glass "The Good Humor Man" , Lee abandoned that style of previous albums Preaching to talk to himself as a great ventriloquist and hundreds of details that await the listener discovers them in successive listen. Even the only piece that comes down from outstanding "Bummer In The Summer" ( vocal melody of "Plastic Fantastic Lover Jefferson airplain embedded on a Bo Diddley rhythm to it) has its one.
If the themes addressed by the lyrics of MacLean, the other composer on the album, are simple to understand: alienation and the need to be loved in "Alone Again Or" (" know, anyone could fall in love / And I'll be alone again tonight ") or a simple fable in " Old Man " . The verses of Arthur embark on a surreal flight, combining predictive judgments " The news today will be tomorrow's movies (" A house is not a motel ") known to be conscious of living a time that will result to future legends, with the absurd " have hardened snot on my pants / It has become crystal (" Live and let live ") of similar eschatology which had been used in " She Comes In color " about a woman who has sex during the period. Also playing phrases interpretations dismissal different, is to the repressive forces of American society to which reference in the verses of "The red telephone" " The locking and pulling are the key / I wonder who would play /" you or me? "this confessing the loss of his sanity or maybe admits to being self-absorbed and self-enclosed? What do you mean exactly with " was very hard to learn that everyone I saw was just another part of my (" Bummer in the summer ")? What about travel hallucinogens, the projection of their desires and wants or dart thrown themselves hippies calling delete provisions the individual into a kind of communal society? And the passage in Dante that illustrates "The red telephone" " Sitting on the hillside: Viewing people die" is inside or outside? Extending the strangeness that desire precedes suicide " I feel much better on the other side ." Continuing obsessed with the dissolution of identity, a subject had played in "Stephanie Knows Who" (verses " Who am I now, dear Stephanie? / I'm you in disguise " beyond doubt on sexual identity) and now takes a more overtones claims, rather than halting, his personality seems eroded away from any view of reality than his own: " I am involved in my armor / Lost in the confusion / 'Cause my things are material " of "Andmoreagain" thereupon to confess his inability to express their feelings " never know how much I love " or "false I feel when my name is Bill / Or is that he was sick? "of " The Red Telephone ". When there is no world out and present, has a world inside, seems to be telling Arthur, contained in delusions of his tortured psyche. And its internal burning, such as rum, the sweetest most burns, wrapped in misty fog and light breezes orchestral folk. Although Love has been pigeonholed into that movement, his is more alchemy (from the verb, add to the pair Lee and Rimbaud, from beyond the grave) to psychedelic surreal to abstract. His psych is more impressionistic than the background noise forms. No exotic instruments, studio experiments, and explosions of color or lysergic euphoria. Not intended to change the world between smell of patchouli, cannabis and sandalwood, but we are immersed in an exercise in psychological introspection tinged with fatalism. Playing with universal conflicts of Greek tragedy, delving into the unconscious with a poetic aspect (of which Morrison would take careful note in his "The end" to treat Oedipus complex)
"Clothes that are a binge eye / Women whose teeth and nails are painted, and jugglers wise to caress the serpent "Baudelaire
" to understand, just imagine a square mile of streets perfectly side ... perpendicular and houses exactly alike. Here's a drugstore, where a supermarket, service station another drugstore, another service station. You take a square and you repeat it hundreds of times in all directions, identical. That's LA. "
In this guise described their city Morrison Jim French journalist Hervé Muller. If I had asked about the Love would have said something like " Doors The day we are as big as Love, my life will be complete ." Had a lot to thank them, in particular its leader, Arthur Lee, who had even become his friend. It was he who convinced Jac Holzman, Elektra president to go to see them at the Whisky, from which came with a contract in hand. Just friendly words would come from the mouth of Jimi Hendrix himself when he was an unknown guitarist who played where he could and Arthur gave him a chance to deflower in the recording studio. Both situations were in couples: they knew with a special talent but nobody seemed to recognize. Arthur, after a few experiences in groups trying to imitate fashion trends (Arthur Lee & The Lags, his answer to Booker T. & The MGs or American Four, among others), had resigned to write songs for other . In these, he was recording his song "My diary" with vocalist Rosa Lee Brooks when I needed a guitarist who riffs touch to Curtis Mayfield, one thing to "Gypsy woman" . He had spoken of a great guitarist named Jimi Hendrix. Arthur did not know him personally or had heard, but had heard that the very unhappy with them is he rolled his aunts! However, given the alternative.
