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Rating: THE REVIEW
I might be biased. I will not be objective in this review.
This is the album that personally opened up fabulous universes for me, so this review is an affectionate tribute to this debut work by Arthur Lee & Brian McLean. An album practically forgotten, the debut of Love. Overshadowed by various Revolver, Surrealistic Pillow, The Doors, and Mr. Tambourine Man. When you think of the absolute masterpieces of the following year, this album practically disappears.
I consider the first album by Love an (unconscious) masterpiece. More than any other album of that period, it holds within itself a very rare genuineness, a sunlit beauty in every single track. Supported by the extraordinary voices of Arthur Lee and Brian McLean (discover him as a unique author), the album is a "different" fresco of the summer of Love on the horizon. The garage sound does not detract from the infinite sweetness of tracks like "A Message to Pretty" (masterpiece), Mushroom Clouds. The immature experimentation of "Emotions," the sunlit psychedelia of "Can't Explain." The shadows of "Signed D.C" (another masterpiece) and "My Little Red Book." Up to the album's "hit," that "Hey Joe" second only to the version by the guitarist from Seattle (a close friend of Arthur Lee).
An album that once listened to will radically insinuate itself among all those who loved the first two LPs by the Byrds and Jefferson. It did not sell well. Not even the next one did better. Only "Forever Changes" will be remembered. But none of the subsequent albums (except for the amazing and equally forgotten "Out There") will know how to repeat such simplicity of sound and equivalent beauty.
One last note.
The following year saw the vinyl debut of a group led by a gentleman named Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett. The album opened with "Astronomy Domine" (a peak of pure art). The track also opened "Ummagumma" in '69. Well, this track was nothing more than an elaboration of "My Little Red Book." The producer of Pink Floyd asked Barrett to play a Love track, and he started with the piece. Thus, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" came to light.
The debut of Love remains for me the brightest ray in the entire history of rock.
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Summary by Bot
This passionate review highlights the debut album 'Love' by Arthur Lee and Brian McLean as a rare and genuine psychedelic rock masterpiece. Despite being overshadowed by more famous albums of the era, it offers sunlit beauty and notable tracks like 'A Message to Pretty' and 'Signed D.C.' The album's garage sound enhances rather than detracts, creating a unique summer-of-love vibe. It's praised as an essential listen for fans of early Byrds and Jefferson Airplane. The review also notes its influence on Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett.
Love
Love was a Los Angeles rock band led by Arthur Lee, active in the 1960s and beyond, celebrated for blending psychedelia, garage rock, and eclectic influences. Their 1967 album “Forever Changes” is widely regarded as their defining work, notable for its orchestral arrangements and tense, melancholic atmosphere.11 Reviews
