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John9
Old Love
United Kingdom
2154 Posts |
 Posted - 09/12/2007 : 14:41:31
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I've been out of circulation for a while - in hospital - but I'm well on the road to recovery now - and ready to resume my obsession with the greatest band ever. Some readers will know about the classic Zig Zag articles already - but if you've never come across them, they are well worth devoting half an hour of your time to. Zig Zag in the early to mid 70s was an offbeat, almost underground magazine that you could buy only at certain shops in UK city centres. The writers there were especially fond of providing encyclopeadic chapters on US West Coast groups as well as on the then burgeoning British Folk Rock scene. Those of us at that time who were sitting round wondering when Arthur Lee's muse was going to return, took solace from Zig Zag's never failing optimism. We weren't expecting another 'Forever Changes' - after 'False Start', another 'Four Sail' would have been just fine.......but instead of course we were getting 'Ol Morgue Mouth'. Interesting themes to look out for are the first discussions (in 1970) of the Blue Thumb live album along with Pete Frame's classic family tree (from 1972) showing the fascinating links between Love , the Turtles and the Mothers of Invention. I can remember that following the release of 'Reel to Real' in November '74, Zig Zag announced gravely that they would not be providing any more coverage on Arthur until he had returned to composing decent music worthy of his name. The ensuing outcry was so great that Zig Zag were obliged to reconsider and, as you can see they were back on the case by March'75. I'm sure that much of this is already included on Torben's archive page - but anyway, here they all are:
http://www.birthdaybiff.co.uk/sandydenny/al/arthurlee.htm
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Edited by - John9 on 09/12/2007 14:55:21 |
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rocker
Old Love
USA
3606 Posts |
Posted - 10/12/2007 : 14:22:40
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john9..hope your doing well..better to be at home eh???....good articles...Arthur's pretty upfront in the interviews...he holds nothing back...heh heh man I don't know how I'd react if I ever met him..he could bite your head off!!.. |
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Rob Dudda
Fourth Love
United Kingdom
131 Posts |
Posted - 10/12/2007 : 20:21:59
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| Thanks for posting,I'll work my way through them |
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John9
Old Love
United Kingdom
2154 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2007 : 00:05:05
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Thanks for your good wishes, Rocker - yes, it is very much better to be back at home.
The bulk of the 1972 article was written I think, by John Tobler - who the following year, to my great dismay would decline to include any tracks from 'Four Sail' on Elektra's UK 'Love Masters' compilation. Whilst I always disagreed profoundly with Mr Tobler about the 1968-70 incarnation of Love (in my view they came up with two fine albums), I think that both he and the other guy had it dead right about 'Vindicator'. Still, I know that today that first solo album is regarded more highly by many fans and critics than it was back then. Ironically, it has become the album that I play most often because I am constantly trying to detect in it those signs of Arthur's wayward genius that others see. But all I hear (with the exception of 'Everybody's Gotta Live') is rather pale Hendrix imitation - and what seem to me to be deeply misogynistic lyrics on 'Hamburger Breath'. I know ....someone will tell me how wrong I am! |
Edited by - John9 on 11/12/2007 00:36:10 |
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Love Zig Zag Treasure
