Da Capo

I listened and now I can die

This album sounds the way wet socks feel.

Somehow this reminds me of what The Doors would have sounded like without Ray Manzerak and not as into drugs.

The coolest things about this album might be Neanderthal Han solo on the cover. This shit sucks.

Required a couple of listens but this was an excellent record that seems heaps far ahead of its time. Orange Skies is such a beautiful tune and easily my highlight, sounds like it could've been released yesterday. Revelation is a big old journey which I especially loved the last 8 minutes of, closing out a track with a drum solo is prime time.

This band is listed as "psychedelic rock" which ... isn't wrong, exactly. But it's also not entirely right. At times, it feels very Stones and at times, it feels like early punk but with more skill. It was like the best of psychedelia and the best of punk and it was really enjoyable... mostly. I loved it up until the last track which got very self-indulgent and then the vocalist just sorta started screaming... not the best experience and it did kill what was going to be a 5 star review. Still a good album, though.

At once frightfully earnest and obtusely satirical, they aim for bonkers and hit their target right in the ghoulies. The quiddling lyrics, frenetic drumming, and puckish pipe-blowing play their part, but it wouldn't be anywhere near as successful--or listenable--if they weren't incorrigible melodists. That means there's always a firm point from which to depart from on one of their zigzags. They find the temptation to return irresistible, too, even if the melody has changed after they've returned from outer space. Also: One more for the small pile of albums where the stupidly long closer is rather good.

El reverso barroco del Forever Changes, igualmente psicodélico, con toques jazz, sobre todo en la Jam final de 18 minutos, Revelation. Fantástico.

Gran disco con una Cara B completamente fuera de si. Tiene un poco de psicodelia, jazz, folk, garaje... I like it.

Solid late 60’s psych/garage. Definitely of its time. Fans of The Velvet Underground and Can will probably find something to like here, especially of the more garage-y tracks like ‘Seven and Seven Is’ and the side long ‘Revelation’.

This band is sweet, kind of proto-punk, while staying within that 60s garage rock vibe. The sound seems ahead of its time for sure, and they wrote a lot of songs that survived into relevancy after all these years.

Can not fathom why this record is considered for this list. Nothing stood out and then the never ending final song sunk whatever meager positive feelings and goodwill the record had managed to generate.

Wow this is quite an album… I loved the 60s feel, then at the end “Revelation” goes totally wild… 19 minutes of groovy goodness! I love that this project is serving up some really amazing 60s music that I have never heard of before.

As I lay here listening to Da Capo, I wonder why this uncomplicated poppy 60s fayre has been included on the list. At which point Seven and Seven Is starts being a pre-punk, pre-surf punk delight that genuinely surprises me by being from 1966. We then go straight back to uncomplicated 60s pop fayre that - wait a minute - is actually complicated quite a lot by an awesome bassline and some tempo variations that I proper was not expecting. Thumbs up.

Short songs but with a lot of quality except for the last song which is long and at some point it could boring, however in general it's an album that I enjoyed a lot, relaxing but with a lot of energy.

Love is great, though I’ve never heard this particular record before. “Stephanie Knows Who” is a whirlwind of several music styles and approaches. Folk, Baroque, proto-funk, proto-punk, garage rock. Arthur Lee’s energy is infectious. “Orange Skies” has a nice classic 60’s vibe as it starts, reminding me of Peggy Lee and other 60’s loungey jazz-inflected pop. Though the songs on this album evoke other musical styles, the result is something especially unique and unparalleled in style and vibe. “Que Vida” is especially lyric-forward, introducing a collection of questions with the exception of the last verse which ends in an assertion about death. We move from loungey 60’s pop to garage roc/proto-punk on 7 and 7 is! So 7 and 7 is certainly 14, though I’m not sure what else the title could be referring to based on the lyrics. Lee is known for expressing societal and philosophical truths in his lyrics, though this one is especially hidden. From what I’ve heard thus far, “The Castle” is my favorite of this record. The acoustic guitar riff is lovely, the lyrics are engaging, and the harpsichord is a fun witty harkening back to times in which there were castles. Again, “She Comes in Colors” has great lyrics and a unique yet accessible melody. Lastly, we have “Revelation” which is 18 minutes long! All in all, this is a record that I’d love to return to and listen closely to the lyrics, as Lee is very much a wordsmith.

