Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Has the potential to feel overly busy, but Love makes it work and there is some really cool stuff happening on these songs.
I played this album constantly for a few years so my relationship with it is a little irrational. I love the sound, the vocals, the writing, even when the writing isn't very good....
The older I get the greater this album sounds. Among the very, very best of the decade's records, and essential listening almost 60 years later. 10/10
this album aged insanely well
9.7/10
Never heard of the band but this is great
I'd only heard the Alone Again Or on account of The Damned doing a cover of it in the past and me chasing up the original. A very pleasant album with some nonsense rhymes and some more serious. Added to my playlist.
Another well-known classics. Always inspiring.
Super Dope
Danny Brown's favorite album of all time, revered by Robert Plant and The Stone Roses, Forever Changes is a cult classic and yet more than that. I don't know how you can listen to it w/o converting immediately to its wit, its warmth, its realism, its inventive-never-indulgent instrumentation, and the chaotic tensions it promulgates. Is there another release from the 60s that so masterfully negotiates starry-eyedness and dark absurdism? 'Sitting on a hillside / Watching all the people die'; 'Oh the snot has caked against my pants / It has turned into crystal'; 'And that's all that lives is gonna die.' It isn't 60s protest music or even psychedelia - it's heartfelt, desperate, and utterly gorgeous 70s disillusionment foreshadowed in '67 LA. None like it.
Wait this is heat
A truly stunning album. I went in not knowing what to expect, having never heard anything from it before, and was blown away by how good it sounds. The acoustic guitar work is excellent, layered beautifully with orchestral arrangements that create a near-flawless wall of sound. I’m genuinely thankful for this project for introducing me to such an incredible record.
Excellent psych-rock album. Really quit enjoyed this. I was familiar with some tracks but never listened to the whole album. 5/5
Turns out i love psych
I'v got a week of 4's which is very good. This one's making me lean more towards 5. Beautiful voice, great instrumentation and the songwriting is superb.
Loved this album from the first time I came across it in the 1980s. Was also lucky enough to see Arthur Lee perform the whole album live in early 2000s. Had a tear in my eye hearing him sing the masterpiece, 'You set the scene'. "This is the time and life that I am living And I'll face each day with a smile."
The Stone Roses probably love this album. I do, too.
One of the best from psychodelic rock era. Took me a lot of time to get into it in my youth, but it was rewarding
Great album all the way through
Both a template for socially driven psychedelic rock album-ry, and an idiosyncratic and personal look into the drug fuelled mind of a black man living in LA in the sixties. All through the lens of a rare multi racial band.
спочатку видався сумним, але насправді дуже класний. easygoing вайб 70-х, гарний початок
I must admit, I wasn’t looking for to listening to this album. I’m not a huge fan of 60s psychedelic with the sitars, harpsichords & just nonsense fueled by LSD. However, I loved this album. First off, it’s mostly acoustic folk music with orchestral highlights. There's very little electric guitar on the album. There are great horn parts, though. It’s kind of a cross between the 60’s psychedelic and folk music mixed with Burt Bacharach. The music is very soft, which I generally don’t care for, but this album is kind of like ASMR. It’s soothing, but the lyrics are about death, freedom, and how the counterculture at the time was not all flowers and peace. If you’re a fan of the music coming out in the '60s, this is the album for you. I’ll be putting it in my rotation.
Incredible album
Somehow, this one's gotten intertwined in my head with Odessey and Oracle, which is weird because they're not all that similar as far as psychedelic rock albums go? This one's a lot folkier than most, and certainly one of the prettiest psych albums you'll ever hear, in spite of the infamous "the snot has caked against my pants" line. I'm a sucker for any rock that has strings and horns and all that good stuff, so it's one of my personal favorites!
Somehow I had no knowledge of this album, but even on first listen w zero background, it was easy to recognize it’s a masterpiece. Sophisticated, prescient, sometimes dark, sometimes light, it captures its era so completely.
An album that took me a while to warm up to… but now I reckon it’s an absolute masterpiece!!
Grandísimo disco de un grupo muy original.
p109. 1967. 5 stars. The only hippies you can trust. Arguably the greatest album of the Summer of Love.
I love this album so much! Severely underrated/undermentioned band.
Excellent music! Another incredible find that I never heard before.
A timeless masterpiece
A friend made a painting for me based on the cover of Forever Changes, which is one reason why I have a soft spot for this album. It’s also just a gorgeously off-kilter psychedelic banger.
Perfect
Великий альбом без скипов. Одновременно и душераздирающий, и счастливый. Эталонный сайкаделик поп. Лучшая песня - Alone Again Or.
frábær yfirkeyrð. með þeim allra bestu.
I feel like Dad might like this (positive). I know these people loved to walk One of the first ones where I have gone, "huh this is nice 👌"
Not my usual taste but I appreciate the artistry!
I love this!
Unbedingt mehrmals hören! Die wahre Schönheit des Albums entdeckt man erst dann.
Arthur Lee is the Riddler of Rock. In an era that heralded Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, he was a black genius who got lost in the shuffle. This album is a beautiful 60s Southern Californian marriage of the wunderkind pop orchestration of Pet Sounds and the dark psychedelic tones of the Doors. It’s assuredly a product of its time and yet it’s a super original and rewarding entry in the Summer of Love West Coast rock movement. The unpredictable stops and starts to melodies and lyrics and whimsical arrangements make it a work worth returning to over and over again. I heard it first 20 years ago, but was even more blown away by it on this listen.
Unexpected gem Loved it
Quite simply one of the finest albums ever recorded. If you don't agree give Forever Changes several more listens before giving up on it. Then listen again.
Actually loved this album. Never heard of these guys before and was really impressed. Great sound, great songs, will likely give this many more listens
When it comes to mellotron use and orchestral arrangements, Forever Changes is undoubtedly up there with the best, standing alongside albums like Days of Future Passed by The Moody Blues. The 60s were an incredibly creative period, especially in psychedelic and baroque pop, and this album is one of the standout examples from that time. The orchestration here is exceptional, and the production, given the era, is impressive. There’s a reason why this album continues to be highlighted as one of the best from that period. Even though I don’t usually go with the popular picks, this one would definitely make it onto my personal list of top albums.
Such a fantastic album, and one I’ve loved for a long time, but Arthur Lee must have had some properly dark shit going around his head when he wrote this.
Always cool when a band puts extra focus on listening in stereo. This is so well arranged. It has the warmth of that period but there's a fair amount of musical complexity going on. Something I found myself having an easy time focusing on or zoning out to. I'm buying this album.
Nice album art. Sounded fine on the car stereo, but headphones let the stereo mixing shine. The sound of the strings is expertly captured. Ooo Trumpets. Such a soundscape. This just helps me understand that something bad happened to a lot of music production in the 2000s Yeah, that's a 5
Cracking album. Probably more of a 4.5 than a 5. A House is Not a Motel, Andmoreagain, The Red Telephone, and The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything are great. I really, really like the arrangements of the songs in general, and the eclectic nature of some of the drumming and the lyrics. Cleanly evokes the era.
I came to this album late...I guess it was the 2000s when it was de rigeur to recognize Forever Changes and Odyssey and Oracle as unappreciated classics. I think Forever Changes because this album didn't have even a classic song Season of the Witch. But my word is this an incredible, dare I say even a masterpiece. As someone who grew up on the folk rock of artists like Shawn Phillips and Cat Stevens this album came as revelation. Even things like the string arrangements which I am not normally a fan of are tasteful and suit the songs near perfectly. And the songs, accessible but complex are all satisfying and bear up to close scrutiny. The themes are typical of the time but don't seem cloying and overwrought. A no-brainer 5 star album
Wow, I'd never heard of this band before but I loved the album. Great find!
I thought it was gonna be really generic 60s psych but i really enjoyed it, very varied and fun.
Great
When it comes to mellotron use and orchestral arrangements, Forever Changes is undoubtedly up there with the best, standing alongside albums like Days of Future Passed by The Moody Blues. The 60s were an incredibly creative period, especially in psychedelic and baroque pop, and this album is one of the standout examples from that time. The orchestration here is exceptional, and the production, given the era, is impressive. There’s a reason why this album continues to be highlighted as one of the best from that period. Even though I don’t usually go with the popular picks, this one would definitely make it onto my personal list of top albums.
Great record.
