50 Years of Love & Arthur Lee "Da Capo" "Forever Changes" "Love" & more: Album-By-Album Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by WilliamWes, Mar 11, 2016.

  1. psychtrailmix

    psychtrailmix Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    I look forward to your review of this, I am considering purchasing, but would like to hear some thoughts before pulling the trigger. More specifically, how does it differ from the old Live Forever Changes cd/DVD set? Is it unique enough from that to warrant a purchase? Look forward to hearing about it.
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2017
  2. WilliamWes

    WilliamWes Likes to sing along but he knows not what it means Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    Last summer, I had finished up reviewing the Love catalog and a new release was found by Love Revisited on the Bad Paintings website. The band was Johnny Echols version of Love with Baby Lemonade members. I've had the release for a while but was worn out so I didn't review it. I finally did review it now and I'll post it along with the new 2017 release tonight.

    [​IMG]


    LOVE REVISITED: LIVE - BURG HERZBERG FESTIVAL (Germany)

    Released Summer 2016, DCDBPoo1 (No record company listed-distributed through BadPaintings.com)

    Design and mix: ChappleDesign.com

    Recorded Live July 15th, 2005 at the BURG HERZBERG FESTIVAL, GERMANY.

    Love Revisited:

    Johnny Echols: Guitar/Vox

    Rusty Squeezebox: Guitar/Vox

    Mike Randle: Guitar/Vox

    David Green: Drums

    Dave Chapple: Bass/Harmonica

    OVERVIEW:
    This rare live Love Revisited album featuring Johnny Echols and Baby Lemonade joined together serves as a reminder that Arthur Lee’s final Love lineup was good with or without him and that the songs of Love stand up well on their own. Throughout the setlist of Love’s standard biggies, team vocals from Echols, Squeezebox and Randle are in favor over typical solo lead vocals.

    1. A HOUSE IS NOT A MOTEL (A-)
    Johnny Echols is very capable with lead vocals on this great hard rocker. The music’s urgency is evident and it remains tight. Echols’ solo, while different than his studio version, maintains a high quality, pouncing and piercing through the tight rhythm section. With all 3 guitars going, Echols weaves through the big feedback of Chapple and Squeezebox’s time keeping.

    2. ALONE AGAIN OR (B)
    Since Baby Lemonade were touring as Love during this period in the band’s history, they feel so natural in their role that they can present this classic confidently. With team vocals, Squeezebox taking a higher harmony, they provoke a lot of the beauty found in the original. The guitar solo rocks more than it did but stays melodic. While better with strings and Spanish guitar, this still satisfies.

    3. YOUR MIND AND WE BELONG TOGETHER (B+)
    With probably Squeezebox with Echols on vocals, this continues to be a fantastic rocker in most settings and its arrangement works well in a live setting. As good as the song is, Echols lights it afire on another of his memorable guitar solos, sticking close to the original here with tight, accurate licks. I wish the solo went on longer here as it’s a great contender for a jam type of song.

    4. ORANGE SKIES (C+)
    Rusty Squeezebox probably has the best voice of the band and I think he usually would sing with Arthur on this one. Here he’s solo and tends to stick to Lee’s unique-at-times vocal phrasing, doing a good job but without as much strength. He definitely can sing but it’s not quite Arthur. The backing seems to drive harder throughout and though the sound is very good, it’s lost some of its gentleness and subtlety.

    5. THE DAILY PLANET (B-)
    While Dave Green didn’t quite bring the best approach to drums on “Orange Skies”, on “The Daily Planet”, he’s brought power crashing over the proceedings with some hard-hitting. Team vocals are brought to this track that could use some more tight playing as there are a couple of moments where they seem off-track momentarily.

    6. ANDMOREAGAIN (B-)
    Squeezbox does another fine job on this tough lead vocal-one that has a different sound than your standard pop/rock faire. This could use strings as its lost some magic despite everything being well played.

    7. OLD MAN (A-)
    With more of a folk-rock jangle than a pop style, I like this arrangement and it really works well for those that thought the original was too light (not that I know anyone who thought that). There’s a beauty coming through on this one that “Orange Skies” didn’t benefit from. Squeezebox again sings well and sympathetically to MacLean’s original lead.

    8. LIVE AND LET LIVE (A-)
    Ooh, Johnny nails the solos here and the band have a great building energy that rises and falls with the arrangement just right. Echols sings well on the lead vox, really belting it out at times. This also could benefit from some further Echols’ soloing as he’s stellar here and his tone is delectable.

    9. YOU SET THE SCENE (B)
    While everything is in place properly, this could use Arthur and the full arrangement. It’s a tough track to pull off and I have to give credit that the band do, but it’s not close to the original despite some soaring lead guitar at the end.

