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

Wow William: great thread, just joining at page 36 and have only read the first 4 pages, so many days of enjoyment ahead for me. Unfortunately I don't have much to add other than I had a drill sgt in high school ROTC that was the spittin' image of Arthur Lee (the 1st Love LP came out years after), which shocked me first time I saw the album cover. Keep up the great work, and if it hasn't been done yet, you might consider doing a similar thread someday regarding SPIRIT, a band with obviously some of the same sensibilities as LOVE - but different. Thanks to you and all the thoughtful commenters that are making this thread such fascinating reading.

 

LOVE COMING THROUGH TO YOU - ARTHUR LEE & LOVE
DISC 3 (all tracks with Baby Lemonade)

DISC 3 COMING THROUGH TO YOU

1. YOUR MIND AND WE BELONG TOGETHER: This dynamic song has many peaks and needs to be handled properly to come off excellently, but Baby Lemonade are up for the challenge. Each section is performed well and it works as well as the live Forever Changes concert version. Randle gives a good solo on the coda.

2. ALONE AGAIN OR: Another rare live version with strings and horns, this version compares easily to the previously released live version on the FC concert..

3. MAYBE THE PEOPLE WOULD BE THE TIMES OR BETWEEN CLARK AND HILLDALE:
Another fine performance with all the elements in place.

4. THE RED TELEPHONE: Another great alt. live version with orchestra, this works once again.

(Rokslide Festival, Denmark, June 29, 2002)
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5. ANDMOREAGAIN: This version has the strings in place and again, it remains a beautiful song. Arthur puts on his more operatic vocal perfectly.

6. THE DAILY PLANET: A bit faster on this version than the FC concert, it’s still another tight performance and all the details land just where they belong.

7. OLD MAN: Arthur steps up to the mike for Bryan’s 2nd song on FC and he treats it well as the strings back him. “For Bryan and his mother, and you and yours” Lee says at the close.

8. THE GOOD HUMOR MAN, HE SEES EVERYTHING LIKE THIS:
The beautiful horns and strings here are always worth having on this track. It’s another good live version of a FC song. “How about a hand for the orchestra today all the way from Sweden” Lee comments in closing.

(Glastonbury Festival, UK, June 28, 2003)
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9. LIVE AND LET LIVE:
The audio here is just below the first 8 tracks but still fine and an energetic performance is given. Great tones on the guitar soloing from Mike Randle. Must be a different tone than the one used on the FC concert version.

10. A MESSAGE TO PRETTY:
The first live appearance of the 1966 track from their debut, this jangles like we’re back in the 60’s. Lee’s harmonica is good enough though I’ve heard better from him. It’s enjoyable and matches the studio version pretty easily.

11. STEPHANIE KNOWS WHO:
Ooh, this is a very very good track to finally have live. It did not appear on the FC concert while other Da Capo tracks did. This doesn’t match the studio version though it does get pretty crazy with a choral effect on a lead guitar solo that’s intensely psychedelic. It’s definitely effective and worth having.

12. MY FLASH ON YOU:
A faster version of the Love debut album track, this feels too rushed with Arthur trying to keep up with a frantic pace. The guitar tone again on the solo is effective but it’s so short. The sound is great and this is also a track making its live debut here.

(The Corn Exchange, Cambridge, UK, Feb 27, 2004)
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13. ALL I WANT IS YOU
A commercial sounding light rock tune that is very straightforward but catchy. Good to have an unreleased Arthur track with a crisp band and recording. A quick transcription I did:

I don’t want no money
I don’t need no drugs
I don’t need two women
To know I’m having fun

I don’t need big muscles
To make me look the fool
I don’t want no trouble
All I want is you

All I want is you

Tell ya I don’t love ya
I’m telling you a lie
I don’t need two people
No one to help me lie

I don’t need two women
To help me look the fool
I don’t want no trouble
All I want is you

All I want is you

14. YOU SET THE SCENE
This one is interesting because it’s just the band without the additional instruments. Once or twice the guitar is too loud over the vocal, but 95% good to have.