I love this album. It is almost perfect, one of those records held up as classics which do live up to the hype. I knew Love from a couple of tracks, Stephanie Knows Who and Seven and Seven Is, which I think my uncle had on a compilation, and I first bought Forever Changes in the ’90s, I think, when it appeared in a 100 best albums list. Since then I have played it once or twice a year and, each time, I am surprised by the production, the overall sound, and the songs. The trumpet on Alone Again or, the orchestral arrangements, the folk elements set against the strings and jangly guitars, the way the lyrics vear from optimism to pessimism and paranoia, sometimes within the same song, as if the summer of love was starting to fall into the darkness. The weird thing is, despite the initial, non-Forever Changes, songs I was familiar with, I have never taken the time to investigate Love’s back catalogue, something I need to resolve.
Þessi er alveg ljómandi, solid 1967 án þess að vera klisjukennd. Margt mjög skemmtilegt, engin feilnóta slegin og sumt alveg frábært. Fallega lágstemmt á köflum og strengir og brass vel nýtt. Og aldrei tilgerðarlegt. Ég gæti þessa miklu oftar og held ég hendi í fimmu.
I had never heard this album of band before but on first listen fell in love with it. Catchy tunes, weird and wonderful lyrics, very strings and harmonies. A hidden gem!
This album needs to be listened to on a little turntable on the floor with some candles
Genius.
Just lovely
discovered this album some months ago and have listened to it at least 100 times since. it's so good. i love this album, everyone should love this album, love forever changes but this album being a 10/10 does not
A folk record I can tolerate - got to know about them after hearing that the Doors used to open for them back in the early days of the band, got curious and found the treasure of this album. Got to see them play live in 2004 before Arthur's Lee's death - and while they were awesome musician - he was intolerably drunk and bumming notes so it was a disappointing experience. This record though, never disappoints. Psychadelic folk I can get behind.
Psychedelic summer of love era classic. Super creative still to this day.
A surprising beauty. Surprising only because I'd never heard it before. Lovely songwriting and arrangements, with some moments so delicate that you feel like they might shatter in any other context. Beautiful work. I'm off to listen to their other albums!
I’ve been sitting on this one for about a week giving it time to really marinate. This album is fantastic and has aged incredibly well. I listened to this immediately after listening to Younger Than Yesterday by The Byrds and it is shocking that these both released in 1967. The breadth of styles and instrumentation used here make every track seem like its own, yet they come together beautifully. I need a cover version of this album down entirely by the Muppets.
An absolute guaranteed all-time classic, worthy of a full five stars. There's a reason that this album keeps appearing in Top Ten Albums Ever lists. The eleven tracks encompass the bright, poppy, hippy vibe of West Coast America, but also hint at something darker, just beneath the surface. If I could only have one record for the rest of my life, this would probably be it. If you've never heard it before, please, go and listen now.
I had never heard of this band before. The sound is somewhere between Doors and Beach Boys, dark and light at the same time. Very unique. The voice has something hypnotizing about it and it always feels a bit like being mocked. The arrangements are terrific. Really cool album.
I first heard about this in NME’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums, which when I was a budding music nerd I poured over almost religiously. It sounded interesting, mystical almost, and so fate must have had specific plans for me when I discovered a copy of the album on the floor of my garage one day when I was cleaning it out. It was one of those giveaway things that the British Tabloid’s did to try and get you to buy them in the late 2000’s, but the weird thing is that neither of my parents had even heard of Love (the band) when I talked to them about it. The mystical quality I imagined of this album comes through in the music and the lyrics, but it’s much darker than my 13 year old self could have imagined. Rabelesian humour is contrasted with absurdism and observations about love and madness, and set against a background of psychedelic folk that incorporates elements of hard rock, R&B and even flamenco. How does an album like this even get made, and why does it work so well? Forever Changes is one of my favourite albums, best evidenced by the fact that I’ve listened to it twice through while writing this review. I used to save it as a summer album but as I sit here in the mid autumn rain, and am still enjoying as much as I would on a balmy summer day, I think I can happily say that this is an album for all seasons. So put it on next time you’re in love, or feeling mentally deranged, and it’ll hopefully spark an appreciation that is constant, even if it Forever Changes
Overrated but still a 5
"Forever Changes" is the third studio album by American rock band Love. The album's sound embraced subtler folk and baroque pop-oriented songs based around acoustic guitars and orchestral arrangements...a perfect description. Primary songwriter Arthur Lee (guitarists, vocalist) explored dark themes alluding to mortality and growing disillusionment with the era's counterculture. It was the last album with the band's original members who also included Bryan MacLean (guitar, vocals), Johnny Echols (guitar), Ken Forsi (bass) and Michael Stuart-Ware (drums, percussion). The album was a commercial disappointment hitting #154 in the US and #24 in the UK. It was critically very well-received and, in 2008, was inducted into the National Recording Registry for its artistic significance. The album opens with "Alone Again or." A song written and sung by Bryan MacLean and about waiting for a girlfriend. Acoustic guitar with strings and percussion. Lee actually joins in for dual lead singers. Horns come in and along with the strings, the song ends majestically. "Andmoregain" is a ballad and anchored by Lee's high tenor. Guitar accompanied with drums and strings. Lee takes a dark look at himself. "The Red Telephone" is more dreamy and pyschedelic. A harpsichord is added to the guitar and strings. Lee lyrics are very paranoid as he watches people die. It's no surprise this song was compared to Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. A charging acoustic guitar and bass open "Live and Let Live." Vocal harmonization. A pyschedelic guitar solo. Lee looks at what the government has done to certain people's land rights. "You Set the Scene" closes the album as Lee looks at the ins and outs of daily life. Lee actually did think he was going to die and that this was his last song. A glorious ending with layered horns and strings. This album is a great mix of pop baroque and pyschedelic guitar. Maybe, the best. Lee's vocals and the harmonies are just fantastic. The horns and strings give this album a majestic sound. The music is counterposed by Lee's darker lyrics. The album gets better with repeated listens. An album everyone needs to hear.
Had expected to see this superclassic album on the list, especially after El Capo was generated some year ago or so. El Capo: 8/10 Forever Changes: 10/10
Another Love album I love. This was groovy with a bit of a dark edge to it that keeps things interesting. I’m surprised that this list is the first time I’ve heard of them.
Alone Again Or and The Red Telephone.
Genius. Far and away the best psychedelic record ever made. Better than Sgt Pepper.
You gotta love it
"The snot is caked against my pants It's turning into a crystal." First track is the best, but the album as a whole is very listenable.
An album cover I'm familiar with from record stores, but had no idea of what it sounded like, until now. It turns out that this is my jam. Introspective songs concerned with themes of life and mortality with folky acoustic guitar driven arrangements augmented by slightly weird orchestral and horn section elements. Lovely, lovely stuff. Rating: 5/5 Playlist track: Alone Again Or Date listened: 21/05/24
This is one of my favorite albums of all time (FAOAT). It really encapsulates the west coast hippie movement sound IMO.
I don’t remember these guys, but I really liked this album. There music is so typical of the 60s. Loved the horns.
Really enjoyed this band. I'd give it a 4.5.
I didn't expect to be immediately sucked into this album, but I was captivated. The first three song run is beautiful, and the rest is also quite good. This will be added to my rotation.
I love it! One of my favorite bands! Beautiful and pleasant melodies and songs. Smooth and melodious.
looooooove
Delightful. 60s music is so serene and wholesome even if the lyrics don’t always match that tone. I knew what a lot of the lyrics were going to be as he sang them as they just worked and flowed very well. This is definitely a stand out among the other 60s albums we have had. 9/10
just the perfect psych rock album to me, love this band and i have for years. alone again or is one of my favorite songs of this era, and i discovered some new tracks to love as well on this listen! also i won my dad over to these guys.. he was asking "how do i not know this band, are they british?" which is the best thing a dad can ask about a band you're showing him. 9/10, fav tracks: alone again or, the red telephone, andmoreagain
I go back and forth on this. Is it amazingly good or stupendously good? Today I’ve decided that it is both
loved it
A psychedelic masterpiece. I can't say how many times I've listened to this. I like everything about this album. Nothing has ever been as groovy as the 60's. If I could time travel, I would go to the Summer of Love. So much great music in that time period.
This project has allowed me to mature. This might be one of the only times i fully agree with my best friend 4.8
Beautiful music.
