Love
For many, the doyens of Los Angeles progressive rock in the '60s, brilliantly erratic and producers of one of the finest rock albums ever made: FOREVER CHANGES. Love were formed in 1965 as the Grass Roots by Bryan Maclean (b. 1947 Los Angeles, California, USA; guitar/vocals), Arthur Lee (b. 1945, Memphis, Tennessee, USA; guitar/vocals), John Echols (b. 1945, Memphis, Tennessee, USA; lead guitar). Don Conka (drums) and Johnny Fleckenstein were soon replaced by Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer (b. 1947, Switzerland) and Ken Forssi (b. 1943, Cleveland, Ohio, USA). They become the first rock band to be signed by the expanding Elektra Records, just beating the Doors by a whisker. Their debut single was Burt Bacharach and Hal David's My Little Red Book, in a different form from the way the writers imagined it. Love were an instant sensation on the LA club scene, outrageous, loud, innovative and stoned. The furiously energetic 7 And 7 Is was released in the summer of 1966 and became their second hit. Although The Castle on DA CAPO pointed to a new direction it was FOREVER CHANGES that put them in the history books. That album, 25 years later, is still found on most critics' recommended list and no comprehensive record collection should be without it. It is a superlative record, unassumingly brilliant, gentle, biting and full of surprises. It proved to be Arthur Lee's finest work and marked the end of the partnership with Bryan Maclean. A new Love featuring Lee, Frank Fayad (bass), Jay Donnellan (guitar) and the drumming pyrotechnics of George Suranovitch, proved to be the most stable line-up and lasted for two albums. Both records contained rare glimpses of FOREVER CHANGES, but ultimately they were bitter disappointments. FALSE START featured few memorable moments, one being a guitar solo from Jimi Hendrix. REEL TO REAL is a truly wretched affair. The long-held opinion that Arthur Lee had become a casualty of too many chemicals was strengthened throughout the '70s, '80s and '90s with various stories chronicling his erratic and eccentric behaviour. Many attempts to resurrect his career have faltered, although there are hopeful signs that his comeback started in 1992 will be more lasting.