LOVE: FOREVER CHANGES
I know that maybe some of you will disagree with this, but I truly believe that this album deserves a place in the best Rock albums of all times!
Let's see some info about it...
"Forever Changes" was released in November 1967 and it was Love's third album. Upon its release it wasn't significantly successful, but in the years to come it will be recognized as one of the finest albums that came out during the "Summer of Love". It reached No.24 in the UK album charts, but failed to enter into the Hot 100 album charts in the USA. But a few years later it would be praised both from critics and music magazines, and on many occasions the word 'masterpiece' would be used when it comes to this album. The Rolling Stone magazine gave 5/5 stars, whilst Mojo magazine named it "as the second greatest psychedelic album of all times". Also in Virgin's "All time Top-1000 albums catalog" published in 1998 it writes: "For anybody not familiar with this record it is unconditionally recommended as one of the greatest albums ever made".
The title of the album came from a story that a friend of Arthur Lee told him once. (Arthur Lee was the definite leader of the band). When he was breaking up with his long-time girlfriend, she told him "You said you would love me forever!" and he replied "Well, forever changes". Arthur Lee said that since the band's name was Love, the original full title would be "Love Forever Changes".
At first the album meant to be produced by Bruce Botnick and Neil Young, but Young bowed out due his commitments to Buffalo Springfield. So Arthur Lee took his place in the production.
The album had the support of a full orchestra with strings and horns, something unusual in the psychedelic scene of the '60's, but that was something that was on Arthur Lee's mind from the start.
The album opens with the song that meant to be one of the most famous songs in Rock, and for sure Love's biggest hit through the years. This is no other than "Alone again or". In the years to come many artists and bands will made cover versions of this song; with the most famous being the ones by UFO and Calexico.
Most of the songs in the album are romantic and melancholic melodies, and the lyrics are in many occasions referring to personal every day life experience. For example, in the opening song of the B side "Between Clark and Hilldale" Arthur Lee sings "Here they will always play my songs". The song refers to the famous club Whisky a Go Go (8901 Sunset Boulevard) that was located on the strip between the streets Clark and Hilldale.
Closing this, it is worth mentioning that in Love's double cd compilation released in 1995, the album "Forever Changes" is included in its entirety.
In the following video you can listen to the song "Maybe the People Would Be the Tımes or Between Clark and Hilldale" (What a title eh?)
I know that maybe some of you will disagree with this, but I truly believe that this album deserves a place in the best Rock albums of all times!
Let's see some info about it...
The title of the album came from a story that a friend of Arthur Lee told him once. (Arthur Lee was the definite leader of the band). When he was breaking up with his long-time girlfriend, she told him "You said you would love me forever!" and he replied "Well, forever changes". Arthur Lee said that since the band's name was Love, the original full title would be "Love Forever Changes".
At first the album meant to be produced by Bruce Botnick and Neil Young, but Young bowed out due his commitments to Buffalo Springfield. So Arthur Lee took his place in the production.
The album had the support of a full orchestra with strings and horns, something unusual in the psychedelic scene of the '60's, but that was something that was on Arthur Lee's mind from the start.
The album opens with the song that meant to be one of the most famous songs in Rock, and for sure Love's biggest hit through the years. This is no other than "Alone again or". In the years to come many artists and bands will made cover versions of this song; with the most famous being the ones by UFO and Calexico.
Most of the songs in the album are romantic and melancholic melodies, and the lyrics are in many occasions referring to personal every day life experience. For example, in the opening song of the B side "Between Clark and Hilldale" Arthur Lee sings "Here they will always play my songs". The song refers to the famous club Whisky a Go Go (8901 Sunset Boulevard) that was located on the strip between the streets Clark and Hilldale.
Closing this, it is worth mentioning that in Love's double cd compilation released in 1995, the album "Forever Changes" is included in its entirety.
In the following video you can listen to the song "Maybe the People Would Be the Tımes or Between Clark and Hilldale" (What a title eh?)
I was never really a fan of Love but some of their songs are really nice , my favorite is A house is not a motel by far .
ReplyDeleteUFO had made a cover of "alone again or" on lights out album
Is a nice cover version, but it is very similar to the original song.
ReplyDeleteOnly the orchestra and horns parts are missing actually...