I was expecting pretty straightforward 60s psych, and it's not *not* that but was shocked by the depth on this. The drumming alone stopped me in my tracks more than once! Once it was over, I already found myself returning to those first three songs again, wanting to soak it in again as soon as possible. And if anything, that's a good sign that fuck it, it's a five.
4.5, brilliant album from start to finish. Good blend between folk and psychedelic rock. Great use of the strings throughout as well, gives a few tracks a very orchestral sound.
Gosh this is good.
greatttt album. Really encapsulates the 60s sound.
Favorite Songs: Alone Again Or The Daily Planet Live and Let Live Bummer in the summer This album makes you want to take lsd and contemplate about life and love. Very chill and positive vibe.
Yesterday we had Hendrix, one of the major figureheads of the Hippy Revolution from 1968. If you think the summer of love, flower power and California dreaming you tbink Hendrix. However, for me, Love and “Alone Again” is the definition of the aforementioned. This whole album just exudes everything of that era when optimism, drugs and music coincided within the aforementioned (brief) cultural revolution before Vietnam and cynicism replaced it. “Andmoreagain” is a folk classic with Byrd-esque melody, just lovely. Whilst “You Set the Scene” just takes the catchy melody akin to Sgt Pepper to your new favourite ear worm levels. I’ve not played this album for years but enjoyed it so much I’ve played it twice today.
Forever Changes es, sin duda, el Magnum Opus de la banda Love. Con un tracklist intocable, composiciones sumamente innovadoras y un input creativo casi insuperable, la banda sorprende con una colección de colores y formas que juegan con los estilos musicales de la época. Sumamente recomendable e infaltable en el catálogo de cualquier melómano o fanático de la música de los '60s.
Love, Love, Love. I have this on vinyl. No idea why these guys weren't bigger.
It's really hard to think of an album that conjures up a period in time more than Forever Changes. The musicality is incredible, the lyrics are perfect and the overall sound is so cool. It reminds me (despite, I think, not being used in it) of the later seasons of Mad Men when Megan moved out to LA, and that's maybe the highest compliment you can give. A clear five stars. It's not In The Airplane Over the Sea (the perfect 5.0), so loses 0.2 on that scale, but it's the highest scoring album of The Project so far.
love it!
Accidentally listened to this one out of order. But I really liked it, 5/5. Will probably re-listen in order
I praised this just a few days ago in my Da Capo review and yeah, it just gets better and better on every relisten. The orchestration is gorgeous and every song is just so catchy and mesmerising
Kind of a 9/10 rn
Did I give 5 stars to the Doors' debut? Has it popped up on the app yet? Can't remember, and I'm too busy to check today. But it seems to me I might have just given four stars to this legendary LP (lots of iconic cuts, but also a couple of fillers, I have to point out...) The reason I'm wondering about all this is because I want to give 5 stars to Love's magnum opus *Forever Changes* (out the same year as that Doors album), but it would be illogical to do so if I only gave four stars to Jim Morrison and co. Aw fuck it. It's gonna be five stars. I gave 5 stars to Captain Beefheart's *Safe As Milk* anyway (*also* out in 1967). This rating thing sometimes turns the use of this app into a an exercise involving all sorts of charts and graphs in your head. Not very "flower power", I have to say. There's always been something a little "elusive" to this clearly essential album, which might explain why it flew under the radar for many years after its sixties heyday--at least until the advent of the internet, which helped put it right where it belonged. Yet it's one of the very rare cases where such elusiveness is actually an asset: you might forget *Forever Changes* melodies and hooks and different moods for a while, but when you spin it, it's as if you discovered a treasure trove all over again. Speaking of flying under the radar, I also love Love's LP that followed that one (the sentence I just wrote is damn weird, ha ha, say it out loud!). It was recorded with a different line-up, still with singer Arthur Lee at the helm. Its name is *Four Sail*, and it's a underrated gem--quite different from *Forever Changes*, because some of its cuts rock harder, but almost equally as good to my ears. It's obvious Dimery's list didn't mention that one. So check it out, folks. Number of albums left to review: less than 500 (I've temporarily lost count) Number of albums I'll include in my own list: half so far, approximately (including this one, of course) Number of albums I *might* include: a quarter, approximately. Number of albums I'll never include: another quarter (many others are more important to me).
My favourite album of all time. A work of collective genius
Danny browns favorite album, andmoreagain ,
Love this, especially the last song, beautifil and splendid
Such an great record, untouchable in its field. Best: Red Telephone, Alone Again Or. They are the obvious standouts, but everything else is an able collection of tunes that keep the mood going. Am I giving it 5 stars? Probably, though it's fair to say the rest of the album doesn't hit those same heights, it's a low 5. I always thought my CD was skipping at the end of Good Humour Man and it caught me out yet again.
Forgot how good this album is. Alone Again Or is a favorite
Increíble en todas sus palabras, los ritmos encajan perfectamente
Okay, I loved this. First two tracks are so fun. "The Red Telephone" sounds like it was influential to the band Wet Leg
love is such a perfect name for this band
Soo good
One of the most Perfect albums ever.. Epic!
Sånt jag gillade när jag var sexton och fortfarande gillar måste väl ha högt betyg?
So I know this album pretty well, I first heard it in college and have read the 33 1/3 about it. It is a classic in my opinion and as far as vibes go, this is 1967 in my eyes. I don’t think an album better summarizes the Summer of Love better musically than this - a fine balance of psychedelia, folk, and pop with just a tinge of the darkness to come. There’s no weak spots on the album even if it perhaps never hits the highest highs of Alone Again Or. But few albums do. A classic.
Surprisingly unfamilar with this album, besides Alone Again Or. The first few tracks after that didn't catch me, but when it hit Red Telephone I started to pay closer attention. There's some serious immediacy and darkness here, reminds me a bit of a Summer of Love version of On The Beach. Immediately started listening to it again once it finished, and thats the first time I've done that for any album on this list. 5/5.
Quite simply, this is the sound of the Summer of Love coming to a close. Flower power is losing its allure and the Manson murders are just over the horizon. This is the madness and the drugs, the love and the hate all encapsulated in one time capsule that has been open to us the whole time. It is astonishing in its emotion and it's sophistication. Peak psychedelia in all of its glory and insanity. Hell, the title itself, LOVE FOREVER CHANGES, is poetic and profound given the subject matter and the moment in time.
The sound of the 60s. Beautiful acoustic psych with baroque elements.
This album is very much in my current phase of listening. I've heard the first track before and really loved it. The whole lot is psych 60s rock stuff, so very enjoyable for me Saved tracks: Alone Again Or, A House Is Not a Motel, Live and Let Live, You Set the Scene
So grateful to have discovered Love <3
Fucked up that this isn’t more famous
Yeah wow, it's been 30 years since I last listened to this album, and I was struck by how easily I was able to sing along with nearly every song. I love art like this: singular, insular, off-kilter, beautiful and dark. This album is the paranoid sibling of Piper at the Gates of Dawn. It's like Burt Bacharach meets Philip K Dick. In terms of personal appreciation, this is probably a 4 for me—as much as I love it, I guess i don't love it so much that I've felt the need to listen to it in the past 30 years—but I'm rounding up to 5, mostly because I love that something this unique was ever allowed to be released into the world.
Super cool. Under-rated psychedelic 60s album.
Love's masterpiece. I'd say this is up there with "Pet Sounds" in terms of its gorgeous production. A pleasure from beginning to end. And God bless Arthur Lee for keeping it real during the flower power era.
Something weirdly moving about this. His voice is hypnotic. I loved his vocal accompaniment to the trumpet in Maybe the People. The little spurts/shreds/shouts/injections of electric guitar over the primarily acoustic is such an effective attention keeper. This feels like an album that's had some heavy influence on contemporary indie. Interesting point that they were one of the first racially diverse bands of the 60s. You can definitely see/hear it when you compare this release to their later work on Real to Real - Be Thankful for What You've Got has been a long time favourite song of mine and I had no idea that their earlier releases were so folk aligned.
I honestly was shocked I had never heard of Love, but their name accurately describes how I feel about this album.
Already know this album, big big must listen for people who love…love? Everybody’s Gotta Live is a top song of theirs in my opinion if y’all wanna listen. I got into them after finding out Jim Morrison was a huge fan and gave a listen. Good stuff :)
Though it goes off at times in some psychedelic pastures, the songs have a warmth and passion with a late 60's eclectic touch. Very enjoyable.