" go towards the periphery around the city. Outside you will find refined service areas of child prostitution, but in the sordid ring around the city, there is only street life, nightlife. On streets that do not end die. " This description of the night is also Jim angelina Morrison, but the tone could belong to the series of novels, "the quartet of Angels" by James Ellroy. In the physical scenery of these novels frequently appears Bido Lito's club, a dive that was where Love had their feud. Jac Holzman attended a concert there and I Love her Elektra contract, then in this amateur rock (most folk came from their catalog.) But we do not hurry and start the story at the beginning.
"Love were called but they were pure hate" Jesse Balin
he was right not to Guitarist of all Janis Joplin, although the name of all fits like a glove in the hippie imagery, the Love had more in common with the hipsters of bebop with the policy of free love or the image of good guys it was the constant in the group Californians for those days. Arthur Lee, who had emigrated to LA from his native Memphis (born 1945), held a menacing presence on stage. And rarely not smiling when he did, his smile was sardonic and threatening than friendly. The appearance of the group followed the line of the Byrds (the image of guys rolled and serious) but going beyond. They did show the drug and its bad reputation was common knowledge in the LA market. If even one of his early training was in its ranks Bobby Beausoiel (lover and actor in the films of Kenneth Anger and future member of the Manson family), which had replaced a blond surfer-looking, Bryan MacLean. And what about battery life, Don Conka, one of the best drummers in the scene, which had been supplied to the end, to record their debut album, preferring to walk entangled with the needle to touch. The training is stabilized in early 66, as follows: Arthur Lee, Ken Forssi (bass), Bryan MacLean (vocals, rhythm guitar), Johnny Echols (lead guitar) and Alban `Snoopy'Pfisterer (battery replacement last time Don Conka). Entered the study and within thirty hasty hours over two days, shaped "Love" (Elektra, 1966)
commonalities exist in the guitar work of the albums debut Byrds, Love and Captain Beefheart. In this order, each one can be considered encrudecida the previous version. The comparison between "Mr. Tambourine Man "and " Love " is simple to set up, apart from Bryan McLean had worked with the Byrds, the guitar solo " Gazing " (Love) part of a variation of McGuinn in " The Bells of Rhymney " MacLean's voice and bends in high tones at times to that of Lee, in the same way it does with McGuinn Crosby and Clark. Noise level can be set to this debut as a cross between the Byrds and the early Stones. Or how about garageros Byrds. More tough and fast, taking the sediment folk rock of these to shake with nervousness. This is so because the album was recorded in only a few sessions. That nervousness amphetamine seen since the release of "My little red book" that opens the album, Bacharach composed to be performed by the British Manfred Mann the soundtrack of "What's new pussycat?" . Almost all the rest of the disc material, virtually composed entirely of Arthur Lee, this line remains choppy and rushed, as if they jumped on the songs rather than playing them. With exceptions such as the beautiful "Softly to Me" with the lower strings guitar tone changed, the only one written by Bryan McLean that stands as a great architect melodic instrumental surf the incident slowed down is pure pre-psychedelia of "Emotions" , the delicate "A message to pretty" or dylaniana "Signed DC" (dedicated to Don Coka) the first song with a negative message about drugs, with its poignant portrayal of a junkie , full tenderness, in a time when there were many eulogies to the euphoric effects of these. In fact "Signed DC" is within a disc is not without some singing the virtues of the chemistry of the soul ( "You'll Be Following" , "Gazing" ). One of the pieces that anticipate future paths for the set is the medieval atmosphere of the acoustic "Mushroom clouds" . The Arthur's singing on this album is very new, the so called Preaching, as an evolution exhortative of the most widely spoken than sung by Dylan. It's an album well worth listening carefully, stopping to examine in detail these webs of guitars, the pair combining to guitar arpeggio McGuinn and the jingle-jangle sound characteristic of the Byrds with saturated guitars and aggressive. The influence of these ways are found even in seemingly isolated group of Love and can be Television. Discs are noisier, but few get the intense heat bouncing this album metallurgical pre punk. Gives the same charm that "Murmur" by REM compared with a similar album (false) homogeneous appearance.
