I began listening to Love in April 2021.
Love (1966): C+
De Capo (1966): B-
Forever Changes (1967): B+
Four Sail (1969): C
Love (1966):
Arthur Lee is obviously a character and his pompous attitude makes me wonder if his personal life is more turbulent than Jim Morrison. Usually, I find him annoying. Both his lyricism and vocal delivery certainly have potential but Lee hasn't been in the business long enough to have any sense of what he's best at, leading this rather clunky folk-rock group to only competently execute one song: the quiet "Signed D.C." Besides it, the band sounds most convincing when they're blatantly ripping off the Byrds. C+
De Capo (1966):
Now that the band has shed their Byrds' influence and turned up the experimental and psychedelic aspects of their music, Lee's vocals sounds much more pleasant and thoughtful. Although I occasionally cringe at the prominent flute, side one is full of strong melodies and lyrics with "Que Vida" and "7 and 7 is" being truly excellent examples of 60s psychedelic music. Side two is made up of only one song: the 19 minute cross of rock and jazz "Revelation," which was quite revolutionary and novel for its time. Although it's not impossible to sit through, the directionless and boring jam is ultimately responsible for the relatively low grade. B-
Forever Changes (1967):
Despite finding a plausible and original take on the 60s psychedelic movement on their sophomore record, the band sharply changes directions on their third LP. To some extent, I wish they hadn't--I didn't like the flute on De Capo, but my tolerance for the consistent (but not overpowering) use of orchestration on this record burns out by the second half of the record. Still, when the songwriting is there, musically and lyrically, the songs are as irresistible as many people think this whole album is. Though Lee and MacLean's lyrics criticizing the Vietnam War and the hippie movement are convincing, my burn-out for the orchestration is enhanced by the fact that the second half of the album compiles of weaker melodies--the weakest two being stretched beyond the five minute mark. B+
Four Sail (1969):
On Forever Changes, Arthur's disillusionment from the hippie movement helped him concentrate his vision and write some timeless songs. Now, he seems to be enjoying himself with an entirely new band--it's always fun to make a record full of bombastic guitar, isn't it?--which, in theory, should supply a fruitful environment for recording and creativity. But it only takes two listens to realize all those long solos are meant to distract us from any decent songwriting. C