Ole Bull Teater, Bergen, Norway-April 23, 2004.
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15. EVERYBODY’S GOTTA LIVE/INSTANT KARMA!
A little bit faster than the one found on the 1992 live album, but it’s a fine performance.

Guildhall Centre, Glouchester, UK- July 2, 2004


So this disc has more consistency with all Baby Lemonade backing and all electric recordings. Most of the performances are great, while some rank up as some of the best in Love's history. More and more as I go through the tracks thoroughly, I think this was a worthwhile purchase. Not only are there tons of different tracks, but different styles to like the band-only "You Set the Scene" or the acoustic stuff on the second disc. A lot of goodies on all these discs. The final one jumps around a lot and it's another valuable one to have. A number of the tracks have not been released live or are unreleased studio compositions played live. We'll get to it soon.

 

Thanks for the kind comments Michael. I really have been tempted to do another one of these threads but I could not decide between a number of bands- I did think of Spirit, but all last year there were Zeppelin fans discussing the court case involving "Taurus" and I only know the first 4 albums well while I'm barely familiar with the rest. Because of the Elektra connection I thought of the Doors, then Buffalo Springfield being another LA band went thru my mind-but both get plenty of talk on the forum anyway and each album is pretty well known - enough to probably not need an album thread.

The Byrds was suggested to me and I am still considering them since I know their catalog well as well as Traffic who debuted 50 years ago like Love last year. I'm still not sure - I also focused a lot of time on Bob Dylan's "Basement Tapes" box and wanted to do continue a thread I saw here that covers individual tracks. 1967 is my favorite year of music so I'll be active one way or another.

Thanks for checking out the thread!

 

Arthur Lee and the Bevis Frond together? Wish I'd have heard that at the time; they were two of my favourites around about then.

 

Alright I just wanted to add the rating for the 3rd disc-

DISC 3: B+
Baby Lemonade are very strong and the songs on this disc are the main live staples that have formed most Love repertoires for concerts. The chosen picks for this disc contain some of the best versions of these staples and this is the most consistent of the 4 discs.

________________________
And the final disc of the set with an overall comment afterwards:



DISC 4 LOVE-COMING THROUGH TO YOU: A FAN'S VIEW

1. [Applause, Auto Harp]
This is a very brief harmonica solo

Old Waldorf, SF, CA, November 3, 1977.
_________________
2. Mr. Lee
This 1978 solo track starts out in the middle of the first verse and keeps the loose reggae feel the studio version has. It’s sloppy fun that is extended to 4:31.

3. Time Is Like a River
After starting out in control, the band jam on this Real to Reel opener but it feels too sloppy in trying to feel loose hard rock as it goes along. Lee gives a little spoken interlude about Buddy Miles. A weaker performance of a very good song.

Whiskey a G0-Go, West Hollywood, CA, Nov. 24, 1978

Great lineup: With Bryan MacLean, John Sterling, Kim Kesterson, George Suranovich.

_________________
4. I’ll Get Lucky Some Sweet Day (My Name Is Arthur Lee)
A slow blues that feels like it could fit on Arthur Lee’s 1992 self-titled solo album. It’s a very small club/bar atmosphere with a drunk guy or two in the audience. It’s your basic blues and Lee is not on top of his game here but it’s good to have. The lyrics feel ad-libbed some-similar to “Mr. Lee” but blues replaces reggae.

5. Down Street
This is the longest live track of Love’s career clocking in at over 12 minutes. This is from Lee’s 1978 solo album. This mostly works closely with the studio version without much deviation despite its length. A lot of it is jamming off of the song’s riffs with a long guitar solo starting midway through. The band work is sloppy here though the drums have a bit of energy. Lee’s quiet for much of it. A weaker 12 minutes in a Love concert. “You came to see a show-well now you have one” says Lee near the end after some band introductions. Again good to have a first live version of this.