After this album, Arthur, not satisfied with the work of Snoopy on drums, decided to gain the services of Michael Stuart Ware (of the Sons Of Adam, another local band) and that Snoopy is moving to keyboards. Determined to get away from the folk rock sound of their debut adds a wind musician, Tjay Cantrelli (sax and flute).
"Da Capo" (Elektra, 1967) shows a great change compared with the first record of training. The harshness of the previous garagera LP dose is lowered to cool jazz mixed with powerful rhythm & blues and soul of Curtis Mayfield light Chicagoans and Terry Callier. Remember that California was the land where they settled Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan and the Hungarian guitarist Gabor Szabo (influence manifested by Arthur Lee on this album). Not only by the inclusion of wind instruments in its arsenal, but also pours into the complex chord changes and harmonic structures subtlety that permeates the songs. The sound has become more sophisticated over the previous album, but has not lost power, as shown by listening "Seven & Seven Is" piece crowned with a shotgun at the time of greatest roughness instrumental. One of the songs included here, "The castle" is a favorite of Robert Plant has always said the group of Arthur as one of his greatest influences. And while the influence of this particular subject is more present in Doors "English Caravan" (Or in the tuning of the Santana Flemish avant la lettre was Robbie Krieger), it is easy to assume that the contrast between the lyrical arabesques harpsichord, organ, flute and metals that give the new members to the disc, playing the contrast with other most violent sections within a song (such conflicting ways are exemplified with the delicacy with which he opens the beautiful harpsichord "Stephanie Knows Who" and abrupt halts and starts after), inspiring his music from Led Zeppelin and downs. Also the shadow of "Forever Changes" can be detected in the mist of Celtic Albion "III" and "IV"
is also an album where you can see the early influence of Latin music through jazz, nothing strange pairing since, for example, the bossa nova from Brazil to California traveled the hand of the musicians cool jazz as Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz. The rhythm of "That Life" and the same "The Castle" can serve as examples for this. The only downside to this album possible is the flip side, occupied by the insipid "Revelation" a jam of nineteen minutes inspired by the "Smokestack Lightning" Howlin 'Wolf fails anywhere. Despite having some bit interesting as Lee's vocal distortion on disharmonic accompaniment seems to precede the Stooges of "LA Blues" or moments of Afro-Latin to hard bop sax Tjay fuming.
Considered a copy of "Goin'Home" of the Stones, was actually conceived before. Some members of the British group, which was recorded at RCA studios in Los Angeles his album "Aftermath" , listened to live in the proceedings of the Los Angeles and decided to do something similar for her album. The Jagger, coming forward with the publication of his "Aftermath" to "Da Capo" and being much more popular, subtracted attached to this tour de force that was born and expired. It is fair to add that even plagiarized the idea, "Goin'Home" is much more effective than "Revelation" . A pity that he was not permitted to McLean opened his drawer and dust off some of their wonderful songs to fill this second side. The poor could only bring the delicious "Orange Skies" carnival atmosphere as well have served as inspiration for the Doors "Strange Days" . With this album not only inspired to sets as important as these, but they got away from the shadow of a derivative group and placed in its own grounds, from which its evolution seems to have no limits. Bryan MacLean
late 1968
Bryan MacLean is out of Love. The reasons for this frightened even now far from being completely open, but suggest that Lee was jealous of the excessive influence on his latest set, masterpiece "Forever Changes" , equidistant between Hendrix and Tim Buckley, poured MacLean . Lee stated that he could scarcely pull a listless group of junkies on the other hand wanted to write only motivated by royalties from the royalties, though often it was he himself who sabotaged his chances of ascending to the first division (as the frustrated appearance at the Atlanta Pops Festival 68, driven by sheer laziness) and who had limited MacLean future contributions, which would not occur, this being tempted by Elektra to record a solo album (which never could edit). If Lee was never again to shed that magic that escapes from every groove "Forever changes" the reasons may be due to the delicate balance between him and MacLean disappear.