It would be easy to that this album does psychedelic folk rock by the numbers, but that fact is that Arthur Lee and Love wrote the rules then broke them as many times as they could. How does an album so syrupy on one level exhude such punk as f**k energy?

Love the folk and psychedelia mix

A man woke up one morning with a constant pounding drumming sound in his ears. All day it continues, drumming, drumming, drumming. And the next day, and the next. Drumming, drumming, drumming. Exasperated ,he goes to his doctor, who can't work out what the problem is. The doctor refers the man to a specialist. It just won't stop, the never-ending drumming in his ears. "Ah ha" says the specialist, "I've seen this before. To cure it, you just need to light a cigarette lighter, and wave it slowly from side to side in time with the drumming." The constant noise is driving then man crazy, so he decides to give it a try. So, he gets a cigarette lighter, stands up and waves is slowly above his head. And, sure enough, the drumming ceases. "Oh my god, what a relief" cries the man. And then the bass solo starts. That is exactly how I felt listening to 'Revelation'. Self-indulgent 1960s jamming. I know it was the vogue at the time, but it is the worst kind of padding. If I owned this record, I would never, never, NEVER EVER, play side 2. It is interminable wank (with a bass solo). Even the band hate it. Side 1 is somewhat better, with some pretty tunes and those ornate chamber pop arrangements so beloved by music critics. Arthur Lee's tendency to shout can be annoying, although works well in "7 and 7 Is", which is the stand-out track on the record. Most of the other songs can be a little precious. I find Dimery's obsession with psychedelia really reflective of rock snob music critics' infatuation with 'cult' 1960's albums, especially if they were not commercially successful at the time and at least one member of the band had a significant mental health issue. It reeks of hipper-than-thou, "you wouldn't have heard of them" snobbishness which gives me the screaming shits. Maybe I'd be more tolerant of this if the critical praise wasn't so over-hyped and exclusionary. Don't get me wrong, I really like 'Forever Changes', but today, I'm just not in the mood. If it was all like side 1, I might be tempted to give this a 4 star rating, but Revelation is just a horrible waste of everyone's time. So, 3 stars it is.

Fantastic - L.A. before its Doors were opened, tho Arthur Miller's voice can be even more rangy and dynamic than Morrison's. It's all and that's everything at once, with flutes too ('Orange Skies,' '¡Que Vida!,’ ‘She Comes in Colors’) and I like that loads. Where'd they hide from me all these years? This one comes in colors.

The perfect album.. Masterpiece

it felt like this album was going by really quick and then BOOM. 19 minute song. i rest my case. 10/10

a Roxanne album. its insane i havent heard this before. immaculate. last song they were having fun that’s for sure.

totally revelatory man...one of the nastier results of a perusal of the Canon is that while some bands are inevitably over-represented others are reduced to a single significant album, cut off from its evolution and context and often implying a narrative of "most of their music kinda sounds like this but this is where they did it the best." i rly like forever changes and ig was unconsciously expecting something in that mold, but i was totally wrong to do so...arthur lee flexes his songwriting and creativity muscles in directions i didnt even know he was capable of based on that one album, creating a diverse and ornate hippie fantasyland that still Has Things To Say. honestly he might deserve the cred that ended up going to jim morrision...such a magnetic presence, and here he is in full gonzo exploration mode that only enhances my appreciation for forever changes' tender apocalypse. so mind-expanding!

I don't understand. Elements of this record sound as though they could have been recorded last year. Others clearly place it in the 60s. The musical ideas must have been unheard of at the time.

This album is much better than I expected. I will probably listen again!

Can I give a perfect score to an album where the first 6 songs, 18 minutes are more or less perfection, followed by one 19 minute track that's basically a mess? Albeit one with several enjoyable sections. Probably not. Or can I? Fuck it, yes I can.