Great lineup: With Bryan MacLean, John Sterling, Kim Kesterson, George Suranovich. Trancas, Malibu, CA, Dec. 30, 1989
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6. Little Wing
This live favorite of Love had a release on the 1992 live album. But this one feels very inspired with excellent guitar soloing that serve Hendrix’s song well. Lee sounds a little different with his vocal tone but this is the best live version anyway.

The IBEAM, SF, CA, Jan 19, 1990
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7. The Everlasting First
Another Hendrix memory is conjured for this one, Lee throws in that he and Hendrix wrote it together. The intro solo is very disappointing and the song feel limp. Lee is great and gets the feeling of the original, but the band just can’t keep up-the drums and especially the lead guitar are not even close. One of the least satisfying moments on the whole set.

Bay State Hotel, Northhampton, MA, Feb 27, 1994.
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8. Five String Serenade
The audience claps in recognition when Arthur announces the song. Like a number of these tracks, the audio is pretty good but not stellar.

The Garage, Highbury, London, UK, June 3, 1994.
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9. Que Vida!
What a pleasure to have a live version of this Da Capo track, an a nice version too. It’s controlled and brings some of the original vibe. After the song, Lee leaves and a chant begins.
__________
10. Arthur Lee audience chant

Irish Center, Leeds, UK, Aug. 27, 2002
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11. Listen to My Song
Good version with appreciative crowd, mostly acoustic.


12. My Anthem
Announced as a track on his next album, Lee gets into this bright rocker which tells a little about his time in England; “I went to England and I couldn’t refuse”. Nice driving track with horns and a good simple melody. Very nice addition to the catalog.

Academy, Birmingham, UK, Jan 23, 2003

13. Robert Montgomery
Surprisingly, this is the first appearance of the best track on Four Sail on this collection. Great band performance and vocal.

Motel Mozaique Festival Stadsschouwburg, Rotterdam, Netherlands

14. Smokestack Lightning
One of the old Love live staples, this includes Don Conka and Johnny Echols just like the earliest period of Love in 1965-66. A historical 8-minute treat to have. Lee also plays harmonica o this. It’s a good performance, nothing extraordinary.


House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA, Aug 19, 2003
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15. Rainbow in the Storm (written by Lee, Ramsey, Randle)
A light calypso rock track that might be able to fit on Da Capo which had a mixed bag of genres. It’s melody is one of the best in Lee’s later days and the song feels complete unlike “My Anthem” which might have been touched up a bit more in studio. It has nice guitar buildups and the arrangement works. It’s a very good track and one of the best to have in the whole collection.

William Aston Hall, Wrexham, UK, Mar, 16, 2004
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16. Singing Cowboy

Harmonica is brought out for this which is a nice touch considering this song has more live releases than almost anything. Baby Lemonade intro’s are midway into the song. At the end Lee requests the crowd to do one thing ‘love one another’, and the collection is completed.

Shepherds Bush, London, UK, Apr. 2, 2004.

(Baby Lemonade played on tracks 9-16.)

________________________________________
DISC 3: COMING THROUGH TO YOU: 2000’s: B+

DISC 4: COMING THROUGH TO YOU: A Fan’s View: B-

(Still essential for the hardcore fan.)
The most diverse of the discs, this has lots of odds and ends and is a great treasure trove for the hardcore Love fan, but it may not be for the casual fan. Most of the performances have less audio quality than disc 3 and some of the performances are not inspired. Yet many tracks here have not been released in a live form plus the new compositions ‘My Anthem’ and ‘Rainbow in a Storm’ are worth having. While not as good as ‘Five String Serenade’ or ‘That’s the Way It Goes’, these tracks are crucial to have considering Lee never released a studio album after 1992. Live versions are better than no versions. Some of the performances do disappoint but don’t severely diminish Love’s live reputation. “Que Vida” is another nice addition along with the material with Bryan MacLean and George Suranovich teaming up with Lee.