Until then, the alliance creators had been beneficial, as apart from having other composer of the first in the group, Bryan brought his unusual musical background: Broadway, classical music, exotic musical forms that had been in contact during her "pipe" of the Byrds and a great friend of David Crosby (who later introduced the Byrds Indian influences), flamenco, etc.. Influences of Arthur Lee took note and knew resume pumping of his personality (for shows a couple of buttons: the rococo "She Comes in Colors" or fragment of the beautiful flamenco " The castle" ). " To what extent "Forever changes "Lee should share authorship with MacLean, although this" only "contributes two songs? It is difficult to pinpoint, but we can say that this album shows a perfect harmony between the two creative personalities (not to mention the very personal guitar Echols).
After that record, suffering from envy or other interests, Lee decide to take your group for other paths. Who had confirmation in single "Your Mind & We Belong Together / Laughing Stock" , trails cinematic creations where arrangements of strings and winds "Forever changes" , gave way to electric atmosphere guitar. Not to be overlooked Arthur's ability to absorb any extraneous influences and putting it to not only fully master, but also with the ease of which carry a lifetime doing it. One strength that rivals that of David Bowie, teacher in these conflicts. A simple test: if we compare the songs signed by Lee on "Forever Changes" to these samples embryonic material MacLean, find more similarities with the later material of Love, and only with Lee at the helm.
Edited by Sundazed, collections of models "Ifyoubelievin" and "Candy's Waltz" have an opportunity to review the historical memory and justice: the first disc is referred to a collection of demos of songs he composed between 17 and 21 years, showing a mature songwriter with an incredible depth to his age. We have three of the four songs that appeared on his time with Love. Among which its own version of "Orange Skies" . It's funny how the interpretation of a single letter can change both its meaning. Sung by Lee, "Orange Skies" was a joyous exaltation of feeling in love, McLean own voice note as the narrator dreams of an idyllic landscape together of his beloved, who never dare to share with the object of his desires. This final verse of "If You Should love me too " sound here with an infinite sadness. In "Candy's Waltz" find another sample of their models, most recorded in a friend's house at 82. His voice sounds as youthful as in the old days and as better than the previous LP. This material
brother of Maria McKee (Lone Justice), sadly unpublished for many years due to drug problems, insecurity, theological (he joined a Christian sect) and failed projects (s frustrated attempts to own inconstancy out solo albums on Elektra and Capitol), despite the spartan appearance with before us is as good as the songs I post with Love. With a voice that despite her high-pitched and trembling, conveys an improper maturity, moving from the first Tim Buckley ( "Blues Singer" contains a scat vocal to prophesy to the stem of this, Jeff Buckley) and Bert Sommer ( "The road we travel" the former member of Left Banke and Montage). Too bad that his problematic existence robs us of an artist of such caliber, who died in 1998 by a cancerous disease.