Fun rock album with a bit of soul/jazz infused - highly enjoyed!

Loads of sounds recognised in this one.

cool

Vaikkakin jotkut kohdat raivostuttavat, mieli tyyntyy tämän teoksen mahdottomassa, siinä mitä ei voi käsittää. Muutama corny kappale ja pidempi soitto, muutamat hassut lyriikat. Kokonaisuus on tuo mahdoton, joka muodostuu ennaltamäärittäen ja jonka katse on meiltä ihmisiltä piilossa, kunnes se nousee tajuntaamme albumin loputtua. Bravo. Bravo. Jokainen objektivisti nousee seisomaan ja taputtaa, riemuitsee tätä mestausta jonka global reviews avg. kuin entiteettinä suuren yleisön silmien edessä yrittää suorittaa. Mestaus suoritetaan ja subjektivistit kalpenevat. Maa tärisee syvimmät pelot puskevat ihon läpi hikipisaroiksi imisten, tallaajien ohimoille. Näytös loppuu ja fanfaarit soittavat. He kuulevat, he näkevät. He eivät iloitse kun suomeksi julistuu viiden tähden arvio. Mutta heidän on kestettävä se.

The Doors meet James Brown and Jethro Tull, where Love before the Doors? Loved this album.

A LOVEly album - short and sweet - while to me it’s not as special as the band’s Forever Changes, its length makes it as good - as it’s a nice bite sized group of songs - and this record has ‘7 and 7 is’ - so - LOVE it.

Look. This album is sick as fuck. Proto Punk and Ska and Pop Punk by way of Donovan and The Doors. I wish I'd got to see this live and on a variety of drugs.

This was all over the place in the best way. Pulling from jazz, blues, rock (and maybe creating punk in the process?) Love created a rich fusion here. I’ve never heard this album before and was really impressed. I get why they were not more popular but I have to assume they were pretty influential. Half of the album being one song is a wild choice too, but one they pulled off.

Listened Before? No Album Art: 5 / 5 (at this point I have no idea why I'm rating this, but I love this cover. Faux art frame around a team photo at some ruins-like location. Dig the font choice.) Opens with some strong reminiscence to Barrett era Pink Floyd. Psychedelic layering of components making for a madhouse sort of atmosphere. Sick sax and harpsichord work. Singer took his meds for Orange Skies. Pretty little folksy number complete with flute melody. Could imagine dropping acid and running through a field of wheat to this. Love the little "pop" sound in Que Vida! Seven and Seven Is almost sounds like it could be a Bowie song both in eccentricity and tone; jam. Composition of The Castle evokes Tommy-esq The Who, but like in the good way. Bass line and tempo switching is pretty dope. She Comes in Colors brings back the fire. And Revelation just seems like they included it to leave no stone unturned with a blues rock number to rival The Doors. Wow this album rocks. Love show some incredible range effortlessly maneuvering from psychedelic and folk rock to blues and something proto-punk/glam. I was engaged start to finish and enjoyed every minute. This is a sneaky ass 5 / 5 from me. Added to Library? Yes Songs Added to Playlists: - Orange Skies (Sunny-vibes) - She Comes in Colors (Sunny-vibes)

From first track the horns are great and this is great piece of psychedelic rock. The guitars go hard and the vocalist is very passionate. Ooh Flutes too, are we Jethro Tull??? This is fantastic. The ORGAN, Let's goooooooooo!!!!!!!!! This is the most shocking 5 star album I've given but this was one of the easiest.

Adorable! Fun :)

I’ve listen to Forever Changes a bit in the past but this is also a great album. Deserves some repeat listens.

Enjoyed this. Short, sharp songs on side-A, a psych freakout on side B. Who could ask for more?

Love still equates to my feeling about this group.

Wtf så bra!! Aldri vært borti før

Great stuff, beautiful, chaotic and full of charm

amazing

Amazing, can't believe I haven't heard of Love before.

Lush instrumentation with some brilliantly written songs. However, quite a few of the deeper cuts fell flat for me.

