Arthur Lee, R.I.P.

Brian Doherty | August 4, 2006

The auteur behind one of the most beautiful and stirring (and often brilliantly dark) works of popular music of the 20th century, the LP Forever Changes by his band Love, has died of leukemia. (He was also, incidentally, victim of a mindless application of California's "three strikes" law that had him sentenced to 8 to 12 years for firing a gun, illegally possessed, into the air. He only ended up serving six, and part of the charge was dismissed later because of prosecutorial misconduct.)

The album remains an endless source of wonder, ornate orchestrated psychedelia of a sort few could emulate or match, and standing on Sunset Blvd. on a warm-not-hot and gleaming blue Los Angeles late summer afternoon watching him and his latest incarnation of the band emit with joy and precision some of its best songs at Sunset Junction a few years back was, simply, a really great afternoon in my life, and thank you Mr. Lee. "This is the time and life that I am living/And I'll face each day with a smile/For the time that I've been given's such a little while/And the things that I must do consist of more than style/There are places that I am going/There'll be time for you to start all over/This is the time and this is the time and/It is time, time, time, time, time...."

Comments

|8.4.06 @ 11:51AM|#

Thanks for posting this. Arthur Lee was a genius and Forever Changes will always be in my Top 10.

Nick Gillespie|8.4.06 @ 12:46PM|#

Forever Changes may well have been the first album truly recorded in color.

The Wine Commonsewer|8.4.06 @ 12:49PM|#

I have a mint copy of Love's debut album on vinyl and I'm the original owner. Unfortunately, I don't have Forever Changes.

|8.4.06 @ 1:59PM|#

I'm bummed. Arthur Lee and Love have come through Cleveland a number of times and I kept telling myself I'll see them one of these days. Guess not, after all. My list of deceased musicians whom I have never seen perform due to fault of my own is increasing, and I am not happy about it. RIP.

|8.4.06 @ 2:15PM|#

Well the snot has caked against my pants
it has turned into crystal
there's a bluebird singing on my ranch
guess I'll take my pistol
'cause it's on my land
etc.

Long live Arthur Lee -- if you don't have "Forever Changes" download it tonight and play it in his honor.

Mike Laursen|8.4.06 @ 4:03PM|#

Will just say that Bryan MacLean's songs on Forever Changes are pretty good.

|8.4.06 @ 5:01PM|#

Alone Again Or... is a masterpiece. Free Arthur Lee.

The Wine Commonsewer|8.4.06 @ 7:12PM|#

Smacky, I whined about all the bands I never saw. And then when they got back together and toured. I still never saw them. And I can afford it now.