« We're driving Japan crazy | Main | Who are those four guys and why are their horses glaring at me? » allmusic: tribute to Arthur LeeIf my homage to the late Arthur Lee piqued your interest and you want to learn more about him, check out allmusic.com's tribute. Twenty years later, it's hard to believe that any list of the greatest albums of all time would not include Forever Changes, which is a testament not only to the strength of the album but to how Love's reputation has only grown over time. And frankly, although they are a band that captured the sunny, hazy vibe of the Summer of Love, they seem to be a band that was almost designed to be appreciated at a later date. Their music seems to float out of time -- there are strands of folk-rock, garage rock, and of course psychedelia, yet they don't comfortably fit into any of those styles. They were too mystic for folk-rock and never were as earnest as the folkies, either. They could rock hard, as the rampaging "Seven & Seven Is" proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, but they were also too beautiful and precious to be categorized as just a garage band. And while they certainly were a mind trip to hear -- they dove head first into side-long explorations, like "Revelations" on Da Capo -- the lush orchestrations of Forever Changes are far removed from roiling acid rock, as was the irrepressible cheerful vibe of "¡Que Vida!" for that matter. Love was simply like no other band and that's why it's easier to marvel at their achievements from a distance; separated from the time and judged on the music alone, it's easier to hear how they were special, and even if you can wonder why any of their first three albums weren't huge hits (and there were good reasons why, chief among them their lack of touring), you kind of know that music this unique is better heard at a later date. jon posted this at 3:07 PM |
read weblogsky! latest posts: |