This is a great album. Love has a dark, complex sound. Their standard template is minor-key folk guitar, usually finger picked, backed by dense vocal harmonies, occasional splashes of color from orchestral instruments, and very light, very low-mixed drum and bass. That template works beautifully, but when they for example want to just rock out on "A House Is Not a Motel" or "Maybe the People..." they're perfectly capable of doing that too. One key to their sound is having multiple strong lead singers - the guy who sounds white has a bit of a reedy voice, but with excellent range, while the guy who sounds black is just a great singer. That combo gives them a lot of melodic variety, but the other key to their sound is their unusual harmonies. Every song has an interesting harmonic twist - witness "Andmoreagain", where you get both the shocking jump to major as a tease to start each chorus, followed by immediately by slinking back into one of those dark, open, slightly-off-key chords they like so much, all with perfectly on-point orchestral backing. This album isn't perfect. It's very light on bass, which isn't necessarily a flaw (Love make it work for them), but it does make the sound a little thin. There isn't much you can sing along to here, in part because it's so complex. And they don't have a ton of variety in their sonic palette - they stick with the style that works throughout. But there's so much to play with here musically, more and more comes out every time I listen to it.
Essential listening.
Simply one of the top albums ever released Knocks nearly all other West Coast stuff for an enormous six.
“Alone Again Or” is in my top 100 rock songs. I first heard it in the Wes Anderson movie “Bottle Rocket” and it’s what got me into this album in high school. The driving drama of the song pulls me in every time. The whole album is excellent - great songwriting front-to-back, with a lot of surprising turns in the songs to keep you on your toes. It's also one of those albums where every instrument and detail feels perfectly placed. There are moments of shredding psychedelic rock balanced with gentler folk passages and some wonderful horn parts too. This is a top 20 rock album for me. “The news for today will be the movies for tomorrow” - what a great line. (“A House is Not a Motel”) I love the new melody that gets introduced in the last minute of “The Red Telephone.” “Oh the snot has caked against my pants” is one of the craziest opening lines of a song I’ve ever heard. I love it 😂 ("Live and Let Live") "You Set the Scene" is an epic one and has a couple of great moments I love: - The bass line that comes in at 1:58 sounds so good - The way the song slows down at 2:20 and introduces the horns - At 5:08, Arthur Lee drops in this soulful vocal riff as if it's a Smokey Robinson song, lets it fade into the track and then moves back into the song. How does that work so well?! Genius level stuff, man. Recently I've been skeptical of modern remasters of 60's albums but this sounded fantastic on headphones. Crystal clear but stays true to the feel of the music.
one of the greatest albums ever. And I keep buying it in any new re-issue/re-master/box set hoping that their will be even more to discover. Can't be praised highly enough!
5/5. Very unique collection of songs that surprises on each listen. A lost gem of the era.
It really is a lost classic.
Amazing
It was totally new for me. I liked it, good ol' 60's, good ol' drugs
So viele Erinnerungen aus der Prenzlauer und FöJ
This is one my favorite not well-known albums of the 1960s. The songwriting on here is quite complex for a rock album. “Alone Again Or” sets the tone for rest of what’s to come. You can hear right from the opening acoustic guitar intro that this isn’t your typical album. The trumpet solo and strings are a nice touch too. Most of the album is centered around the acoustic guitar and rhythm section with the electric adding color and leads where needed. The first electric guitar that appears on the album is the doubled lead in “A House is not a Motel.” The wordplay is interesting too. The side two opener has the first word of the new verse ending the verse before. “You Set the Scene”, a song in 2 parts, is my favorite on the album apart from the opener. It wraps up the while theme or vibe of the album in a great way.
I'll start with my only (slight) complaint: it sounds pretty dated. I even thought about dropping the album down to a 4 because of the dated sound, but the songs and musicianship are just too good. Bottom line - once you get past the dated sound, every track is good in its own way. The album has great bookends: Alone Again Or and You Set the Scene are both fantastic songs. Alone Again Or has great guitar playing and you gotta love the Spanish guitar style and mariachi horns. "You Set the Scene" is an epic with some great lyrics. I love the line: "This is the only thing that I am sure of/and that's all that lives is gonna die/And there'll always be some people here to wonder why/and for every happy hello there will be good-bye." Other great moments: A House Is Not a Motel (great guitar work), The Daily Planet, The Red Telephone (super dated, but very psychedelic and again I love the guitar work), Maybe the People... (great rhythm), Live and Let Live (particularly the chorus - "and so the story ended..."), Bummer in the Summer (Arthur Lee does his best Bob Dylan impression...also shades of Hendrix' singing style). Even some of the tracks that pushed my "holy 60s baby" buttons are good. For example, Andmoreagain is a little too "Listen to the Flower People" for me, but it has good moments. The Good Humor Man... also sounded incredibly dated but could easily have been a Burt Bacharach classic. Finally, love the singing throughout and the album gets better with each listen. Definitely a classic and I'll stick to the 5.
Really enjoyed
I remember the first time I heard this album. I loved it then and still do.
Seminal album
Beautifully mental
This is a stunning psychedelic folk album. Beautiful instrumentation, top notch recording quality and very interesting and deep lyrical themes exploring mortality and questioning the counterculture movement. I had not heard this one before, it seems to be fairly well received, but I am surprised it is not more popular than it was. I really enjoyed the listen and can't speak highly enough. Fav Tracks: Alone Again Or, Andmoreagain, Live and Let Live
Has been one of my favourite albums for longer than I care to remember. Flawless.
WE LOVE LOVE!!
The music on this record is sweet-sounding, gentle, vibrantly textured, yet hidden beneath is a dark underbelly of iconoclastic dread, mortality, and a sense of uneasiness. Arthur Lee’s words evoke a disillusionment with the 1960s counterculture, anticipating the ugliness that would erupt from the eventual demise of the quixotic flower-power movement, while the music matches these distressful themes with an air of bittersweet romanticism. There is an intoxicating blend of influences and styles to be heard, ranging from baroque pop to psychedelia, culminating in one of the greatest lasting impressions of the Summer of Love. Standout Tracks: Alone Again Or, A House Is Not a Motel, Andmoreagain, Live and Let Live, You Set the Scene
I don't think the one-two punch of openers 'Alone Again Or' and 'A House Is Not a Motel' has ever been bettered. What a strange, illusory collection of songs. Everything kinda falls between the cracks of folk, rock and psychedelia. Just when you think you have a handle on a lyric, some discordant image jumps out to unnerve or surprise. A dark and disquieting moment in the midst of the Summer of Love.
"The news today will be the movies for tomorrow..." One of, if not the, greatest documents of 60s psychedelia. Nearly fifty-five years on, this album remains as seductive, influential, impactful, memorable and vital as ever. Even some of the more forgettable songs on here, which there aren't much of, maintain a punch that lasts past its last second. Never has the ugliness of the flower power era been illustrated with such beauty. If you haven't come across this album, that needs to be rectified. Love Forever Changes.
Awesome! Reminds me of cream but a bit more folksy. Loved this album
One of the best records of 67. Better than sgt pepper imo. Arthur Lee was so cool. RIP man.
I've never heard of them before but I really dug this! It's a fascinating mix of folk and psych. I can really see the influence. Definitely going to keep an eye out for the vinyl.
I never knew this piece of psychedelic rock existed. Still sounds well produced over 50 years later.
STONE COLD CLASSIC AND WILL LISTEN FOR ETERNITY.
J’ai vraiment aime. Un des bons albums de cette liste dans ce genre. Ca sinne vraiment bien pour plein d’occasion. Il est arrive a un tournant dans l’histoire et c’est un5/5 bien merite.
An underrated gem and one of my favourite psychedelic rock albums. I'm so very glad this album is on this list cause otherwise I would have never found out about it. There are plenty of album choices that I disagree with and they absolutely don't have to listened to before you die, but this one for sure fits the description.
Really impressed with this album. Not something I would normally listen to. I liked over half of the songs on Spotify. Alone Again Or was the standout song for me and one I will listen to many times.