"I never felt magic as crazy / I never saw moons conocieranel meaning of the sea / I never had the emotion in the palm of the hand / Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree / But now you're here / Brightening my northern sky "Nick Drake
History rock official has relegated the rest of the career of Arthur Lee to forget, considering it a drag of a glorious past. While it is true that never again give birth a work of the height of "Forever Changes", not Orson Welles returned to shoot something that shocks the world so as film "Citizen Kane" and by no means subsequent films cease to be masterpieces. While acknowledging Love it themselves dodged every opportunity to reach stardom. They were good friends to test and when they got together was to go out partying and doing drugs in the company that issues professional. His refusal to leave his kingdom in LA to act either positively affected. Moreover, they sometimes hired outside the usual circuit and did not attend the performance last time committed (and even Arthur came to warn of danger of bomb in a gambling club with the sole intention of squares). This neglect led to poor planning and lack of concert promoters, forcing the group to an activity in scattered performances road, with plenty of time between bolus and bolus. Best for a group that, except for Lee himself, had fallen into the clutches of heroin. So, after the release of "Forever Changes" gave a short tour and the group scattered. Arthur wanted to continue with other musicians not so problematic.
jamar Released from his companions and decided once and for all to make it big, knowing possession of a talent with nothing to envy to Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix, Arthur reform to Love and looking for a label that he bet on because Elektra has turned decisively in the projection of the Doors. Composed 26 songs and is allied with unknown musicians like Jay Donnellan (Guitar), Frank Fayad (bass) and George Suranovich (drums) who belonged to a local band of Noony Rickett, who two years later would work with Lee (playing guitar and doing vocals in almost all "False Start" .) Find a new firm, Blue Thumb label but will be even a record contract with Elektra. So the solution is to provide compositions that Elektra fell swoop and that this select ten to complete the damn album, the rest were devoted to his new label. Said and done. Ironically, Arthur proposed title with the name of the famous Cole Porter composition "Love For Sale" , in a double reference to prostitution (in this case label) and literally as " Love, sold ." No school, but then I re titled as "Four Sail" (Four sailing), which is pronounced in English the same way that "sa For you." This time, he gets his way, giving the finger to his former label.
has been too harshly criticized this change of direction and has even questioned the musicianship of the musicians in this new venture. Arthur Lee go for a tougher sound in tune with the times running, given the popularity of the bands that his group had helped define their rock nervous and multifaceted pop foreshortening is a legitimate act. Since they had taken note of his achievements formations British hard rock blues began to succeed as Cream and Led Zeppelin, all the psychedelic movement in San Francisco and even their expansive ways influenced the progressive groups. Anyway, this "Four Sail" not so far from their first two albums: the games are still intertwined guitars, pseudo-psychedelic flights now more baroque dream which, based on developments crystalline hypnotic guitar and his ability to create atmospheres. After so much pessimism in "Forever Changes" , here the tone, both musically and lyrically, is much more optimistic on this fourth album. And while away the strings and metal, including songs that extend the spirit of "Forever" , only the location of the orchestrations is replaced by the guitar's own Jay Lee and Donnellan (underrated musician), as folk grafts from the previous album are replaced by the harder sounds that preceded the group's discography. Without going into invidious comparisons, Love never sounded so resilient and agile. I doubt that the former members of the group had been providing to all of these ways expansive. In fact, previous Love had taken advantage of their limitations as musicians. The group did not have a drummer as abrasive as Keith Moon and guitarists able to avert electrical oceans as Townshend and Hendrix, but had managed to compress the energy of a Who in "Seven & Seven Is" . If they had to distort the bass line Forssi to achieve an effect similar to the hubbub of a rhythm like Entwistle-Moon, as it did. And even record the sound of a shot to match the heat of feedback from Pete!
"Four Sail" published in 1969, is a superb LP, with little known gems like "August" , "Singing Cowboy" (the only one whose composition Lee helps another member of the band, Donellan) that looks like the template that bands like Ocean Colour Scene write all their material, swing "Good Times" or more reminiscent of previous album "Always See Your Face" piano (played by Lee) and French horn arrangement. Despite the new direction, not so far from his previous work, although simplified, similar to what "Friends" represents for about Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" . At a time virtually all the major groups were tending towards the same restraint or to the roots of rock (the discs recorded in Nashville by Dylan, the Beatles' white album, the country rock formations augue like The Band and Flying Burrito Brothers, the Stones experiments and turning away from rock, to name a few examples).