    10. STEPHANIE KNOWS WHO (B+)
    While I love the original arrangement, Echols guitar work alone gets this to B+ status as he channels psychedelia in a rich stream of colorful feedback during the solo and his vocals work well here though not quite as strong as Arthur’s. This one’s a great combo of psych and punk minus the jazz.

    11. SHE COMES IN COLORS (B-)
    Team vocals on this Love biggie, while Echols is on target with his guitar work, the rhythm guitar(s) don’t seem to be doing much to support him. This could use more crystalline jangle as some of the color isn't apparent.

    12. REVELATION (C)
    The band announces Echols is taking the lead vocal during the intro of this 9-minute live version of the Da Capo track. It’s a nice track to do some jamming with but it’s still not one of their better songs. The original had some better instrumental moments though this has some good grooving. I usually have high expectations for a great guitarist on a track like this but an opportunity feels missed here.

    13. MAYBE THE PEOPLE WOULD BE THE TIMES OR BETWEEN CLARK AND HILLDALE (B)
    Well performed and though not quite the studio version, it’s entertaining nonetheless. The power and energy of the song comes through. Nothing stands out too much instrumentally or vocally but the team effort shows chemistry.

    14. SIGNED D.C. (B-)
    The encore of the show and it’s the original Love debut version, not the rocked up version found on “Out Here”. Echols changes the vocal to ‘no one gives a damn about me’ instead of ‘no one cares for me’ and while it brings some drama, this is isn’t quite on par with other versions.

    15. 7 & 7 IS (B)
    A powerful performance with more coming from the arrangement of the original than the live moment. It only has some of the fire found in other versions or the original.

    LOVE REVISITED- LIVE BURG HERZBERG FESTIVAL 2005 (B)
    While the band’s sound is definitely there since this group served as Love during 2005 and for much of their career, Baby Lemonade with Johnny Echols really do a great job of capturing Love’s sound and filling in for Arthur Lee vocally. While not every single song is magical or transcending, most of the time, they perform everything accurately, actively, and attractively to bring out the composition, energy and beauty of the original Love songs. It's also different than standard Love albums cause we finally get to hear Johnny Echols sing as well as get the approach used in the time since Lee was in Love like on last year's UK tour Love Revisited played.
     
  3. WilliamWes

    WilliamWes Likes to sing along but he knows not what it means Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    Just wanted to let everyone know here that I finally started a 2nd thread. I'm covering all the acts of the Monterey Pop Festival, one by one. I remembered last year I was trying to decide what artist to do a thread around but I couldn't decide so the Monterey thread covers a number of them. You can check it out here.

    50th Anniversary: 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival: Performance-By-Performance

    Also I finished the Complete Forever Changes review but I just wanted to check a couple of details before posting.
     
    Isaac McHelicopter likes this.
  4. WilliamWes

    WilliamWes Likes to sing along but he knows not what it means Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    [​IMG]


    LOVE-THE COMPLETE FOREVER CHANGES [LIVE 2003] (2017 Release)

    Recorded live at the Glastonbury Festival, Pilton, UK on June 28, 2003.

    Produced by David Skye, Remastered by Randy Perry, Art Direction & Design: Mark Kalmus/Blue Fondue.

    Special thanks: Diane Lee

    2017 S’More Entertainment/Rockbeat Records

    Arthur Lee: vocals, guitar, harmonica
    Mike Randle: guitar
    Rusty Squeezebox: guitar, vocal
    Dave Chapple: bass
    David “Daddy-O” Green: drums

    [Orchestra is uncredited but Mike Randle's essay liner notes indicate Stockholm Strings and Horns.]

    1. ALONE AGAIN OR (B)
    From the first track it’s obvious that a large crowd is attendance for this show and both horns and strings are on hand to kick off the concert. There’s a ‘big’ sound to this with a more forceful rhythm section but it’s not quite as tight as I’ve heard on other attempts at this song. With Rusty Squeezebox helping on vocals in place of Bryan MacLean, Arthur sounds good early on.

    2. A HOUSE IS NOT A MOTEL (A)
    “I’d like to say it’s a pleasure and an honor being here this evening,” is Lee’s greeting after the leadoff track before diving into a lively version of “A House Is Not a Motel”. With all the instruments tuned just right, they throttle away, thrashing on the buildups through each verse and the lead guitar work emulates the studio version but soars more here sounding a bit like the lead guitar solo of “Love Is More Than Words” as it goes along. It’s the most thunderous moment of the live album, packing more power than any other released live version because of the solo.