Wow, un descubrimiento total para mí. Lo amé, joya. Canciones fav: "Alone Again Or", "A House Is Not a Motel", "The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This". 10/10
Classic. Love how it’s simultaneously upbeat and morbid.
psychedelic fnk like a fossil of the time period o f the summer of love
Absolutely loved this. It was really fun! Luke actually introduced me to Love relatively recently, and I think I recognised a few songs anyway. They're an excellent band and do a v fun cover of Hey Joe
un vrai très bon album. 4.5
Loved this, can’t believe I’ve never heard it before. I will absolutely listen and love it again.
Recommended so many times. Think I get it
Obra maestra absoluta del rock psicodélico y del hippismo. Lánguido y sentido, tiene temazos para la historia.
Never heard of this, but it's an excellent album. Really liked it.
Absolute banger
mt bom
Kinda pissed that none of my musical sources introduced this to me when I was young. A sleeper for sure
All-time classic rock album
Very decent indeed.
Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Near Perfect - An absolute classic. This sounds like nothing else. There is an otherworldly sound to this mix of acoustic guitars with orchestration and gently insistent drums. The songs are uniformly stunning. Great from start to finish but the first side in particular is wonderful.
I've heard a few singles here and there from Love, but I never listened to a full album of theirs until now. Boy, is there a story with this one. The making of Forever Changes was wrought with so many conflicts, both within the band as members fought each other for songwriting credit and contributions, and with their label Elektra Records, which wanted them to get one more album done, go in a folk direction, and keep it to a single album only so as not to pay too much for the strings and horns. With the help of the Wrecking Crew session musicians, known for their work on many top hits of the 1960s, Love were able to eke out this album. It's a miracle this record sounds as good as it does. In trying for that folk direction, Love ended up making an orchestral pop album. The rich guitars blend with the string arrangements in striking and twisting turns, alongside the solid rhythm section. There are some genuinely amusing compositions here and there, such as the flamenco styling of "Alone Again Or", the ripping improvised guitar solo on "A House is Not a Motel", those elegant strings swirling around the vocals on "Old Man", the subtle harpsichord motif on "The Red Telephone", the Latin-esque shuffle beat and blaring horns on "Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale", and the shifting tempos on "You Set the Scene". All the while, Arthur Lee and Bryan MacLean took turns singing about the world's decadence, in full disillusionment with the counterculture of the time. The isolation felt in "Alone Again Or", the war-torn veteran's diatribe on "A House is Not a Motel", the state of confusion on "Andmoreagain", the monotony of everyday work life on "The Daily Planet", the dissociation of self through the use of psychedelics on "The Red Telephone", the full-blown outright questioning of actions taken during the flower power movement on "You Set the Scene" as the inevitability of death loomed large. It's a lyrically depressing record with such brimming instrumentation, akin to another cult classic album, The Zombies' Odyssey and Oracle. However, I think what keeps me from outright loving this record is its incongruency. This album goes from one sonic idea to the next without a throughline connecting them, making for an uneven listen that's at least bookended well. It does feel like it was a double album cut down due to budget constraints. Also not helping matters are shortcomings in the lyrics, such as how underwritten "The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This" is, and "Live and Let Live" with its admittedly cringeworthy description of the protagonist's gun-toting defensive posture. Still, I enjoyed Forever Changes with its grandiose orchestral pop sensibilities. Unfortunately, once this album was completed, Bryan MacLean would leave the band, and Arthur Lee would dismiss the other members. Love would continue with Lee and a revolving door of musicians, and reformed later with guitarist Johnny Echols. The band would never be the same again after this record.
What a fascinating forgotten artifact of the ‘60s. Such beautiful arrangements. And I love that the lyrics were clearly poems Arthur Lee had written and just set to music. I can’t think of any other album from its time that I could compare it to, which is cool!
Nice album, but not my absolute favourite style of this era. 4 stars
4.4/5 Favorite Songs: Alone Again Or A House Is Not A Motel Andmoreagain Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark And Hilldale. Live And Let Live
Really liked . Good solid album
A psychedelic album with actual charm. I've grown to hate the genre as a whole because there's so much dross in there, but this is pretty solid.
A great slide of psychedelia. I'm not into drugs myself, but I appreciate psychedelic rock in the same way I appreciate decisions by the Beatles and The Beach Boys to attempt something more than love songs. You can go in just about any direction as long as you go far out. I can't say I loved every track but I liked most of them. The first track would be a banger in any era... it almost feels like it could have been a track by the Decemberists or The Shins or other recent indie artists with a bit of a psychedelic sensibility.
Two good albums back to back!! I fell to my knees because it’s been a doozy of ass music the past few days. This one just felt good to listen to, perfect for a sunny bike ride through the city. The strings were out of this world and I need this on vinyl because I’m an insufferable hipster.
I had Da Capo (1966) from Love already. Maybe I was a little harsh back then. I initially wrote Love off as a Doors knock-off, which I still kind of stand by. At least with their earlier album. But Forever Changes shows us something new. Guitars abound (acoustic and electric), along with a diverse range of cool textures/instrumentation to keep everything sounding fresh and interesting. Lots of cool chords, too. Harmonies like these are pretty much a prerequisite for any "great" album. Alone Again Or, at the very least, packs a solid punch with its aggressive-yet-pleasant acoustic guitar and wide selection of orchestral instruments, ranging from violins to (what sounds like) a whole brass section. That guitar reminds me of Mrs Robinson. No doubt it was an inspiration here. A House Is Not A Motel continues the heavy use of guitars, this time adding a pretty solid electric part to the mix towards the end. I wish it hadn't faded out in the middle of the solo – how was it going to finish?! – but a rock-solid song nonetheless. The next two, Andmoreagain / The Daily Planet, both make use of blurry, spirited acoustic guitars. We don't particularly catch a break with a lower-energy track until the balladesque Old Man, but the song also is just kind of weak. At least until 1:50 when the other instruments burst onto the scene. Great piano countermelody. The Red Telephone does this whimsical fairytale style a little better, though. So much life bursting from a song that is pretty simple on paper. Later songs like Bummer In The Summer and Live And Let Live don't stand out as much, on account of the vocals being a little weaker, but the instrumentation more than makes up for it. All in all, not a single weak song here. Award for dumbest song title goes to Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark And Hilldale. Don't get me wrong – the song sounds great – but how the heck am I supposed to tell my friends about it? 4/5 Key tracks: Alone Again Or, The Red Telephone, Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark And Hilldale
kind of intriguing. their sound is similar to some of their peers and yet it has a strong identity. impressive Would I listen again: yeah, i'm interested Deserves to be on this list: well, I never heard of them before now, so... 3.7
Ok
4/5. Psych rock and psych folk were both very overexposed genres in the late 60’s, so how did the band “Love” manage to stand out with this album? Simple, by actually writing good songs. which a lot of bands from that scene kinda forgot to do at the time. whether that be folk rock bangers like “Maybe the people would be the times…” or slower but equally catchy songs like the album closer “You set the scene.” This was a relisten for me, but enjoyed it just as much as I always have.
no it’s good for sure it just sort of sounds like a parody of a popular album from the late 70s :p kinda miss the hard swag they were showing on their second album
Love it. Own it.
Such a great opening track, "Alone Again Or" - amazing late 60s. Such a unique blend of psychedelic rock and orchestral elements. The brass section is pure bliss.
