| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Joe Morris |
Posted - 12/01/2011 : 20:17:13
wonder if they got any of the original artwork from Rothchilds failed label |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| John9 |
Posted - 27/01/2011 : 21:16:41
Yes LK....if there was ever a person for whom the word enigma was devised, then it was Arthur Lee. Black Beauty has over the years, acquired the status of a legend....largely of course because it has never been officially released. I first heard the album on a bootleg cassette that I had bought on the market at London's Camden Lock back in the 80s. Sometimes though I think that the relentless drive for more and more unreleased material can reduce the mystique of a great band or artist....especially if the music in question comes from a period that was unspectacular, creatively. But I agree.....it has to be Diane's decision. |
| lemonade kid |
Posted - 26/01/2011 : 19:56:53
LoVE WAS Arthur. It was his band, no matter the personnel, and any of his musical efforts would always be about LoVE. The original band was no longer Love for Arthur...the drugs, the stealing instruments to pawn for drugs.....there just wasn't any Love left.
We sometimes mourn the loss of the MacLean/Echols Love, but if they had stayed together they would possibly have become passe and old, and we would be saying they should have stopped after FC or Four Sail or whatever., & the legend of LoVE would not be as majestic as it is.
We have what we have in LoVE, but it is our nature to want more and better. We have LoVE, no matter, and we are grateful. If Diane feels she should release Black Beauty....great! She knew Arthur better than anyone and stuck with him (even though she sometimes broke away for a time, she was there when he needed her)....so she has the right, and she has her reasons.
We really know nothing about Arthur's true desires...he was all over the map about his music, one year to the next. He didn't come round to FC for decades and maybe he would have come round to embrace all phases of his music. He is like Tim Buckley....as soon as one album was recorded, he was throwing off the old and embracing the new, because he was an artist...that's what they do if they are truly ARTISTS.
Out of respect for Arthur, we ought to respect Diane, and her decisions with Arthur's Love.
_____________________________________________
Letting your freak flag fly is a state of mind,
not a fashion statement.
-lk |
| Joe Morris |
Posted - 26/01/2011 : 18:58:14
False Start did pretty well, undoubtedly cos of the Hendrix connection (he played on it, see, though thats Noony Ricketts band on the cover! |
| waxburn |
Posted - 26/01/2011 : 16:28:13
quote:
Originally posted by Joe Morris
Arthur was full of it
Must've felt terrible having peaked at 21!
Hes saying nonsense that the Four Sail band dissed Forever Changes, hence why they went electric
Arthur just couldn't repeat perfection, and his band split cos of the drugs, the money hassles, and so forth
Its cool he went on with music, but maybe he shouldn't have been calling it Love. I mean it was clearly something completely different (and not necessarily in a good way!)
most of those post FC records outsold FC. it became perfect long after the fact at the time it was viewed as something thats time had passed. folk rock was pasee, acid rock the thing to do.
Maybe if the other memebers would have been able to keep their thing together, he would kept the original band going. even if he had kept the original group, the music would have taken a turn away from the FC sound. But i guess they left for greener pastures( still trying to get the date for those JE-Miles 'sessions') |
| waxburn |
Posted - 26/01/2011 : 14:52:55
quote:
Originally posted by gatemouthmoore
Love put it all on the line with Forever Changes. Arthur gave the project the very best songs he had, and they all expected it would be a huge success. It had to be tough, to put your heart and soul in an album, and have it fail to go very far on the charts. Of course he would try and save face, by dismissing it.
After what was considered a failure at the time, he gave up trying to push the envelope, and returned to safe pedestrian songs. That only made things worse for him. When the critics finally discovered Forever Changes, everything he did, was compared to it. Everyone wanted more songs like that. But It was too late to return to that style, because his group was in the wind. Bad timing, bad luck, or bad Karma!
geez! Cant the same thing be said about Black Beauty? He put all that effort and ended up not being released for reasons outside his control?
His group was in the wind, thats for sure.
I say release. I like it. |
| Joe Morris |
Posted - 26/01/2011 : 06:31:38
imagine it as a double album! |
| gatemouthmoore |
Posted - 26/01/2011 : 05:54:20
Love put it all on the line with Forever Changes. Arthur gave the project the very best songs he had, and they all expected it would be a huge success. It had to be tough, to put your heart and soul in an album, and have it fail to go very far on the charts. Of course he would try and save face, by dismissing it.
After what was considered a failure at the time, he gave up trying to push the envelope, and returned to safe pedestrian songs. That only made things worse for him. When the critics finally discovered Forever Changes, everything he did, was compared to it. Everyone wanted more songs like that. But It was too late to return to that style, because his group was in the wind. Bad timing, bad luck, or bad Karma! |
| Joe Morris |
Posted - 26/01/2011 : 04:45:19
Arthur was full of it
Must've felt terrible having peaked at 21!
