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Arthur Lee R.I.P.

Arthur Lee has passed away. If you don't know who he was he was the guitarist and songwriter for the band Love which came out of L.A. in the mid 60's. Love was a band that never got it's due and imo if you match their early discs with stuff by The Who it would stand up very well.
In my youth growing up in California I and many of my friends use to go to his house in Laurel Canyon and hang out there. He was a very retrospective individual who was always wrapped up into his own thoughts. Check out the offerings Forever Changes or a greatest hits package Revisited. His solo album Vindicator is worth checking out too. All the Love albums are available on 180 gram vinyl at the sundazed Records website. Goodbye old friend and thank you for a place to veg out and stare at a lava lamp or blacklight poster or two.
Peace.
qdrone
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
Don't forget "False Start" (Blue Thumb) either, but for me the first three on Elektra are definitely the DID's of the bunch. "Revisited" was also a nice single-disk retrospective on that label, but can't contain enough material to make it more than an overview introduction for the unitiated. I haven't heard the Sundazed reissues, which I believe are remixed.
qdrone OP
1,039 posts
 
The Sundazed LP's are excellent. I put my original pressing of Revisited up against the Sundazed 180 pressing and it was neck and neck. Of course I adusted the VTA but the Sundazed has more bass(and less scratches) and as with all the Sundazed offerings they are done with tubes. There worth owning the first three for sure. I wish they would do "Violater" Arthur's first solo album. I see it on Ebay sometimes and it is very good, more consistant than the later Love recordings. I have a Test Pressing given to me by Arthur thats sounds great. He never got the reconizition he earned or the royalties he deserved either for that matter.
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
Earlier I wrote, 'Don't forget "False Start" either'. Would it be too disrespectful of Arthur's memory so soon after his passing if I amended that? Well, permission to forget granted -- after having spent the past few days spinning primarily Love, I concluded the reason I haven't played this particular album in years is because I really don't care for it. His previous Blue Thumb effort, the double-LP "Out Here" -- which I admit I hadn't listened to in too long as well -- has close to one album's worth of very solid songs on it, and condensed would be about as good as "Four Sail", the last of the Elektra albums.

Speaking of which, I guess now I've got to acknowledge that the condition of a couple of my original Elektras could be better -- especially "Forever Changes" -- so maybe I'll check out some of the Sundazed reissues after all. I also see that Rhino/WEA has a 2-CD box set collection (that includes "FC" in its entirety) entitled "Love Story". That could be an outstanding purchase for any of the curious unacquainted who may be lurking and dig mid-60's psych and pop-rock (that means you, fans of period Beatles, Stones, Byrds, Beach Boys, Doors, Airplane, etc.!).
qdrone OP
1,039 posts
 
Rhino released a greatest hits in 2003 that is was a good representation of what the band was about.The sound is a little bass shy but you would not be disapointed with the Sundazed offerings. Try to find a copy of "Vindicator" Lee's first solo album and the only one worth owning. It sounds alot like Hendrix and Trower thrown into a blender.Good stuff and it holds up well.
Oh what a dish
she smelt just like a fish
I fell for her
hook line and sinker.
from "Vindicator"
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