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johnbhoy
Second Love
46 Posts |
 Posted - 19/10/2004 : 17:53:31
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This is proving difficult to find, can anyone advise me if it was ever produced on CD format or just vinyl ? Saw one vinyl version open to auction on eBay.
KOS
Lisbon 1967 |
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Ellaguru
First Love
United Kingdom
3 Posts |
Posted - 31/08/2007 : 21:35:09
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Hi, I know it's a long while since you posted, but I'm new to this forum, it was just because I was googling for info on Reel to Real that I came across your post.
I've never seen this album on cd, and I've been looking for ages for a good copy on vinyl;
last week managed to get one from a record shop here in the UK.
I've just finished transferring it to cd, and I am just finishing the artwork.
If you would like me to do you a copy, it would be a pleasure.
Send me an email if you are interested.
Best Wishes to all!
Dave |
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watchinallthapeople
Fourth Love
155 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2007 : 00:21:27
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Its definately a classic,
The version of everybodys gotta live is the best in my opinion
and which witch is which is awsome
If you make that copy can you up load it to the piratebay?
My needles screwed so I can't play my LP of it!!!! |
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Ellaguru
First Love
United Kingdom
3 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2007 : 20:26:45
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Hi watchinallthepeople,
yes I have finished the cd and artwork, looks and sounds great, now forgive me for being dumb here, but what is the piratebay??
will I have to convert the files to suit?
anyways I will upload if I can, no problem!
bye for now
Dave
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watchinallthapeople
Fourth Love
155 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2007 : 09:53:51
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Hey Dave
er basically piratebay is a site for internet piracy
but the way I see it as the only way to get reel to real is second hand vinyl
you would be screwing anyone a
Pirate bay lets you find files called Bittorrents
which are files of music, film, comics etc compressed for easy internet transfer
to convert media to the bittorrent format or to download it you need to download and install torrent software like this
http://www.utorrent.com/download.php
once you've installed it
click file
create new torrent
and a box appears which asks you for the file to upload
for the trackers (which is the site to upload to) here
you type this
http://open.tracker.thepiratebay.org/announce
and then in comments write a description of the files
which could be track listing, a review, sleeve notes, info from wikipedia or just your story of how you made the file or what you think about it
look here for an example
http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3406144/Love_with_Arthur_Lee_-_5_albums_(Forever_Changes)
It might seem like a bit of effort but I reckon everyone on this board would totally dig it
I'd get to listen to that awsome soul/gospel version of everybodies gotta live(clearly the best one)
and as label execs often check these sites
maybee if it gets a lot of downloads it could precipitate a CD release :)
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wendywhen
Second Love
United Kingdom
36 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2007 : 21:57:37
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Yes Dave,
Please upload Reel to Real. I'd love to have a clean copy as my old vinyl has seen it's best days. For my (limited) money it is still the most personal record AL made after FC. I'm sure loads of people will be deeply appreciative. |
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Alone Again
Fourth Love
Ireland
188 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2007 : 01:20:04
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| I would love to hear it,I've only heard a number of tracks from it which i liked,that and Vindicator funny that Everybody's Gotta Live is one of my all time favourite songs yet i dont have either of the albums. |
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ThomasGalasso
Old Love
USA
712 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2007 : 04:19:01
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Manimal Vinyl got an offer to reissue Reel to Real remastered with bonus tracks, which on the surface sounds great, but then one has to wonder who would buy it, and how many copies would be sold. Unfortunately its not Arthur's best work, and it really seems like it was something he did to make a fast buck at the time. Personally, I enjoy some of the songs but I get a little depressed when I listen to it. I feel like there was a lot of negative energy going on while that record was being made, more than say...Forever Changes. A negative energy that doesn't do the recordings any justice.
It will more than likely have to be a British label, or something that would reissue it, as I would have to agree with Arthur when he said he was lost during this period. Imagine Arthur got a two album deal from RSO giving him $200,000.00 and only did one album.
-Thomas |
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jazmaan
Fifth Love
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2007 : 07:03:09
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| I've always enjoyed "Reel to Real". One of my favorite memories of the 96 tour was hearing Arthur sing "Be Thankful for What You've Got". It was just an unplugged jam with the boys back at the hotel room but I'll never forget it. Wish I'd had my tape recorder running! |
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John9
Old Love
United Kingdom
2154 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2007 : 17:38:25
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I think that it is difficult to generalise about 'Reel To Real'. The fact that Arthur chose to include newly recorded versions of three songs he had done previously would seem to suggest that he was a little short of material. And then two other tracks, 'Stop The Music' and 'Good Old Fashioned Dream' are highly derivative - and in my view, not a little tedious. But against all that you have to balance the album's high points. 'Time Is Like A River' I have always felt to be just about his strongest 70s song. Also up there has to be the deep south blues flavoured 'Everybody's Gotta Live' - I like the Vindicator version as well, but there is something uplifting about this one. For some reason it always reminds me of the mission statement that seemed to guide Arthur during his last few years: "Love On Earth Must Be". 'Who are You?' is a fascinating little musical kaleidoscope even if its 'Shaft' style arrangement dates it a little. 'Be Thankful For What You Got' I think is a beautifully mellow listen - and is for Arthur of course, a rare cover. And most intriguingly of all we have the mysterious and other worldly 'Which Witch Is Which'. To me , there is no doubt ... the ayes have it.