Another Love album. Da Capo was alright from what I remember...except for the 18 minute track. Nah homie. First Listen, the opening track Alone Again Or is a great start. The supporting trumpet was soooo good. The track A House Is Not a Motel was a great follow up; especially that guitar solo in the end. So far the album is offering me something preferable than the previous album Da Capo. Though, if I can get another 'Seven and Seven'-esque track, I'll be very happy. I can't explain why I didn't like their last album compared to this one. Perhaps the more dark and melancholic vibes. Highlight of the album, The Red Telephone encapsulates this album pretty well. It's not my favourite but it represents this album. I think the orchestral arrangements (if that's what I'm hearing) is really doing something for me. It's like I'm moving back and forth while listening to some of the tracks; MTPWBTTOBCAH (holy smokes that name) is a good example of this. Overall, this album is an improvement and matches my tastes pretty well. The orchestral and psychedelic elements do so much for the folk rock. The chorus and vibe of the tracks are worth noting too. Way way way better than Da Capo. T3: MTPWBTTOBCAH, Alone Again Or, Andmoreagain
La instrumentalidad es perfecta, no es el estilo de algo que escucharia a menudo pero en cuanto a calidad es top 8/10
Album #166 Love: Forever Changes One of those weird little gems of an album. I feel like bands from the 60s, other than a handful, tend not to appeal to modern audiences. Of course, you have The Beatles, Beach Boys, Doors, etc and all of the bands which have been cemented in musical canon. But for every Velvet Underground, there are a thousand forgotten bands that have slipped under the radar. Love, for all intents and purposes, should be one of those bands. They weren’t exactly unique, rather just one of many psychedelic pop bands coming out of the Laurel Canyon scene in California, and their first two albums really didn’t make any waves. However, Forever Changes is proof that quality will rise to the top regardless of who produces it. I always associate this album with The Zombies ‘Odyssey and Oracle, two 60s pop albums from groups that otherwise didn’t receive universal acclaim, which are today considered some of the best of the era. Forever Changes is undoubtedly one of the best Psychedelic albums of all-time, and I’m saying that while listening to it incredibly sober. It has a folksy feel to it, and the vocals are really soft and endearing; it presents a completely different trip than the one you would induce while listening to a harder psychedelic band like The Doors. An album like this really does make me wonder, however, if there was anything else equally as great produced at the time that just slipped through the cracks. Best Songs: Alone Again Or, Andmoreagain, You Set the Scene Worst Song: Bummer in the Summer Score out of 10: 9
Liked the orchestral elements the most. Good album overall but I don't think it sets itself apart from other albums released at the time. 3.5/5. Raising to 4.
it's hard not to see why Forever Changes is viewed as such a consummate musical statement by its most loyal adherents. it's a kind of crossroads, where everything you love about the best rock music of the 60s gets rolled together into an incredibly slick package. witty, unpredictable compositions; equally witty lyricism depicting the end of the flower-power years as a loss of one's own sanity, often delivered in gorgeous harmony; a satisfying mix of acoustic and electric guitars; and most importantly, the strings and brass, which always serve Love's songs and performances, never getting in their way. a lot of critical talk around this LP talks about how it's a grower, not a shower; my first impressions of it are already very strong, so hopefully it doesn't take long! decent 8/10.
I’m a sucker for orchestral elements
1001 albums to hear before you forever change to dust 98# yap, im all on it its great, i love Love.
Between this record, "The United States of America," and "Vincebus Eruptum," this is the week of surprisingly good experiemental albums of the 60s for me. While this wasn't quite as inventive as "United States" in my opinion, I still thought the music was interesting and often beautiful. There were a few duds here and there, but overall quite interesting and enjoyable. 4/5.
A cool, colorful experience. Definitely worthy of returning to at some point. 1 listen
late 60s artsy rock from one of the biggest names on elektra records... or at least that's what i've read, anyways. it came out around the same time as other big name albums that exhibited music in similar genres, but it has a weird little mood all its own, not as overtly joyous or colorful. big focus on guitars, tinny little drumbeats, folk influences, spanish-sounding horns... there's frankly a lot in terms of how the record sounds, and quite a bit when it comes to the lyrics too. it's a very dreamy and unique sound, and some of the tracks honestly took me by surprise. another one that could be classified as a hidden gem, especially from this era? i don't know, that's up to you. this album sounds like the wiggles but sadder.
There's a moment where this album touches on an almost mythic feeling of importance, and it comes somewhere in "Andmoreagain." The rest of this album seems to be searching for that same peak, sometimes nearing it, other times wandering down into the valleys. It's competent and quality rock music overall, with just that touch of greatness. I'll probably come back to this one.
Some songs caught my attention. Compositionally great, but not consistently great.
tengo cero idea de música así que no puedo decir mucho pero realmente me encantó.
Now this album truly surprised me. Coming in and breaking the 9 day streak of adding 0 songs to my frequent Spotify rotation is “Forever Changes” by Love. Love. That’s the band name?? Never heard of them. This album hits a sweet spot genre wise of some of my favorite genres and time periods. A 60’s era psychedelic rock album happens to be exactly what I’m looking for. There are approximately 2 songs I don’t love because of the singer being weird, notably “Andmoreagain” and “Live and Let Live”, but the rest of the album is great. The psychedelic licks are a little few and far between, but when you get them, it’s pretty great. The little yell the lead singer does that leads into a trippy solo in “A House Is Not a Motel” has to easily be my favorite song on the album, and is good enough to be added to my frequent Spotify rotation. Finally, the bot has not been feeding me anything replayable lately. If there’s something I would consider my least favorite part of this album, it actually is the lead singers voice. If I loved it, this album might get a 5 from me. It’s not bad, but he does make a few songs worse with his lyrics. They’re a little bizarre over the course of the entire album and never really make sense. But if I focus more on the music itself, I can look past it enough to give this album a very low 4. I’m satisfied with that. This is the first of 2 Love albums I have rolled for this project, and a very impressive first showing from this one. Yet another band I’ve never heard of before getting multiple inclusions on the bot. If I didn’t love this album, I’d complain more about that, but this time it gets a pass. I may even go back and give this one a 3 at some point, it’s the best thing I’ve rolled in several days, but I also haven’t exactly been rolling heat lately, so we’ll see. I don’t know if I’m truly satisfied with a 4, but it would have been a pretty hard decision to rank this one to begin with. It just happens to perfectly fall into the category of genres that I enjoy listening to, with very few exceptions. Best aspect, the music. Worst aspect, the singer. But even he’s not terrible, so I can look past it. It’s a 4 for now, but I still don’t know if I’m actually cool with that. We’ll see if it stays that way, but it’s liable to change later.
Undervurdert!
I only heard this for the first time a few years ago, and loved it. Not quite a five star album for me, but packed with ideas, good vocals, lyrics, musicianship, and songs. Definitely a firing on all cylinders album. I don't think it has the staying power for me personally, and a few years on there's only a few songs still on my regular rotation car playlist, cut down from almost the full album at one point.
Fantastic album
Cool classic psychedelic rock.
"There’s a bluebird sitting on a branch I guess I’ll take my pistol I’ve got it in my hand Because he’s on my land" Based.
Orchestral, softer, folksier side of rock without going completely Simon & Garfunkel. Great lyrics, too: “I think that people are the greatest fun.” Very fitting for their band name and the time period.
It's nice. 3.5
Крутые парни спасибо что напомнили
I'm an old person and I don't really need to be doing this challenge as I've been obsessed with music since teenagehood. Crinkly, dessicated and covered in liver spots, that's me. If I've ever wanted to hear something, I've probably heard it by now. But there are a few exceptions. This is one of them. People whose opinions I trust rate this album very highly. Should I still trust them? Yes! Nice and mellow. Good vibes! When the album stopped, Spotify played The Left Banke - another band I've always meant to listen to. That was even better! A purchase required on my next record shopping trip! But not for Love! Expensive day, ha ha!
(75/100)
SO different and positive. Real feel-good music when need to improve the mood.
cool unique vibe
Really enjoyed this one. Sometimes quaint, sometimes expansive, there’s a lot of variety and expertise in the arrangements. Lots of intriguing stylistic choices and it captured my attention through most of the album.
This is like.... the quintessential sound for this genre or microgenre, or what have you. One of those albums that you might not know (which I didn't!) but as soon as you hear it, it's clear that it is a a landmark sound that influenced acts that followed them. I wouldn't listen to this a whole lot, but nothing wrong with it. Three stars, plus half a star for influence and we'll round up to a 4.
Time capsule.
I have always dug this record.
Not as great as I expected, but those first couple of songs are magnificent, but it descends into weirdness after that. Still a 4 for inspiring everyone and for the Dorothy Parker reference in Alone Again Or.
Pretty sick psychedelic rock album, Beatles with a little spice to it
7/10 Best songs: Alone Again Or, Live and Let Live I really enjoy this album - psychedelic rock has been my big revelation since starting this project. The songs that really embrace the LSD of it all are definitely my favorites, but there is nothing on here that I dislike.
Ooh I liked this! Psychedelic and well composed, with some darker themes. Each song brought something different.
This one is great. Perfect intersection of psychedelics, great arranging and good lyrics. The high water make of what this era of music could be. Still a little too early for the full album statement era, so not quite perfect. But pretty darn good.