The remaining compositions were prepared to add seventeen, published in the double album "Out Here" (1969) and on Blue Thumb, with the same alignment. Realising the miracle of Love repeat the same line from one disk to another. Although his new label will press them to recover the previous training. Arthur I try: Forssi together, Echols and Michael (all except Bryan). Even bought new instruments for the first two who had sold his to finance his addiction to heroin. But after the first concert, and Echols Forssi insisted their instruments to get more drugs. And Lee followed with musicians "Four Sail" to end "Out Here"
The result is another album unfairly ignored. Although as a double album is comparable to other major works in this format and a handful of surprises awaits inside: experiments country rock of "Abalony" and flavored with gospel, of "I'll pray for you" , the new version and hardened bluesy "Signed DC" where those lines of " My soul belongs to my camel / No one cares " sound more pained than ever, gently touching folkie of "Listen to my song" , between the style of his former teammate MacLean (including vocal tone seems to belong to it) and Incredible String Band as autumn as a bird migration, that body distorted by a Foot "I'm Down" , "Discharge" which look like the Kinks cabaret playing a march (anti) military delights cut by a pattern of sunny pop and Latin rhythms "Still I wonder" , which could be Stephen Stills (discard the "Forever changes" ) or "Nice to be" with some similarities to the Byrds "Notorious Byrd Brothers" , folk "Car light on in the daytime blues , remembering the music starts imitating Booker T. in "Instramental" , catchy pop "You are something" with a guitar that seems taken from "If WAS six nine" Hendrix or two long jams that contains the disk We offer a lime, the acid "Live is more than words and Better Late Than Never" , twelve minutes of epiphanic thunderstorm and a sand, "Doggone" , beautiful song unbearably violated by a drum solo that as it is treated, it may sound from under the water.
His last album with Blue Thumb "False start" (December 1970) is usually name only contain the help of Jimi Hendrix on the song that opens, "The everlasting first" , once a the first posthumous recordings that exhumed the musician (who died That September). Arthur and Hendrix had recorded a session in the summer of 69 for a future duet album. It is their weakest album, but it's worth, other than to contain the ghost of the deceased that spreads through the rest of its content, making the disc more Hendrix of Love (Arthur seems possessed from beyond the voice and another mulatto guitar), to bring in wonders as "Slick Dick" where he continued his experiments with the country rock in a song in just three minutes passed from the meadow to the purple fog that ooze a fierce guitars "Ride That Vibration" that begins with a riff to Lou Reed, passes stumbled on such a delicate melody Hollies and ends with a orgy of distortion and howling to Jim Morrison circa "LA Woman" . While the rest, though worthy, is not particularly memorable.