Hes saying nonsense that the Four Sail band dissed Forever Changes, hence why they went electric
Arthur just couldn't repeat perfection, and his band split cos of the drugs, the money hassles, and so forth
Its cool he went on with music, but maybe he shouldn't have been calling it Love. I mean it was clearly something completely different (and not necessarily in a good way!) |
| waxburn |
Posted - 26/01/2011 : 02:34:13
quote:
Originally posted by gatemouthmoore
When an artist goes out of his way to "diss" a particular project, uses the acetates as coasters, tells any one who would listen, that he hated Black Beauty. Then it would seem to me, in my most humble opinion, maybe those in charge might want to consider the feelings of said artist. Arthur had several opportunities, to be a part of a revived, Black Beauty project when he was alive, he, and I repeat [He] absolutely refused to have any part in what he called "polishing a turd." No matter what I, or anyone else thinks about it, again in my opinion, the artist should always have the last word. Those who claim to be such huge fans of Arthur, and the group Love, should be the first to say " LET'S RESPECT THE MAN'S WISHES!"
didnt Arthur say that he didnt like Forever Changes? Probably was joking.
its already out there, maybe the estate can benefit instead of the bootleggers. In my opinion of course.
|
| gatemouthmoore |
Posted - 25/01/2011 : 23:59:48
Stay tuned! |
| kdion11 |
Posted - 25/01/2011 : 21:16:12
quote:
Originally posted by gatemouthmoore
Let me pose a slightly different question, in the same vein: Suppose an artist has worked on an album for many years. He finishes it to his satisfaction, and is pleased with the results. He passes away before it is released. Now individuals, seeking to cash in on the popularity of another album, and who had absolutely no input in the creation of this music. Decide to change that music, by adding strings and horns and other bells and whistles, that the artist would never have approved of. In some cases, discarding tracks he had selected, and going with takes that are vastly different from the ones he had chosen. Would that be acceptable?
KD: Sounds like Jimi's postumous career ! At least during the Alan Douglas years. |
| Joe Morris |
Posted - 25/01/2011 : 04:09:23
my feeling is that the more people hear of Love the better
Christ on a bike though! lets hope that people who pick up on Black Beauty through reading of it in Rolling Stone or hearing of it online
pick up on Forever Changes!
Listened to the first few songs on Forever Changes last night, the first I've listened to the album in several months. Still holds up pretty fine!  |
| gatemouthmoore |
Posted - 25/01/2011 : 03:38:34
Hey KD, Not having Kafka's full body of work, would have been tragic. Destroying it, would have been even more tragic. In fact it would have been criminal! However that is not the case here. All the songs from Black Beauty, have been widely available for many years. This will be just another repackaged version, of the same music, (music that Arthur hated, and did not want released.) There's nothing new here, and as I've said. When an artist has such strong feelings against, a particular project. Maybe he should have at least some say, concerning his own legacy!
Let me pose a slightly different question, in the same vein: Suppose an artist has worked on an album for many years. He finishes it to his satisfaction, and is pleased with the results. He passes away before it is released. Now individuals, seeking to cash in on the popularity of another album, and who had absolutely no input in the creation of this music. Decide to change that music, by adding strings and horns and other bells and whistles, that the artist would never have approved of. In some cases, discarding tracks he had selected, and going with takes that are vastly different from the ones he had chosen. Would that be acceptable? |
| kdion11 |
Posted - 25/01/2011 : 00:44:57
quote:
Originally posted by gatemouthmoore
When an artist goes out of his way to "diss" a particular project, uses the acetates as coasters, tells any one who would listen, that he hated Black Beauty. Then it would seem to me, in my most humble opinion, maybe those in charge might want to consider the feelings of said artist. Arthur had several opportunities, to be a part of a revived, Black Beauty project when he was alive, he, and I repeat [He] absolutely refused to have any part in what he called "polishing a turd." No matter what I, or anyone else thinks about it, again in my opinion, the artist should always have the last word. Those who claim to be such huge fans of Arthur, and the group Love, should be the first to say " LET'S RESPECT THE MAN'S WISHES!"
KD: Hey GM. I agree with this TO A POINT. Remember, Kafka's will explicitly stated that ALL of his unreleased manuscripts, diaries
and writing be burned upon his death. His executor thought this one through and thought the public needed to read / hear this exrordinary artist. The rest is literary history with some of Kafka's most famous work (The Trial, etc) having survived the bonfire !
Free the writing ! |
| Joe Morris |
Posted - 25/01/2011 : 00:39:13
I don't know - Love Lost isn't the best album out there, nor is Arthur Lee (from Rhino Records, 1980 - the one with the pathetic cover)
It kinda reminds me of the Blackadder sketch Cavalier Years, where they're trying to save the King from Cromwell and Blackadder is forced to attempt one of Baldricks plans: when they're beheading the king they hold up a pumpkin with a pathetic moustache and claim it to be him!
Well, thats the 1980 Rhino album - thats the one with the pathetic cover, where Arthurs given a guitar in front of a ghastly backdrop.
clearly a labor of love for Rhino, who apparently had no budget left for a decent cover!
Got 3 stars in Rolling Stone, curiously, though its not the best Love album
Nor is it the worst
Black Beauty isn't the worst either. I mean, Love DID release a wretched track like "Revelation" at their creative peak while they were on Elektra, so maybe Arthur wasn't the best judge of his own stuff
Quite a lot of the New Rose album is appalling, and even a few tracks on Vindicator are throwaway, and Vindicator is FUN
Helps if you play it loud of course! |
|
|