    3. ANDMOREAGAIN (A-)
    Lee is in fine form so far being the prime focus more when we come to this song. His vocals can emulate his 60’s operatic pop style even this late in the band’s career and he touches the right nerves of emotion. The sympathetic and melodic backing is more polished here than on “Alone Again Or” hitting the correct notes more often.

    4. THE DAILY PLANET (C+)
    A decent performance of a song that isn’t too easy to pull off, this one doesn’t stand out, but it’s got some power. Its midsection is weaker as it continues to rock through moments where more dynamics were needed. Glossing over the intricacies of the arrangement mute it some and force it into a more generic rock style.

    5. OLD MAN (B+)
    By now, Arthur had gotten used to singing Bryan MacLean’s lead vocal and it shows again on “Old Man” as Lee’s sounds strong and in the right voice. The strings and horns have one rocky moment but bring the emotion that versions without them can’t pull off. “For Bryan and his mother” Lee dedicates afterward.

    6. THE RED TELEPHONE (B+)
    A very good version of “The Red Telephone” comes next without much flaw at all. Perhaps as good as the DVD concert, this version has everything we like most about the song. Still, it doesn’t stand out against the other live versions despite the execution.

    7.MAYBE THE PEOPLE WOULD BE THE TIMES OR BETWEEN CLARK AND HILLDALE (A)
    This is more like it-a tremendous performance evident by how tight the band are throughout. The horns are at their best here, especially on the syncopated middle with Lee’s spitting ‘ba – ba’s with rapid fire. It’s brighter than the last 4 tracks and feels like its challenging Love’s best live.

    8.LIVE AND LET LIVE (A-)
    Plenty of fiery electricity pulsing through this one as well as the two guitar solos rip hard and the focus is sharp and clear. The band display their chemistry well here on all sections of the track. They're definitely cooking on the hard rock material.

    9. THE GOOD HUMOR MAN HE SEES EVERYTHING LIKE THIS (A-)
    So well performed it feels like the original studio recording, this live version lacks any kind of additional creativity live but lacks error as well. While not the easiest rock track to perform, the challenge bar is set high and the high jump was a success. It’s exactly what you’d expect knowing the original-better for the fan that likes a band that gets it right, worse for the fan that wants something additional live.

    10. BUMMER IN THE SUMMER (C)
    This doesn’t have the same energy as the other upbeat tracks and though Lee sounds cool, he doesn’t sound hot like he did on “Between Clark and Hilldale” or clever like on “The Red Telephone”. It just doesn’t bring much to the table like the band are wondering if they’ll pull off the closer as they do this one.

    11. YOU SET THE SCENE (A-)
    Extra cheering can be heard on certain sections but this is otherwise a recording going after what was heard from the studio. The crowd love it, I love it, and as one of the greatest rock tracks in history, its excellence is hard to deny in any form.

    12.YOUR MIND AND WE BELONG TOGETHER (B-)
    According to Randle’s liner notes, this was the first song played and his guitar blew a speaker during part of the song. It’s also not as on point as the other performances here noticeably suffering in execution in parts especially the opening. While Randle brings power to the guitar coda, it’s not Echols and not Randle’s best either.

    13.7 & 7 IS (B-)
    Arthur says goodbye and thank you with the closer of the show, the biggest hit they had. There’s more confused jangle here and it’s a nice touch for a song that spirals out of control. The drumming is not powerful though and it could be the recording or just the drums. While the speed is there, there’s not enough bass to them so they sound like speedy tapping. The buildup to the end isn’t well executed either but this song is very tough to pull off.

    LOVE-THE COMPLETE FOREVER CHANGES CONCERT (B)
    As much as Forever Changes is close to the “perfect rock album”, and it’s played that way, Love could have taken the philosophy that even this album changes. But here it doesn’t, and usually Love stick to the recorded versions for any song, so if you have live versions of anything, usually you won’t be missing out on something uniquely special for any one performance. Certain times, Love aren’t firing on all cylinders with maximum intensity and emotion like on the final 2 tracks as well as “The Daily Planet” and “Bummer in the Summer” but they mostly execute this difficult album with great bravery. They hit the right sense of Love on the softer tracks with a big exception in the slightly below average effort of “Alone Again Or”. While the first tracks of the album warm up the band some, by “A House Is Not a Hotel”, they are in gear for real.

    As a final verdict, there’s no denying Forever Changes is an excellent album and that most performances of it will be better than your standard live concert, but because Love always stick to the studio versions without much diversion, it may feel like all this ground was covered the same way in the same style before. It doesn’t match the first released live version of the album back over a decade ago which is of excellent quality throughout, had more of a full setlist, and had full enthusiasm from all sides. It felt like an event whether seeing the particular show or buying the DVD, CD or vinyl. This album feels like rehash despite the great songs and mostly great performances. Though it’s only 13 songs, I haven’t found a setlist from that concert that was any longer so I’m assuming this is the full set performed.
     