Trivia: I have just noticed that two of the backing vocalists on this album - Vanetta Fields and Carlina Williams - also appear on 'The Dark Side Of The Moon' as well as on Gene Clark's aural masterpiece, 'No Other'. |
Edited by - John9 on 11/09/2007 18:39:33 |
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ThomasGalasso
Old Love
USA
712 Posts |
Posted - 15/09/2007 : 06:05:37
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This dubious Love album had many brushes with greatness, not just Venetta Fields, who during this era, was the premier back up vocalist working with everyone including The Stones.
-Thomas |
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johnbhoy
Second Love
46 Posts |
Posted - 18/09/2007 : 13:55:17
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Thanks for keeping this thread going guys.
I still pop in here from time to time.
KOS
Lisbon 1967 |
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wendywhen
Second Love
United Kingdom
36 Posts |
Posted - 20/09/2007 : 05:55:53
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ThomasGalasso,
R2R is not a dubious Love album really. It is an AL solo album masquerading as a Love album. He passed out of the heavy rock phase of the Electra albums and Vindicator and into something else. As such it ages a lot better that those albums IMHO. It certainly contains some of his best singing post FC...by far.
As Bowie said "ch..ch..ch..ch...changes |
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rocker
Old Love
USA
3606 Posts |
Posted - 20/09/2007 : 17:45:00
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.."passed out of the rock phase...and into something else"...
hmmm..what should we call it? I don't think Arthur liked "blues" (only 3 chords) so it's not that. He has a great line where he says we should put on our parachutes when we listen to his stuff (and really all music if you come to think about it). He said "it doesn't work unless it's open." Like Guinness man Arthur can be "brilliant". |
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ThomasGalasso
Old Love
USA
712 Posts |
Posted - 24/09/2007 : 05:57:11
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Since this is being considered an Arthur Lee solo record masquerading as a Love solo album, I feel that would make it somewhat dubious, much like the last Velvet Underground record titled Squeeze, which was almost like a Doug Yule solo outing using the VU moniker.
While I do enjoy certain songs from Reel to Real, it truly is a dry effort in my opinion. Compare that soul record to others from that time from people such as Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder etc. it doesn't even stack up. Considering that Lee was talked into the whole soul trip from Skip Taylor, he clearly wasn't that into to it and saw it as an opportunity to make a quick dollar.
During this time Arthur was living a very negative lifestyle one that didn't allow much room for clarity and creativity. The story Skip Taylor told a friend of mine when they were looking for the Black Beauty tapes indicates that Taylor wanted to manage Lee back in 1968 or 1969, but he wasn't interested. Years would go by and he would run into Arthur somewhere and make him an offer, and illustrate the kind of money he could make on the newly formed RSO label. Skip convinced Robert Stigwood to pony up $200,000.00 for the completion of two albums, and then work began on Reel to Real.
Stigwood loved the record and was extremely excited but Arthur's behavior would become erratic, and he would have clashes with not only labelmates such as Eric Clapton, but also create a bit of dischord with the likes of Mick Jagger, and even John Lennon while recording at the record plant. Stigwood become so fed up with the turmoil the tour brought that he let Arthur keep the rest of the money and didn't even force him to put out the second RSO Love album.
-Thomas
Another issue with this record is the fact that you have 11 tracks in which four of them are covers. The cover of William DeVaughan's "Be Thankful for What You Got" is good, but it sounds almost exactly like the original. Therefore its almost pointless. A reprise of "Singing Cowboy", which was done much better on the amazing Four Sail record, a very loud and chaotic reprise of "Busted Feet" which was already done on the Vindicator and again the same deal with "Everybody's Gotta Live".
So for me this is definetly a dubious record. Ask some of the people involved with recording it. Arthur's headspace was not all that positive. |
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ThomasGalasso
Old Love
USA
712 Posts |
Posted - 24/09/2007 : 05:59:56
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Oh I forgot to mention the baby on the cover is actually Arthur. Pretty weird huh?
-Thomas |
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Reel To Real