THE OVERALL COLLECTION: B
While the cover art, box and slipcases are all nice, colorful and well executed, there’s only a Robby Kreiger essay in the 20 page booklet plus some photos and the track info. It could have been a better booklet. Still I think this collection is worth having especially for the hardcore fan. Just about every track has been unreleased and many songs that can be found in a live version for the first time. In addition, the non-catalog live material, MacLean live tracks, and most recent Lee songs are mostly worthy of owning. For the casual fan, there’s plenty of great live music here though some of it may have slightly bad audio with a few tracks that may not explode off the stereo. The acoustic section of the collection is very enjoyable and overall Lee is terrific throughout. Hopefully this isn’t the last big Love release, -maybe we have Forever Changes 50 as as big beautiful boxset, but for now, this is a fine piece of Love.

 

I hadn't got wind of the box set, but it sounds like it has enough good content to justify a listen, maybe a purchase.

Incidentally, yesterday was 14 years since the Forever Changes concert at Festival Hall. Hard to believe it was that long ago - it all seems so vivid, still.

 

A big thank you to WilliamWes for such an informative and comprehensive review of the Coming Through To You box. It's a particularly special release for me, because I was present at two of the featured concerts (Cambridge on disc 3 and Shepherd's Bush on disc 4). In fact, it's my recording of Singing Cowboy from Shepherd's Bush that's included on disc 4, (although somewhere along the way, the left and right channels have been swapped and a bit of compression applied). It's a great honour to see it on an official Arthur Lee release.

 

Vindicator is one of Arthur's best and most confident artistic statements...and a comfort to those of us who were still grieving over Jimi at the time.

 

Does anyone know if the concert on this upcoming release is the same Royal Festival Hall concert previously released as 'The Forever Changes Concert'?

Complete Forever Changes Live

 

This is the setlist on the new release. It looks like Love Is More Than Words Or Better Late Than Never wasn't on the earlier release so maybe it's a different concert?

DOUBLE ALBUM

1. Alone Again Or
2. A House Is Not A Motel
3. Andmoreagain
4. The Daily Planet
5. Old Man
6. The Red Telephone
7. Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark And Hilldale
8. Live And Let Live
9. The Good Humor Man, He See Everything Like This
10. Bummer In The Summer
11. You Set The Scene
12. Your Mind And We Belong Together
13. 7 & 7 Is
14. August
15. Signed D.C.
16. Love Is More Than Words Or Better Late Than Never

 

Nice find.I have send an email, hope to get an answer.I already have the Royal Festival Hall on vinyl, hope this is a new one!

 

I e-mailed a few days ago but haven't heard back yet.

 

Just now (today) found this thread.
(up to pg 16)
I wanted to thank WilliamWes for starting it.
The day Arthur died was the day I made my first post here.........(remember it like it was yesterday)

 

According to Linda at IMWAN this is the Glasonbury concert from 2003 (?).

 

Thanks for that. I have to think now if I want it or not. I have it on cd but since I never play cd's at home anymore..

 

Love your TT, freed. So it is the same one we've had for years? The video too? A great concert, nonetheless.

 

I would love to see Glastonbury 2003 released on dvd/Blu Ray, personally. Not only was the performance fantastic, but seeing the band play in front of such a large crowd and appreciated on such a beautiful day just makes me smile.

 

I agree--that would be amazing.

 

I picked up 'Bryan MacLean - Ifyoubelievein' on cd a few weeks ago, there's some great material that deserved more than the demo treatment.. pretty unique at his best

 

Yes--I have the wonderful limited edition vinyl too with a 7" single included too. A wonderful vinyl release!

 

I`d Love to hear Baby Lemonade cover some/all of these tracks.

 

A talented a bunch of musicians for sure--that would be cool indeed! But with Johnny Echols too, please!

 

Probably, Scott

 

Glastonbury 2003 has never been released officially on cd or dvd. The cover photo is of Arthur in 1970 (!), but it states that the recording is from Glastonbury 2003. However, several of the songs listed were not played at Glastonbury 2003. Does anybody know what label is releasing this?

 

label is Rock Beat Records