Pam from All Things Thriller recommended this band and the album Forever Changes. I’ve been following her blog for years, and I trust when she recommends someone, and she came through. I was not disappointed with this album. This album has been listed in the top 100 best albums ever by different publications. It doesn’t have a bad song on it. The album is not known for hit singles but for the collective whole of the songs on that album. I was going to pick one song, but again, this album needs to be listened to as a whole.
One single did get pulled off of this album called Alone Again Or and it did hit the UK and Billboard Charts, and it sounded familiar. The reason it did was because The Damned covered back in 1987.
This is a band that I heard of but never really heard as much. With founder Arthur Lee, Love fused garage rock, folk, psychedelia, and baroque pop. They were not commercial juggernauts, but they sure did sound great. This album’s core is acoustic, and they build on it from there. I could not stop listening to it all this week. They were also one of the first racially diverse American rock bands.
Released in late 1967, just as the Summer of Love was peaking and already beginning to fall, it’s a record that doesn’t sound like its time, and doesn’t really belong to any other, either. This was the band’s 3rd album. Arthur Lee was just 22 when he put this band together. He already had two solid albums under his belt, full of garage rock, Byrds-like jangle, and attitude, but Forever Changes was something else entirely. It’s as if Lee had seen the whole California dream flicker and die and was moving on.
I’ve listened to this album around five times overall, and it keeps getting better. I love how they mixed the acoustic with jaw-dropping percussion and touches of electric guitar. I’m not going to go down the list of songs; the best way is to listen to it.
The original lineup featured Lee, guitarist Johnny Echols, bassist Ken Forssi, drummer Don Conka (later replaced by Alban “Snoopy” Pfisterer), and singer/guitarist Bryan MacLean.
Alone Again Or
Yeah, said it’s all rightI won’t forgetAll the times I’ve waited patiently for youAnd you’ll do just what you choose to doAnd I will be alone again tonight my dear
Yeah, I heard a funny thingSomebody said to meYou know that I could be in love with almost everyoneI think that people areThe greatest funAnd I will be alone again tonight my dear
Yeah, I heard a funny thingSomebody said to meYou know that I could be in love with almost everyoneI think that people areThe greatest funAnd I will be alone again tonight my dear
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One of those bands that I remember but didn’t know well. Bands that didn’t get airplay I knew If a friend had an album. Nobody I hung out with had Love. My loss. Thanks for the re-introduction this morning.
Again….I thought maybe you had heard them… it is worth a listen.
I’ll be at an event today and will catch up tomorrow.
I need to listen to that album again myself.
So you knew it anyway…it is excellent to me.
Yes, I have it on CD with a few bonus tracks on it.
I only know them by way of ‘Alone Again Or’ which I first heard by the Damned in the ’80s (and tracked down in a small record store as an import, as was the norm for us back then as you noted in your Jam piece) and found it was these guys song. Listened to ‘Bummer in the Summer’ and I like it, though to me it sounds very 1967- almost like the Byrds covering another Bob Dylan song. Might be an album worth checking out…
It’s a good album but it was impossible to pick one really. The reason I picked Alone song was because people had heard the cover. Very interesting band…rock, jazz, and some downright catchy songs.
Recommended Dave. Max is right, its like Pink Floyd, the whole album goes together.
I have heard of this band, but I don’t think I ever listened to them. I read they played at The Whisky a Go Go, but they never attained the success like the Doors or Buffalo Springfield did.
No they didn’t for some reason…this album though is in the “best of” on a lot of lists. I can see why after spending so much time with it.
It’s a great album, and I still count Alone Again Or as my all time favourite song. The Damned’s version should have been strangled at birth. If you want a good cover try Calexico: their mariachi is a bit more authentic than anything Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies could manage!
Thank you Clive….I’m listening right now…they kept Love’s spirit and feel and it sounds great! Their style fits it perfectly. I’ve bookmarked that one.
It’s good, isn’t it. They have made many great records down the years. If you don’t know it, give the video for ‘The Ballad of Cable Hogue’ a try. One very sexy lady 😉
It’s really good and rivals Love…they captured the same spirit of it.
Yes she is! I noticed her right away….and like the guitar geek I am…I love that guy’s guitar.
I’m listening to it now. Quite a unique sound. I’ve only seen it on a lot of greatest all-time lists. I think it would take more than a few listens for me to get into it properly, but I can see why people revere it.
It did me…around the 2nd time I was hooked. It’s different…not your average pop songs.
They has a really good thing going but ended up just filling a small niche it seems. I had no idea who they were back in the day. They certainly come up a lot when I research anything from the LA scene.
Yea they were really big on that…and this album always ends up in a top 50 or 100…I see why after listening to it. I think this one is what they are known for the most….at least the album.
They do rank extremely well.
‘Live And Let Live’ does my brain in. Crazy good lyrics, music than oozes into your brain.
I’m glad you know it obbverse. Very few did today…including me. I knew Pam wouldn’t steer me wrong though. I was totally impressed by the album…as a whole more than song by song. They connect with each other perfectly….not in a Tommy way…but you know what I mean.
Yep, the more you listen the more it gels as a whole, though any song can stand on its own.
A tip of my hat to Pam.
Arthur Lee, for sure a junkie genious. This Love album is nothing else but a masterpiece that travels through time, never old. That’s not a hotel it’s a house, that’s not music it’s honey.
I never knew much about them…great way to put it. I’m glad I finally know them.
It’s pretty unique – the snot has caked against my pants!
LOL…I read that lyric! I took a chance and really liked this one.
Love are a new band to me. Based on sampling some of the tracks, I think “Forever Changes” is an album that should be up my alley.
It took me by surprise Christian…she really recommended a great one here.
I’ve got this album just across the room on top of one of my speakers, right now. It’s been there for a few weeks waiting for replay but I’ve been (as you know) stuck on some other bands!
I love ‘Alone Again Or’ it’s one of my favourite songs from the late sixties. I like some of the songs on the rest of the album but none as much as this.
If I’d know you hadn’t known of it before, I’d have recommended it to you long ago. 😉
Yes…I remembered as soon as I started to listen to it! I knew it sounded somewhat familiar…I’m slow Val!
Took a mini-break from the blog and yours is the first that I’ve returned to.😊 Nice to see your review of Love…excellent! I’m pleased that you enjoyed Forever Changes. It really is a superb album. I also want to recommend My Little Red Book a great proto punk number from their first album and 7 and 7 is, also proto punk, and She Comes in Colors from their second album. She Comes in Colors is a beautiful psychedelic rock number that the Stones obviously borrowed from with She’s a Rainbow.
I’m so happy you got to see it! Thanks for the recommendation…I’ll check those out Pam! Thank you again so much!
My pleasure.
Absolutely spot on. Forever Changes is phenomenal. But to think of Love and not consider what they did to a Burt Bacharach song, their first hit “My Little Red Book” is not the full story. Add the great “7 + 7 is”, as well as “Que Vida,” “She Comes In Colors” and “Orange Skies.” A great LA rock band.
They really were superb. Arthur Lee was a musical genius. Bryan MacLean was also very talented and Johnny Echols went on to work with Miles Davis. So, yeah, lots of bona fides.
I appreciate you reccomending it to me. I really enjoyed it.