AM Records in 1972 signed a contract with Arthur Lee for a single disc, entitled "Vindicator" and bizarre (and ugly) cover, but incendiary content. Arthur Hendrix sounds more than ever, more so than in "False Start" , forming a hard rock album accompanied by the powerful guitar of Charlie Karp. Work the following year in another solo album ( "Black Beauty ") that would never appear. It was the first album "cursed" the leader of Love. after "Forever Changes" the same training material recorded for an album tentatively titled as "Gethsemane" (like the famous garden where Judas gave the kiss of death to Jesus) of which only appear to the single "Your Mind ... / Laughing stock ". There is another Lee lost record "More changes" which would later appear a demo recorded in 1977. In "Black Beauty" you can find a sample in a pirated album collecting material from that album ( "Midnigt Sun" with Jay Donnellan arson, a rewriting "Always See Your Face" , reggae humorous "Beep Beep" ) as well as pre-material of Lee and Love a recording of 94 of "fathered Fish" , the song that gift to Sons of Adam, with Baby Lemonade. Unsigned
after "Vindicator" next studio album as Love, "Reel To Real" not appear until 74 (in Robert Stigwood's label, RSO) and disengages us from the back with Arthur Lee shaven zero and dressed in Shao-Lin monk. And surprised first when compared to the rest of the trajectory of the group, but a very enjoyable album. In it, Arthur puts on the boots of Sly Stone and Maurice White to create a work of primarily black music of the moment: funk, soul, Philadelphia sound, female vocals, winds Latino "Forever Changes" are now soulful, seventies synths if he even listened to falsetto! The amount of musical styles in which this man could be totally convincing! He can blame his desire to get into the wave instead of offering a more personal work, but not its quality. Songs like the one that opens the disc (with an intro spoken to Barry White), "Time is like a river" , interference from outer space guitar "Which witch is which" , "Who are you" that could be composed of the aforementioned leader Earth Wind & Fire, the new reading of "Singing Cowboy" , "Good old fashion dream" where it looks like Otis Redding recorded for Hi Records, the southern soul baladón "Stop the music" or reading his tremendous song William Vaughn "Be Thankful for What You Got" (in the 90 version Massive Attack) are excellent. And among the shreds of new clothes to wear now that King Arthur, we find ourselves with ancient figures still remaining (Hendrix in that "Which witch is which" ) or acoustic ways rescued " Vindicator "; " Everybody's gotta live ". The vocal chameleon who is Lee continues to surprise, if in the process leading from "Four Sail" to "Vindicator" driving down pat vocal mannerisms of a great singer of hard rock, here shows he has an equal voice from ductile to more sinuous soul, showing her sensuality voice that had never used. On the album, is accompanied by a series of accompanying musicians who can not be grouped under the label of new formation of Love. Amongst them the superb work of guitarist Harvey Mandel (of Cannet Heat, who were opening for Love in the 67)
"The poet is the priest of the invisible. The young poet is a god, a homeless old poet Wallace Stevens
The eighties he spends virtually fallow. A terrible second solo album in 82, entitled to its name, with hints of reggae quite unfortunate (insipid version of "So many rivers to cross" included). Christian becomes reborn as his former teammate McLean. Nothing important to that already in the 90's, the French label New Rose was rescued from oblivion (as did the same label with other big losers of rock like Alex Chilton). With such signature appears his latest album Love, but signed as Arthur Lee & Love, "Five string serenade" (92). A smaller disk, but with gems like the title of the album, which seems as good a discard of the sixties, "Somebody's watching you" (with an organ riff stolen from the Seeds) and experiments as the frenetic "The watcher" which sounds like something from David Bowie Berlin and the funk of Talking Heads. At least not repeated. In 1994, his last recording appear new, a single name of Love with "Girl on Fire" and "Midnight Sun" (rerecorded ransom sessions with Hendrix, it shows its origin from the sound stale and needle resting on the vinyl that opens).
He looks eager to continue his career, but at 95 he was arrested for opening fire on a public road, had fired into the air after persistent complaints from a neighbor because of the high volume of your stereo and after accumulating three penalties (possession drugs and illegal entry into the apartment of a former girlfriend last year) was imprisoned. Spends six years in prison to eight convicted. Hits the streets in 2001 and together with the band Baby Lemonade angelina is dedicated to playing its full turn "Forever changes" and other material Love. The tour is a success both artistically and in public. Edit a live food with his magnum opus performed live with orchestra, which notes his good form on stage but does not add anything new. Much better catch a good pirate of those tours where the orchestral parts are supplied by guitar drones, returning to the orientation of the single "phantom" "Your mind and ..." / "Laughing Stock" .
It is eager to record new material since, although served in dropper, good material has been published in recent decades, their reunion with Ken Forssi (which gave up for dead) and members of Reigning Sound to prepare new songs is great news. Unfortunately his health is poor. Diagnosed with leukemia and died in his Memphis home, on August 3, 2006, at 61 years of age.