Listened to this so much at the turn of the century.

Понравилось

Change it to instrumental version and you'd get 5/5!

This album feels like a combination of just about everything happening in the mid to late ’60s. Psychedelic rock, baroque pop, and garage rock are the most obvious elements, but you can also catch hints of jazz and blues throughout. Some tracks get surprisingly energetic and heavy, showing early signs of proto-punk through the garage rock influence. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these songs had a big impact on the early heavy metal scene that started to take shape in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

Pretty cool, very 60ish but it was very groovy

LP

Giving it a 5 was tempting but it’s a bit too dry.

This was pretty good. Pretty interesting throughout and I'd probably listen again. 4/5

Not bad at all - great energy overall and the sound may not be massively special but still really enjoyable.

1966 seems fairly early for a record this far out. Impressive!

I enjoyed this, it was refreshingly of the time it was made, and yet was distinctive, particularly the frequent flute instrumentation.

loved this weird, fun, cool, oddly prog-adjacent album. (seriously, there are bits that sound like van der graaf generator).

It’s impressive to see what Love had done by mid sixties. These guys were one step ahead. Da Capo is a solid testament to their creativity. Great album

"These songs are good I just wish they were 19 minutes long" -no one ever

I'd never listened to Love before, but I knew "Seven and Seven Is" from Rush's album "Feedback". Pretty cool pre-punk song, and the rest of the album is a nice mix of rock, jazz, soul, and pop. I read they influenced the Doors, and that's quite apparent.

Very unexpected for 1966

I had never heard of this band and didn't have high hopes. The album cover looks like a poster for an old B grade science fiction movie. The summary says this is psychedelic rock, but straight away you're hit with something more akin to punk. As the album progresses there's a whole host of different styles in the mix - folk, garage, surf etc. The fact that this predates most of those styles is impressive. This is an album I will certainly come back too.

Second Love album to pop up…it works.

Great psych album

Fucking phenomenal

Pretty enjoyable slice of 60s rock and psychedelia. Underrated in its time, it points forward in a number of directions and is delivered at a remarkably high level of performance and capture quality.

I didn't know I needed a 18 minute jam session.

7 and 7 is. Interesting meter changes in Stephanie knows who. Was really caught off guard by this album and didn't know what to think.

a great album bridging american garage rock and Psychadelic Rock, I like some of that later work more but found this very interesting and will relisten to some tracks.

Very cool. Good variety. Love (heh) the intro and outro of Revelation. The vocalist is a bit much there though. I didn't even mind the drum solo.

I enjoyed parts of this, I think with more listens it could grow on me more.

There is like zero cohesion to any of this, but I still dig it? Short and sweet.

Riktigt bra. Unikt och experimentellt utan att vara en enda röra. Jag kanske inte fastnade för albumet i sin helhet direkt men majoriteten av låtarna åkte in i någon spellista.

4/5. A surprisingly enjoyable record. Sure, it is 60's rock but some unique vocals and passages makes this one worth listening. I love the energy throughout and the last song, although long, didn't ever get boring for me. Great instrumentation and choice of instruments as well. A good album to dig into. Best Song: Stephanie Knows Who, She Comes in Colors, Revelation

It's kind of surprising this came out the same year as Love Changes did because this already sounds like a bridge between 60s psychedelia and the rest of the rock that would come in the 70s. But regardless: the front is a bit less compelling than the first half, but wow "Revelation" goes crazy in about 8 different ways.

I love Love! Their third album is in my top 50 all time favourites. This, their second is a solid one too. This is right at the dawn of psychedelia, with nothing like it around at the time, truly groundbreaking. An excellent first side, Arthur Lee can be forgiven for his deep singing on the occasional track, also the long rambling 'Revelation' still a mid 4.