  5. psychtrailmix

    psychtrailmix Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    Thanks much for your review, it was very helpful and informative.
     
    WilliamWes likes this.
  6. The Freedom Man

    The Freedom Man The Freedom Man

    Location:
    Rotterdam
    Agreed, thanks very much
     
    WilliamWes likes this.
  7. WilliamWes

    WilliamWes Likes to sing along but he knows not what it means Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    The Independent has released a top 25 of 1967....

    The twenty greatest albums of 1967

    1 Love-Forever Changes!!
    2 The Beatles- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
    3 The Velvet Underground/Nico-The Velvet Underground & Nico
    4 The Jimi Hendrix Experience/Are You Experienced?
    5 Aretha Franklin/I Never Loved a Man Like I
    Love You
     
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  8. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    VU&Nico is way more suited to late 1966. Regarding list choice, all you need is LOVE indeed.
     
    WilliamWes likes this.
  9. WilliamWes

    WilliamWes Likes to sing along but he knows not what it means Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    Alex, just wanted to thank you from when we were talking about what thread I would do next. Remember we were talking about Byrds or Spirit or someone like that, so I kept thinking in my head which artist and then I couldn't settle so I did a Monterey Pop thread finally and that anniversary is today, 50 years ago. Check it out if you have some time. I would love to see all the Love fan opinions about this festival (that Love should have been part of).

    50th Anniversary: 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival: Performance-By-Performance
     
    alexpop likes this.
  10. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    William, have to congratulate you on your lengthy LOVE thread most informative.
     
    WilliamWes likes this.
  11. WilliamWes

    WilliamWes Likes to sing along but he knows not what it means Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    You're always too kind to me Alex. Thank you again! You were with me the whole way through; missed you on the new thread so I thought I'd reach out. Love coming back here and seeing all the friendly names. When I replay Monterey Pop this weekend, I'm rewriting history and giving Love a 30 minute set. Yeah I'm still being too hardcore! :agree:
     
    alexpop likes this.
  12. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Having a bit of a love fest here, te he.
    Ironically i don't have much of Monterey Pop, DVD or music ( dunno why). Seen the movie early 1970s. Have the book Hendrix on the cover.But, much prefer it to Woodstock.
     
    WilliamWes likes this.
  13. NapalmBrain

    NapalmBrain Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kansas City, MO
    Awhile back I got a first pressing stereo for $25 (or I assume -1 matricies on both sides) really great album, I even enjoy the b-side. I need a copy of Forever Changes but it doesn't look to be in print currently unless I'm overlooking something.
     
  14. WilliamWes

    WilliamWes Likes to sing along but he knows not what it means Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    So July 11th Rhino released a new mono vinyl of the debut. You can see it here:

    Love - Love | Rhino

    Also, back on Lee's birthday this year, they posted a playlist of some covers of Love songs from the era.

    Happy Birthday: Arthur Lee | Rhino

    Luci Baines - by The American Four (posted on page 1 of this thread)
    My Diary - by Rosa Lee Brooks (posted on page 1)
    Feathered Fish - by Sons of Adam (posted on page 1)
    A Message to Pretty - Mike Lyman & the Little People
    7 & 7 Is - Eyes of Blue
    Signed D.C. - Axis Brotherhood
    Doggone - Alta Tension

    I haven't heard the ones I didn't post yet. Anyway, nice to see the Rhino/Love relationship continue.
     
    lemonade kid likes this.
  15. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    I haven't weighed in in this thread because I only have Forever Changes and I haven't heard much else, My Little Red Book certainly and probably a couple of others, and I didn't want to keep checking in until Forever Changes came up (which it probably has by now in a thread started over a year ago).

    Anyway, Forever Changes was probably the first LP I ever bought off a review (in Hit Parader). I didn't really like it, I didn't think Andmoreagain was quite as gorgeous as they said it was, I thought the opening line of Live and Let Live was a bit on the repulsive side and with the possible exception of You Set the Scene, I wasn't going to listen to it much.

    Fast forward to 1977 or 1978, when I heard a song called Alone Again Or on the radio, by UFO. I liked it, so I bought Lights Out (and discovered the similarly wonderful Try Me). I noticed that Alone Again Or was the only track not written by a band member. One day in 1980 I was idly thumbing through Lillian Roxon's Rock Encyclopedia and I came to the page on Love, and I happened to notice Alone Again Or as one of the tracks on Forever Changes, so after a dozen years I dug out the LP and gave it a listen. Then another, and another ... and the rest is history. It's been a favourite since then, and it's my "summer of 1980" LP!