Pretty good blend of psych and folk. Would definitely listen to this one again Favorite Track - A House is Not a Motel Least Favorite Track - Old Man ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I may not have loved my first Love album, but sometimes second chances are necessary for things like these. Well, okay, I don't think a second chance would've been necessary if they just included this album and didn't feel the need to give Love two albums on this list but what do I know? What I do know is that I do, in fact, love Forever Changes! This album is pretty great! I don't think it's the masterpiece some have claimed it to be, but I can see why that claim has been made. It's not my favorite "underrated gem" of the 60s. I think that honor would probably go to the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle, but Forever Changes is pretty cool too. It is VERY 60s, but in a way that reflects well on the decade, or at least the music of the decade. The album does touch on some darker themes than many of its contemporaries, with the whole album having a general sense of paranoia and disillusionment that makes it such an engaging listen. I respect that. It helps that the music itself is enjoyable enough to appeal to just about anybody. Similarly to the lyrics, the album's music is based around the folk rock and psychedelia that dominated the mid-to-late 60s, but with just enough extra touches in its arrangements to help the album stand out. Good stuff. "Alone Again Or" is such a lovely opener. "You Set the Scene" is a pretty neat closer. It almost feels kinda proggy in a way. I love that. Heh, get it? Love? Overall, Forever Changes is a worthy entry into the pantheon of 60s folk-rock classics. I may not think it's the best of the best, but I can see why others would and I do still have a very positive opinion of the album. Solid 4/5.
A splendid album which I had no preconceived ideas about. Despite the weirdness of Live and Let Live (which has nothing to do with Apu), I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would
It’s great background music. Some of the songs actually pulled me out of work bc they were so catchy. I really enjoyed and would listen again.
While not my favorite album to come from the 60s psychedelia scene, still a fun album that effortlessly blends more folky influences into the popular sunshine/soft pop of the day. 8/10.
Real bleak lyrics for upbeat folk jams. Favourite track: "Maybe the People Would Be the Times..."
8/10 Waiter! waiter! more folk rock please!!
This is pretty sweet. Blues, American and Mexican folk, psych rock. Its kind of got everything. Lots of feeling, lots of emotion. The music is moving and flowing. Its great storytelling. This is a solid record.
Huh. I'm not familiar with... Love :'( Oop, just kidding, I've heard 'Alone Again Or' before! Good title. Good song, too. This is kind of like a Beach Boys - Kinks - Monkees vibe. Very listenable, but also an indie sensibility to the lyrics, which I like. Lotta painting people colors talk. Highlights: 'Alone Again Or', 'Live and Let Live', 'The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This' Lowlight: 'Bummer in the Summer' (feels like we're putting on a little voice here) Linguistic intrigue: too much to list! These guys get it!! Absurd wiki quote: "According to legend, the house that the members of Love lived in had a red telephone, although the song lyrics do not relate to this." Informative!
“And when you’ve given all you had And everything still turns out-bad And all your secrets are your own Then you feel your heart beating” I had a really fun time listening to this. It is so unabashedly ‘60s and at times lulls you into a false sense of security that you can predict what is coming next. This is often not the case and the most obvious example is the extremely crunchy electric guitar which multiple times on the album announces itself out of nowhere. Lyrically “Forever Changes” is largely a playing on the trope of doing a number of love songs from a number of different angles. It works well enough and like I say is very ‘60s. Love is a band that I can’t say I’d ever paid any mind to but I would certainly recommend this record to anyone who is a fan of their more popular contemporaries.
I loved this album and am surprised I’ve never heard of it before. I’ve heard songs/albums from this era a million times that don’t hold a candle to this album. What gives? It’s got some really cool moments like “maybe the people…”
I'm not sure about the 4 but i liked it
I think I'll give this another listen!
2/5
Wow! I was unfamiliar with Love, but I immediately liked the first two songs. Some of it is a bit too hippie-ish, but most of the songs kept me interested.
I kept waffling between a 3 and a 4, but honestly, this is the kind of music I like, and it's a *particularly good* version of it. Loved the strings and horns that popped up throughout. This album felt creative and, dare I say, a little ahead of its time.
I really enjoyed quite a few of these songs! It sounds like every other album from the 60’s but most of them don’t have songs as good as these.
Samme stil på sangene, men mye særegent. Cool
It had been a while since I heard this but it’s only gotten better. Insanely high peaks
Gear: Focalman Cleardara Artwork: 🗿🎭🌀 Production (2015 Remaster): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🌅🔑😌 Rating: 💟💟💟💟(💟)/5
A friend of mine recommended me this album a while back. That time I listened through the first song or so, but stopped soon. Today it was another experience. I really enjoyed it. Nice strings arrangements, pleasant songs. I’m glad the challenge made me give it another chance.
"Alone Again Or" is one of those amazing defining songs of the era (but well before my time), much in the same vein for me as the Moody Blues "Nights in White Satin" which I just learned was from the same year. The rest of the album with its nonsense and psychedelia, while fun, is a bit of a step down after that. This is a fine example of a well performed and recorded album. The 2015 remaster results in fabulous audio quality. As is typical for the era the stereo mix is hard-panned, which is a shock in headphones. All the drums hard-left, most guitars hard-right. Use your good speakers and sit back and enjoy.
Good fun and somewhat expected
Not much here can live up to the astonishing promise of Alone Again Or but it's still one heck of a strong album.
I was lucky enough to see Arthur Lee and the then current lineup perform this album in the early 2000’s. Whilst the live performance missed the strings and horns these finely crafted pysch-rock/folk/musical theatre/whatever the band came up with songs shone through and they still do
дуже приємно слухати, буквально музика для вух
It’s a solid 3½-star listen that earns an extra half-star bump thanks entirely to the unexpected mariachi-flavored horns on Track 1.
I liked this a lot more than I thought. A very good album start to finish, though it doesn't excel completely 7.5/10
Enjoyable listen. Liked the influence of the folk sound with the classic 60s rock pop style. Similar happy songwriting style to a lot of the great 60s albums and generally nice to listen to.
This album was cool. It seemed to mesh elements from other popular bands at the time but created this unique fusion sound. I loved the live string and brass sections! I’m surprised I’ve never heard of this band or album before, it seems like they’d be more popular. But maybe they were back in the day and it’s just fading over time…
pretty good
The overall vibe was right, but I only loved song 1 and 11. The others were almost good. Were they about Superman?
Nice
Alone Again Or is an all-time song. The rest of the album is a mix of songs I liked fairly well and songs I was bored by, more of them falling on the "liked" side. I'm definitely rounding my score up due to Alone Again Or though.
enjoyed it a lot, some surprisingly good guitar.
Pretty good. I like alone again or
Was a fine album from the era. Better than average.
Unexpectedly good
Macht großen Spaß anzuhören, schön abwechslungsreich und aus einem Guss.
Macht Spaß aber hat auch keine Ausreißer nach oben, dafür aber auch nicht nach unten
wierd choice for a new years eve album. second year here made me better at appriciateing music. really like the vibes. happy new year guys!! ;) 4/5
Love is one of those bands whose story is filled with heartbreak, self-sabotage, and missed opportunities - but I guess there are a lot of stories like that. Despite their obvious talent and musical genius, they never reached the commercial success they probably deserved, but they were incredibly inspirational to artists of their time and for generations to come after. The Rolling Stones were massive fans in the 60s and even "borrowed" a few of their tricks (see: She's a Rainbow). The Doors, Robert Plant, Jesus Mary and Chain, Yo La Tengo, the Stone Roses, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (I could go on) have all listed Love as a massive influence on their music and you can hear it in each of their own discographies. Forever Changes is such an incredible blend of musical styles, and like Alex, I almost forget how good it is until I force myself to throw it on. Next time, I don't think I'll be so hesitant to give it a listen. It's a shame the band basically self-imploded after this album, mostly thanks to Arthur Lee. Even if Love never made another album half as good as Forever Changes, the ripple effect of it's influence can be felt across generations and genres. Favorite Songs: Alone Again Or, A House is not a Motel, Daily Planet, Maybe the People.., Bummer in the Summer
Really good to get this immediately after Surrealistic Pillow for two reasons; 1. those in the Know like to bandy this about as "the best 1967 psych album" (unless they're fucking with Easter Everywhere) and 2. it is better than Surrealistic Pillow. Every time I listen to this album, I prepare to kick it down a notch in my estimation. I don't know what that says about me and my will to contrarianism but Forever Changes regularly clears the kneejerk hurdles I set up for it. This is a great album that's inflected with so many different sonic influences; Bacharach style pop, orchestra, Spanish pop, folk as well as burgeoning new sounds like the psych rock fuzzy electric guitars. The way it synthesizes so many of these older sounds while adding in "new" sounds like the winding electric guitar riffs found on A House is Not a Motel make it at least as ambitious as anything The Doors or The Kinks were doing at the same time. Arthur Lee's voice is incredible - generally the consensus take, to the point that even the arrangers of the album prioritized Lee's vocals over co-writer Bryan MacLean on the opening track "Alone Again Or." The issue that Forever Changes does run into - and this isn't major - is that the middle run of tracks loses the unique mix of lilt & intensity that drives the first four songs. Lee's voice, while great, gets lost in the sweet Bacharach-like melodies. The songs themselves are good in their individual parts but when run track-after-track, they blend together. I think this middle stretch is partially why I don't revisit this album as often as say, the 13th Floor Elevators, and why I usually think of Love as kind of hokey, not that a 60s band called "Love" is particularly helping their case in that regard. But the strongest songs off of Forever Changes are some of the best songs of the year, on par with Somebody to Love & White Rabbit. Favorite Tracks: Alone Again Or, A House is Not A Motel, Andmoreagain, The Red Telephone, You Set the Scene
Ça fait vraiment summer of love, avec une bonne petite dose de psychédélique. J'ai bien aimé. Sergeant pepper et ça, on est dans les mêmes eaux. Ça sonne très 60s
Fair
This sounds like 1967 in so many ways. The way the rock elements sound, the way the folk elements sound, the way the psychedelia weaves in and out, the lyrical style, etc. And this is a compliment.
