Love With Arthur Lee Play Brighton Dome On Mon 20th Jan
Published 3rd Jan 2003 by Alison@c2

*Concorde 2 special *
Monday 20th Jan Concorde 2 presents Love with Arthur Lee 'The Forever Changes Concert' @ Brighton Dome. Following a wonderful & reverent sell-out show at Concorde 2, Arthur & crew return to Brighton, this time at the Dome. 7.30pm. Tickets: from ?18 for gold circle to ?12 others, available from Dome Box Office: 01273 709709.

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Love was the first rock band to be signed by the, then, mainly folk music record label, Elektra Records. The release of their first single in 1966, a cover of Burt Bacharach and Hal David?s ?My Little Red Book?, brought unprecedented attention to both the label and the band. Arthur Lee?s charismatic performing style and Love?s unique musical and experimental pop qualities soon became the talk of Los Angeles and the very hip Sunset Strip club scene. Their creative impact on other artists from the mid 1960-s far outweighs the commercial success achieved in Love?s brief but highly productive heyday. In fact, Love was mainly responsible for getting the Doors signed to Elektra. They were also the first multiracial rock band of the psychedelic era, and their music was appropriately diverse; acoustic folk, electric blues-rock, symphonic pop, and jazz-tinged balladry represented their repertoire. Arthur Lee and Love captured the look, sound and attitude of a society in transition.

Although Love experienced many personnel changes over the course of its career and released five albums on Elektra, the original formation delivered three uniquely styled albums to Elektra between 1966 and 1967. All three are classics in their own right. The first album, LOVE, featured the band in its more raw form, featuring their hit single as well as a cover of ?Hey Joe?, the Byrd-like ?My Flash on You? and the dark, drug-laden ?Signed DC?. The bands second album, DA CAPO, further showed off Arthur Lee?s development of more complex arrangements and instrumentation, and included Love classic?s such as ?Stephanie Knows Who?, ?She Comes in Colors? and one of the most the incendiary rock tracks ever recorded, ?7 and 7 Is?.

However, it is Love?s third effort that is considered Arthur Lee?s finest achievement. Simply speaking, FOREVER CHANGES is one of the most revered and influential pop albums in the history of recorded music, usually spoken of in the same breath as ?Pet Sounds? and ?Sgt. Peppers?. Originally released in 1967, it features Love at their most complex and accessible with the flamenco-tinged classic ?Alone Again Or? and runs the gamut of from churning rock (?A House is Not a Motel?) to bright, upbeat pop (?The Daily Planet?) and Dylanesque folk-country (?Bummer in the Summer?).

The respected re-issue label; Rhino Records/Warners, has recently released FOREVER CHANGES in an expanded, re-mastered format with extra bonus tracks and extensive liner notes by Mojo?s Ben Edmonds. All of Elektra?s five Love albums have been re-mastered for re-release. Earlier in 2002, Rhino re-issued DA CAPO. Love?s fourth Elektra recording, FOUR SAIL will be released in October 2002, completing the release of the four original Love Elektra recordings. A new ?Best of? collection is currently being readied for a later release date.

And now, both the newly initiated and forever faithful fans will be able to experience Arthur Lee and his band, Love finally re-creating ?Forever Changes? in its entirety and for the first time, ever. These shows promise to be the concerts of the new year.

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