Album really dropped off for me in the second half. Reminds me a lot of chicano batman. im gonna go high on this one

Grew into this a lot

Forever Changes is one of my favorite albums of all time. Da Capo is Love's predecessor, and the first side has all the strengths of Forever Changes, just slightly messier and less of an impact. A beautiful blend of jazz, psychedelia, folk, and baroque pop where each song has something new and exciting to say. You truly have no idea what they're going to do next in each song, and they incorporate strange horns, keyboards, and flutes without coming off as gimmicky or excessive. The other obvious weakness is "Revelation", which is a 40-minute jam session cut down to 17 minutes. It's kinda cool but has no place on this record. Very bluesy, especially the vocals, with a rockabilly beat and groove and garage ferocity. I don't like how repetitive it is, only taking an interesting groovy direction when the sax kicks in in the last third. It also ends awkwardly too. It would be a bit unfair to weigh the entire record too much by "Revelation" when you could just listen to the first side, so I feel 4 stars is fair with how the 1st side is still a bit sporadic and weaker than the cohesive, mature masterpiece of Forever Changes.

Never heard of these guys, but they were pretty good.

that wasn’t so hard

Wow, what a wild album. This is just a year after rubber soul, the same year as revolver and the year before sgt peppers. It simultaneously feels of a kin with those albums but also like it had to be made a couple years later. It's so daring and inventive. The fusion with jazz, including the use of flute and harpsichord (!) is very cool. The kind of album that can only be made in a couple year period.

Such a great - if inconsistent - group. Best tracks here for me are Seven and Seven Is, and She Comes in Colours.

Typical an album that I hardly listen to, but when I do listen to it remember again how good it is. Opinions seems to be divided about Revelations, the 18-minute side B of this record. I actually quite like it, while side A - with six short songs - is very good as well. Close to 5 stars . (I am slightly surprised this is included in the list but I guess Forever Changes will be generated as well at some point).

Pretty good

Nice background music

I really, really enjoyed this. Ive heard a few songs by Love before on 6music (my favourite on a different record) so was looking forward to digging deeper. Already had it on a good few times: fills that nice space for me as being nice in the background but also interesting enough to give more attention to. I dont know how I’d describe it, definitely 60s garage rock but that doesn’t give it credit. It has that psychedelic feel to it without being too out there, as well as being quite comfortably bluesy/jazz. There’s so much to it. Covers a lot of genres. A strong 4.5 for me, possibly hinting at a 5

Proto-Punk psychedelic hippy music! Nice! I didn’t know I knew some of these already. That’s what I’m doing this for! I appreciate an epic piece, sure, but this feels kinda sloppy and unpracticed. But as a precursor to prog it’s pretty cool. Songs added to Spotify: 3

Album could be classified as a sampler. Each song is a little different than the other. Would be a stronger album if it was more cohesive, or had a direction. Enjoyable nonetheless.

If the monkees and ELP had a love child, perhaps?

