LOVE "Forever Changes", one of my favorite albums of all time.

Hey Koz,

Does "Always See Your Face" still have that distortion I've been hearing since '69? That's the one cut Inglot couldn't improve upon, must have been on the master that way....always sounded a bit odd....

ED

 

The post FC Love I want to hear is the session with Hendrix. The Everlasting First underwhelms but there is supposed to be more stuff from that day that hasn't seen the light of day including a version of Jimi's Ezy Ryder. Lee himself claims that the session was videotaped FWIW....

I agree with Ed. That distortion on Always See Your Face bugs me too. A shame since it's one of Lee's better FC songs. IMO all of Four Sail and Out There sound pretty
ropey.
Chris

 

Hi Ed,
I'll have to check, I don't remember any distortion on anything, but I don't go by my memory much these days.

MCA's One Way label but out a CD of some later Love's stuff, which I also like very much. I can remember the name of the title right now. I'll get back with you on that. I think the CD is OOP!! Does the title "Out There" sound familiar? I think that might be it. Jimi Hendrix is on some of the songs and there is a re-recording of "Signed D.C."

 

The distortion is on every copy that has ever been made. What bothers you about it?

 

Actually, the only cut Jimi is on is The Everlasting First from the False Start LP.

Chris

 

Thanks, Chris!

 

"the '70s solo A&M Lp VINDICATOR vindicated nothing(easily forgotten)"



I think that Arthur Lee's "Vindicator" is an excellent hard rock LP, and has nothing to do with the Love sound. IMO, it was an Arthur Lee solo release, and should not be judged with the earlier classic Love LPs. I'm sure that Arthur Lee could have released "Vindicator" under the Love name, but he chose not to.




Ed Hurdle
HeavyDistortion

 

With all due respect, Ed--and the merits of VINDICATOR notwithstanding--Arthur Lee is Love, and Love is Arthur Lee....he was the leader from the beginning, to now, the rare solo credits beside the point...always the boss, except for three albums where he had musicians who rivaled his talent, challenged him to be great, and for a time, he was.... Fascinating man, full of ego and stange notions. A genius in his fashion, like Captain Beefheart.

Lee's curse is the first three Elektra albums. Granted, the debut has some repetitive elements, but for L.A. neo-garage, still a great listen, arguably the best of the lot. DA CAPO was a tour de force of singles(Side 1)and extended jamming(Side 2). FOREVER CHANGES needs no further comment, while FOUR SAIL had some strong material, but his band was too conventional and straightforward to make anything terribly unique out of it(its pleasures come mainly from Lee; there's no MacLean or Echols here). The Blue Thumb recordings veer wildly all over the place; not a lot of unity. VINDICATOR rocks, yes, but then, we always knew Lee could rock. Better than FALSE START or OUT HERE, perhaps, but that is faint praise. The RSO album is a disaster, utterly self-indulgent and aimless. A few good songs wasted....even so, nice to see him back in action after lo these many years....comforting, really, that he's still with us.


ED

 

Well said Ed. I totally agree that most of the magic was lost when the original band disbanded after the Your Mind and We Belong Together/Laughing Stock 45 flopped. I just wish there was more material from the classic lineup. I've heard strong rumors from people that know these things that a soundboard recording of one of the original bands last gigs exists. Anyone know anything about this? AFAIK there are NO live tapes of the original lineup in circulation....

Chris

 

I played that most recent Rhino Love comp a little while ago....FC is one of those rare albums, like ASTRAL WEEKS, that never grows old or tired...and gets played at least once a month at this address. Can't believe it was 36 years ago this month it made Billboard's charts...and while it didn't get any higher than #150 and spent only three months on the chart, never went out of print, from then to now, which is farily incredible(and also true of AW, which didn't chart at all!)


ED

 

Well said, Ed. Amazing album!

 

I just read Steve's opening post for this thread again, and I agree, this CD is wonderful. I love it, though it takes time to grow on you.

 

My local record shop had FC on Electra (sp) for $15. Is their any reason to have this over the Sundazed lp? Besides having an original copy that is.

 

Great question. Anyone know the answer? Was the distortion intentional?

Chris

 

Or so the story goes, when asked "What is Jazz?" Louie Armstrong replied "If you have to ask, you ain't never gonna know..."

 

It does an old geezer's heart good to see so much interest expressed in Forever Changes and Love. Back in the day both My Little Red Book from the lst album and 7 & 7 Is from Da Capo made top forty rotation on the rock station KEWI nearby in Topeka, Kansas. I agree on the first three albums being the essentials but Four Sail is still pretty decent and most artists should be so lucky as to create one timeless gem such as Forever Changes.

 

I've tried so hard to find an oscillator tone on my German Elektra CD of FC, but I doubt there is one. I did an extraction and zoomed in the wave (in Samplitude) milliseconds before the tracks start - played the quiet left channel of the beginning at full volume. There is noise, there is hum, but... where is this tone? I listened with Headphones (AKG 240 DF), and my ears are still quite intact.
Or maybe the European Elektra is different?? Anyway, I ordered the remaster...

Martin

 

You guys mention this tone when talking about Forever Changes.. I've not heard the album yet ( ) but I'm intrigued. What's this tone and how did it get there?

Cheers

 

question for steve

what about the version of "forever changes" on the "love story" box? how does that stack up in your opinion? if i remember correctly, that box set included the entire "fc" album.
my apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere. i can't seem to find it anywhere on the forum.
thanks in advance.
bob

 

Re: question for steve

Here's my take on the quality of the various CD versions:

From Worst To Best:

First issue
Version on Love Story
New remaster
Steve Hoffman's new SACD (just wishing )