Classic summer of love hippie rock. Lute music done well.
I think I like psychedelic rock
They kinda sound like every band and also no other band of the 60s at the same time. I think that's a good thing, at least it was here. It's directly in the center lane of 60s psych / pop / folk, and somehow does a great job at all three.
My dad loved this album and it always pops up on sort of underrated or other overlooked best of lists….sort of a forgotten psychedelic band from CA. Sometimes the psychedelic thing can be a bit much for me, but these songs are really well-written, intricately arranged and produced and mixed well. In spite of a couple corny accent vocals, I dig it. It’s a dense album and I want to dig in more.
I'd never heard of this band, but I really liked this record.
A beautiful little 60s folk hippy album with a playful edge. Alone Again Or is so great, possibly the very best song from the Laurel Canyon scene. This album is way way better than Da Capo. Fave Tracks: Alone Again Or, Andmoreagain, Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale 4.4/5
One of the peaks of this, generally, oversaturated style of psychadelic folk rock of the '60s. It's immersive, moody, jarring, disorienting, and slick. It doesn't exactly stand out sonically, but the secret sauce is all in the execution here - the hypnotic acoustic arpeggios or the way the flat toms and snares give the whole thing this very tribal feel. The bass here is brain-melting, and the vocals remain hushed but undoubtedly melodic, especially when harmonies are introduced. I'm sort of on the fence about the hard panning in the stereo mix I listened to, but it sure as hell made every instrument pop out and sound super clear, especially with that bassline on 'The Daily Planet' or that brooding, woody cello on 'Old Man'. The songs themselves are great - I don't think anything tops the opener 'Alone Again Or', but the songs 'Old Man' and especially the fiery 'Maybe The People Would...' get pretty darn close. And the closer, 'You Set the Scene', was surprisingly positive, inspirational, and the most ambitious song on here, structurally speaking. But I do think it's the album experience that wins me over; it feels like winding corridors in your dreams, a raw stream of consciousness just flowing out like a river in a beautiful forest at night. I think it'll only continue to grow on me on subsequent listens.
This was another album where I've heard some of the songs before, but never knew who made them. Or why.
Opens with such a banger! lots to love about love but doesn't transcend for me.
Wunderbar lieblich
Þetta er fín plata. Doldið 60's en auðvitað ekki við öðru að búast. Ég fílaði þetta bara frekar vel við seinni hlustanir.
Shagadellic. Shagtastic. Shagnanimous? Is one of these songs in an Austin Powers movie? Was my statement unfair to Love? Most of what I say is unfair to love. It feels like one or more has been in a few movies or tv shows. Or maybe this album inspired a lot of songs that appeared in movies and tv shows. Good stuff. Groovy.
Love Love. This is solid psych rock, a little whimsy but the darkness isn’t far off. One or two songs felt a bit long, but very good!
I’m pretty sure this is our second Love album? Pretty good stuff
I need to revisit this one. But it was a perfect Sunday album. Good hippie vibes, nice arrangements.
That was alright. A darker version of the Byrds. Some weird lyrics, but wasn't too '60s kitchy.
In my opinion the guitars were the best component in this album. The string and brass arrangements, and of course the vocals were great too. I don't like the stereo mix (or at least the one on Spotify), but I guess back then they were mostly focused on mono. I loved this folk rock sound. Live and Let Live was my favourite.
I love this for what it is but there are a lot of things going on here that are excusable only because this album was made in the time when it was, if that makes any sense. I also excuse some of the silliness because they sound like pioneers to me. Can't imagine what the Doors would have sounded like without these guys showing them the way, for example.
Well, at least we get this album to help wash out the sad/disappointing "Da Capo" from a while back. Love isn't really my cup of tea, but at least this album has more cohesion and far less flute- and sax-playing, although I'm not sure all the Spector-style strings add all that much. I appreciated the sense of disillusionment in many of the songs, especially the classic "Alone again or", the strange storyline of "The daily planet", the haunting "The red telephone" and the dystopian "Live and let live" (the latter two by far the highlights of the album), and the sadly cynical "You set the scene". A bit sad as well to read that the band was barely able to focus and record this album, and then disbanded not long after by Arthur Lee's frustrated (and paranoid) hand. What a way to usher out the 60s....
Þetta er mjög ljúf plata sem ég mun alveg pottþétt setja aftur í spilun af og til. Hún byrjar á algjörum smelli en nær aldrei þeim gæðum aftur án þess þó að verða leiðinleg. Fjórar stjörnur af því að ég varð svo ánægður
good, jazzy and I love his groovy voice
A good album, I liked Alone Again Or, A House Is Not A Motel and Live And Let Live the most.
Funny how early bands were able to get away with such simple band names. Listening notes: -Pleasant and chill without being a clone of other late sixties bands: orchestration is neat here. -Way more sophisticated strings than I was expecting on this album -Sonically cool, but these lyrics really aren't doing much for me Review: This was a fun little trip. Won't say it's groundbreaking but there's a lot of unique sounds in what I expected to be a beatles clone.
There are more than a few "sophisticated" psychedelic albums on the 1001 list, but I feel that this is the only one that really, truly lives up to the sobriquet. Beautifully arranged and recorded (with occasionally support from Wrecking Crew session musicians), the song-writing is a little more folky than Love's previous efforts. This is definitely a 1967 album, but with an eye towards the inevitable come-down that was lurking around the corner. My favourite section, and probably most emblematic of the album's tone, is the coda of The Red Telephone, with the creep chanting of "they're locking them up today, they're throwing away the key, I wonder who it will be tomorrow, you or me?" The paranoia of the late 60s is perfectly encapsulated right there.
I really wonder if Love just suffered from an overcrowded marketplace during the Summer of Love. Their music is very good but they had a ton of competition from countless psychedelic and experimental artists. "Forever Changes" saw them move to a less experimental and more mature output, heavily loaded with strings. Few would argue that this is the very best of the era, but it's still pretty damned good. No wonder then that Love has gone on to achieve so much cult status decades later. They're like that person standing at the back of a party not talking to anyone. You could easily ignore them but when you take the time to get to know them you realize that they're actually pretty interesting.
Take acid and listen to this
The album descriptions call this this psychedelic rock, butit felt more baroque and less self-indulgent than most psychedelic rock we've had on this list. And, while a product of it's time, I can almost see a through line from this to other bands like Belle and Sebastian, rhe Shins and Beiruit.
This was a pleasant surprise given this exercise has made me realize I'm not a huge fan of psychedelic rock - but for the big recognizable hits. But this was an oddly compelling listen with the strings, the ability to keep songs to less than 17 minutes long, and story telling lyrics that only occasionally veered into cheesiness. Might be a high 3, low 4 kind of situation, but grading up for today.
Very cool album. Love the folkiness!
I just love the consistency and musicianship of this record. Sure, it is definitely a 60s-sounding rock record but it captures the sound really well