Lyrics: Lyrical content is one of the things that stand out about “Da Capo”. Arthur Lee, the main writer, has a poetic and meditative approach. Lyrics often explore such themes as love, disillusionment, and self-analysis. The opening song, “Stephanie Knows Who,” sets the mood with its oblique yet suggestive lyrics which show that Lee can combine narrative with abstraction. The dreamy texture of the words is intensified by surrealistic images – an important characteristic of the album. However, the album also presents lyrical challenges. The reader/listener may at times be confused by certain songs that are highly ambiguous leaving them struggling to figure out what was intended. For instance, “Revelation” is full of abstract language, and may drive away a section of listeners who are accustomed to more direct narratives. Music: In terms of music genre, “Da Capo” is a tangle and experimentations. Love easily moves through diverse styles including folk music rock music and psychedelia. The 18-minute long track “Revelation” stands out as this album’s centerpiece as it represents an exploration into psychedelic rock music in the history of popular music. The track goes through different sections accompanied by various instruments and sounds thus demonstrating the group’s musicianship capabilities and experimental spirit. Love shows their ability at crafting catchy and inventive rock tracks in songs like Seven & Seven Is as well as She Comes in Colors. The latter is one of the highlights throughout the album due to its explosive energy and breath taking pace. While “Orange Skies” acts as a languid folk-tinged interlude, which adds another layer to the overall sound. Production: The production of “Da Capo” was then something worth noting about since Bruce Botnick and Jac Holzman presided over it. The album captures the essence of the mid-1960s with warm analog sound that has distinct sonic characteristics associated with that era. The decision to include a side-long track like “Revelation” on the other hand showed great audacity and innovation breaking up what was then considered a conventional album texture. However, there are some imperfections in production. For some listeners, the duration alone of “Revelation” can be too much while the mix feels overcrowded occasionally, particularly within more complex sections. On one hand, although commendable for its sonic experimentation, this may isolate those who want a more refined and traditional listening experience. Themes: Many themes are dealt with in “Da Capo”, which reflect the cultural and social dimensions of 1960s. The romanticism of psychedelic love is shown through the music and lyrics that appear like a dream or from another planet. It explores love, identity, and self-discovery in a way that reinforces the anti-establishment feelings of that era. Album does not present a continuous plot or idea to hold individual songs together. However, some listeners may miss a more narrative-based or conceptually cohesive orientation though this may be deliberate. Influence: “Da Capo” has relevance as evidence of Love’s influence on psychedelic rock growth. Through their exploration with nontraditional song structures, complex arrangements and incorporation of psychedelia, the band helped establish what we now call this genre. This album marked a significant turning point for some later artists who would engage in blending folk, rock and psychedelia. But Love was outshined by many other bands at that time and its contribution may not be appreciated. Although not commercially successful like other albums during this period, its innovative spirit greatly influenced the world of psychedelic rock. Musical variety: Love is a must-hear album that combines folk, rock and psychedelia. Experimental strategy: For example, the presence of an 18-minute psychedelic song in the revelation shows how adventurous and experimental the group is. Lyricism: Arthur Lee’s lyrical work is full of poetry that adds another dimension to this album making it more complex. Impact: “Da Capo” was one of many significant recordings in the birth of psychedelic rock which influenced subsequent musicians. To conclude, Da Capo by Love remains a remarkable and influential piece of 1960s rock history. The experimentation, breadth of musical styles, and lyrics of poetry are its appeal. Although not without challenges, especially when it comes to accessibility and lyric ambiguity, the impact this album had in the genre cannot be understated. Finally yet importantly like any other creative art, “Da Capo” captures a distinct moment in time that beckons listeners to explore the music and culture of over fifty years ago within Love’s inventive perspective.

A classic 1960s album!

I’ll go with 3.5

I’m well aware of how acclaimed Forever Changes is. But I wasn’t aware that Love had another album that was well received. So considering experiences I’ve had in the past, I went into this expecting a below average 60’s psych album, like many I’ve heard before. Safe to say, this was much more than that. There is just way more substance on these songs than most. And the performances are way better than what you normally get. The A-side is 6 songs, that are all very short and sweet, and they last just long enough to be interesting. I love the mix of the more high-energy garage rock tracks like Stephanie Knows Who and Seven & Seven Is, with the slower pop songs like Orange Skies. It’s a very well balanced mix of genres. The B-side is only one song, that is over 18 minutes long. And seeing the track list before listening to it, I was ready for this to be the one standout track. And by no means is it a bad song. It’s a nice jam track with some cool sections, and a solid drum solo at the end. But there are moments where it feels a little monotonous and long winded. It could have probably used a bit of trimming, but I still enjoy it. Overall, if the psych pop I hear on this record is what is to be expected from their next album, I am looking forward to it. Rating: 8/10

75/100

Not the top psychedelic album, but also not the worst. It has all the elements I want from '60s music and is nice and cute.

El último tema dura 18 minutos y es ESPECTACULAR

More psychadelic rock with a huge blues influence. This album features an aggressive delivery that stands out to me as almost punk-like. The music is also infused with ideas borrowed from folk and jazz. The 19 minute 'Revalation' is an extended jam which may have influenced or been born out of the same scene that produced the Doors in Los Angeles

A mix of folk, garage, psychedelia, and even some proto-punk in there. The instrumentation is brilliant, I love the guitar tone, drumming, and folk instruments like flutes included here. Lyrics and vocals are great here too.