    You Set the Scene is still my favourite, followed by ... Between Clark and Hilldale, and I could probably live without Bummer in the Summer but I generally just play the whole thing in its entirety.
     
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  16. lemonade kid

    lemonade kid Forever Changing

    me too...start to finish
     
  17. WilliamWes

    WilliamWes Likes to sing along but he knows not what it means Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    So there hasn't been too much going on on the Love front since the release of The Complete Forever Changes single live CD and vinyl. I did find an article from this week on that album if people want some more info on it...

    Exposé Online » Reviews » Arthur Lee & Love - Complete Forever Changes Live

    After a brief synopsis of Love, he added a bit of detail...

    So in 2003 Arthur Lee and Baby Lemonade, now called Love or Love Revisited, played a long string of dates in England accompanied by the Stockholm Strings and Horns, from January to August. Their Royal Festival Hall concert was released on Snapper that same year. In July, Arthur Lee and Love performed Forever Changes in front of 65,000 people at the Glastonbury music festival, a first experience for Arthur and bandmates. The set list copied the entire order of the 36-year-old album, sounding like a new release, and that performance is now available on RockBeat as Complete “Forever Changes” Live. These performances would have been seriously lacking without the strings and mariachi brass accompaniment, an element that Arthur wanted when he composed the music in the 60s, not an add-on by the producers. They ended their set as the sun was setting, with Arthur thanking all 65,000 for attending and then launched into “7 & 7 Is,” a fitting song to close their performance. This live recording is a perfect companion to the studio albums and the other live Love recordings.
     
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  18. richierichie

    richierichie My glass is always full.

    William, a big thank you for starting this thread. I've been dipping in and out without contributing too much. The thing is other contributors have said what I would have said much more eloquently.
    That's it just thought I'd say thanks, Richie.
     
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  19. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    One's still untouched if the Spirit moves you, just a thought.
     
    WilliamWes likes this.
  20. WilliamWes

    WilliamWes Likes to sing along but he knows not what it means Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York
    As we're gradually reaching the 50th anniversary of Forever Changes, I'll be more active on the thread. There's a celebration of 1960's music acts that will be happening November 4th of you're near L.A. Love Revisited will be there.

    LA.-A-GO-GO Celebrates California's Rock, Soul and Surf Pioneers

    When the history of Los Angeles rock 'n' roll is told, bands like The Beach Boys, the Byrds, and the Doors typically are mentioned as founding fathers. As great as those bands are, many other acts have played important roles too. The inaugural LA-A-GO-GO concert shines a spotlight on some of these beloved local music heroes in a remarkable gathering happening November 4, 2017 at the Regent Theater in downtown L.A.

    Love Revisited: Maintaining the legacy of the groundbreaking psychedelic rock band led by the late Arthur Lee, Love revisited features Johnny Echols, original Love guitarist (and Lee's childhood friend), along with members of the acclaimed L.A. group Baby Lemonade. Lee picked Baby
    Lemonade to serve as his backing band in Love starting in 1994, and the group continued in this role until Lee's death in 2006.
     
  21. rnranimal

    rnranimal Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    That was one of my favorite lines upon first listen. :winkgrin:
     
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  22. Indeed, I always thought it was very effective in getting one's attention, and also a characteristic of Lee's pretty straightforward approach to lyric writing
     
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  23. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    I got used to it. Great LP!
     
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  24. lemonade kid

    lemonade kid Forever Changing

    Yes. I've started a thread with that featured. Your input would be most welcome there.

    The thread:
    LoVE--Johnny Echols & Love Revisited appreciation & upcoming concert tour dates


    Also of note....I received info from Michael that I will be posting soon on how to get his Pegasus bio on his time with Love--complete with how to pre-order the book from Cadiz Publishing in the UK and receive it ahead of the store release date in November. Cadiz is republishing Michael's book to honor the 50th Anniversary celebration of Forever Changes.
     
    WilliamWes likes this.
  25. Kalamaluh

    Kalamaluh New Member

    Location:
    Germany
    Hey Guys,

    since the anniversary of Forever Changes is coming nearer and nearer I'm again struggling with an exact release date.
    I know this has been discussed several times in this thread, but...again...has anyone a valid information?
    German wikipedia says 1st of November (which I think is ********), some said it was around 3rd of December?

    I'm planning a review for a german radio station and a more or less exact date would be perfect.

    Well, otherwise...paint me white/yellow/black...

    Yours!
     
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