Love
The Forever Changes Concert

THE REVIEW

Six years in prison is a long time. Time passes slowly, damnably slow, with a thousand thoughts in one's head, torments, moments of despair, of weakness. You also have all the time to think about your past, evaluate positives or negatives, and a sense of revenge surfaces, a feverish desire to get out and rise again, to embrace your instrument and bring out the best in yourself in front of the world... Of course, I can only imagine this, having never been to prison, and I hope it never happens, who knows, but I think this was the state of mind of Arthur Lee during that period.

Back in 1967, Lee was only 22 years old and with his band, Love, brought to light his most profound and important work, the album "Forever Changes," now considered a "masterpiece" by industry insiders and music enthusiasts in general. At the time, however, no one paid attention to it; in the era of the "summer of love," of cheerful, happy, carefree music, few or none noticed the beauty of this work, which indeed sold very little and was only later reevaluated and elevated to a great album. Well-crafted songs, well-played, but surrounded by a deep sense of melancholy, uncertainty, that stood apart from the lifestyle and thinking of the youth of that period; moreover, the album was poorly promoted live, with few dates and few songs from the album performed live by the band, mainly due to Lee's desire not to stray too far from Los Angeles and surroundings, afraid of not being able to easily obtain heroin, which he (like the others in the band) was a heavy user of.

Out of prison in 2001, Lee wanted to get back in the game, get on stage, and bring his magnum opus to light, having fun and leaving a bad period of his life behind. He hired a band, the Baby Lemonade, excellent musicians who had always loved and appreciated Love's music, and a Swedish orchestral section, directed by composer Gunnar Norden, eager to finally tour the entire album around the world, something never done before. The concerts started in England, precisely with the date at Milton Keynes, an ideal choice as it was in that country that the album reached number 24 on the chart, the best position the work ever achieved, while the date recorded to later appear on the disc was the one at the Royal Festival Hall on January 15.

Lee and company were greeted with great applause as they took the stage; Lee thanks the audience, and the band immediately starts with the initial acoustic arpeggio of "Alone Again Or," a wonderful opening song, characterized by the soft singing of the leader, enriched by the great work of the orchestral section, the mariachi brass, and the band's excellent work that faithfully reproduces the studio original. "A House Is Not A Motel" begins with its powerful progression, revitalized by a wonderful guitar interplay between Lee and the precise Squeezebox, who also launches into a powerful solo that delights the audience. The delicacy and purity of "Andmoreagain" are, in my view, exceptional; soft, enveloping, delicate, and sung in a heartfelt and vivid manner by the Memphis musician, an exceptional performer with a voice worthy of the golden years of the past. Lee, always as thin as a rail and visibly aged from a life always lived to the fullest, seems rejuvenated and revitalized by being on stage doing what he does best; he sings the songs with heart, always with that desire to astonish and enchant the audience present, who cheer and love him. "The Red Telephone," another classic track from the album, appears even better in live version, as does the masterful "Live And Let Live". After the carefree "Bummer In The Summer," it's time for the fantastic "You Set The Scene," which starting with a brisk rhythm, transforms into a delicate ballad from another time; the pace slows, the song transforms and unfolds on different paths, the work of the horns and violins is excellent, nothing is left to chance, all well-studied and exciting. There's still time for other band classics, "Seven And Seven Is," one of the highlights of the album "Da Capo," and "My Little Red Book," a historic Bacharach track already present on the Love's self-titled debut album, always performed impeccably by the various musicians.

I can only recommend you to seek out this album, very well done and faithful to the studio original, touching, emotional, conveying joy but at the same time that positive melancholy that enhances the songs. Lee died a few years later from an incurable and violent illness, but the legacy left to us is enormous, and for this, as fans of good music, we will be forever grateful...