Love - Love Songs: An Anthology of Arthur Lee’s Love, 1966 – 1969

  by Nicky Crewe

published: 17 / 11 / 2014

Label: Salvo Music
Format: CD X2

intro

Essential double CD compilation from 60’s psychedelic group Love, which combines together tracks from their first four albums, including all of their classic third record, ‘Forever Changes'

My first proper boyfriend introduced me to Love. Barely teenagers, we met at a Small Faces concert, shared our first kiss outside the Hollies boutique in Manchester and managed to build a friendship based on a shared passion for music whilst living on opposite sides of the city. This sometimes involved him playing me records over the phone, a red telephone (really!) in the hall at my parents’ house. What a strange thought nowadays with Spotify playlists, Soundcloud and You Tube. But I know my love of Arthur Lee’s Love started with him. How he discovered this psychedelic Californian pop music I don’t know. The opportunities were very limited. If I was a mathematician I’d invent an equation to explain how music heard at a certain age, with particular emotional associations, becomes hard wired for the rest of your life. Something along the lines of: Age + impressionability + number of times heard + quality + location + company + psychedelic substances (optional) + desire to be an outsider = Love. Do people still experience music like this? That’s how I feel about this band. I loved the photos of the handsome young musicians, the distinctive lettering of their logo, the wordplay of their album titles, ‘Four Sail’ and ‘Da Capo’. The psychedelic portraits on the cover of ‘Forever Changes’ are now instantly recognisable. The music is a heady mix of baroque pop. and Byrds and Beatles influences all spun through a psychedelic kaleidoscope of surreal and poetic lyrics. There was nothing quite like it then and there isn’t now. It’s timeless and forever relevant. This is a 2CD compilation with all of ‘Forever Changes’, and the best of ‘Love’, ‘Da Capo ‘and ‘Four Sail’, accompanied by a 16 page booklet full of information, artwork and iconic photos. It’s a gift of love. Play ‘Alone Again Or’ down the phone to someone you care about.

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