I’ve been wanting to write about Arthur Lee and LOVE for quite sometime now. Ever since Big Steve C turned me on, to what I believe, was the musical nexus for progressive music: from all the jazz, blues, folk and early rock-and-roll that came before – to EVERYTHING that came after. Big Steve actually tried to turn me onto LOVE about-6-years-ago – and I relegated the Arthur “Live in England” DVD and Forever Changes CD to: my “will listen to some day” pile of stuff.
And then, last year – I read Arthur’s obituary in the L.A. Times and was sufficiently inspired to pull out the aforementioned recordings (I had the dubious pleasure of informing a surprised Big Steve of Arthur’s demise) and…haven’t stopped listening to LOVE since! They are the mother lode; the loadstone; and, the keystone to the music we look to for answers. I have heard their influence on any group of musical consequence – and, while not surprised that these bands do NOT acknowledge LOVE’s influence on them (and what they pilfered from LOVE) – I am more stunned at myself – for over forty years of rock listening…and…NEVER being exposed to Arthur and LOVE.
I feel poor, and wealthy; at-the-same-time. I feel wealth because I finally discovered that connection that explains the inspiration, rhythms and chord progressions of bands far to numerous to mention (y’all know who you are [especially those British groups who heard Arthur & LOVE in ’65 and ’66 in Lost Angeles and thought no one would ever realize what they took home with them]): we know now. I feel impoverished because Andrew Hultkrans did far more justice to Arthur & Co, in his 33-and-a-1/3: Forever Changes — than I will ever be able to (Hell! I haven’t even been able to locate ‘Da Capo’ yet!! [Though I’ve heard much of it on the anthologies). I can only hope that Andrew H. will render my musical meanderings some day. Ya never know!
And so…why do I admire Arthur Lee so much? Is it because his contemporaries acknowledged him as a genius? Certainly that is part of it. Is it because he “pushed the envelope” with his music? That is definitely a-part-of-his-mystique for me — because even though Arthur is said to have been inspired by THE BYRDS – Arthur’s compositions seem so organically developed and seamless – that I can’t imagine THE BYRD’s influence on Arthur being more than a touchstone. Rather, I believe I admire Arthur most because he was a control freak (like myself), and like me – his controlling nature drove him into isolationism (not unlike myself), and, creativity.
I wouldn’t deign to suggest that my compositions are comparable to Arthur’s – (though I’m sure I’ve inadvertently it’s more of his controlling nature that I am interested in at this juncture. From my research and readings to date – it seems that Arthur Lee knew exactly what he was going for – and “copped the proverbial attitude” when his vision was stymied! I appreciate that in him – because I appreciate it in myself. As-a-matter-of-fact – I’m pretty sure that my twain divorces occurred when I gave up on controlling them when they also realized that they could never control me. Human nature is peculiar that way…