Academy, Liverpool
UK, January 24. 2003

Last Update: 03. oktober 2003

Photos: Chris Jones and Elly Roberts

Arrived at the gig in plenty of time and met up with Chris Adams (a Eurotrader friend of mine) and my son Dan (first time we'd been to a gig together) who is a student at Liverpool University. I was hoping that Arthur and the lads would be on good form as Dan hadn't heard Love before and I really wanted him to be turned on by the band.
I'd been given a free guest ticket as a couple of my pix had been used in the programme so I was already pretty high on emotion before the show started.
The place filled up rapidly and the attraction of the bar meant that I was a bit late taking up a spot close to the front, but I managed to squeeze my way in to a good position almost at the centre of the front of the stage.
The gig started with a high energy My Little Red Book and before the number had ended the crowd were already right behind the band. Throughout the gig Arthur was interspersing a lot of comment and banter between songs - he seemed really pleased to be back in Liverpool and made lots of comments about it throughout the show.

The spotlights cast an appropriate vivid orange-red glow over the whole stage as Orange Skies followed LRB.
It seemed no time at all before the string and horn sections came out and took their places at the rear right of the stage.
Having seen Love three times on this tour, I have to say that they orchestra musicians are getting better and better - and they are clearly totally into the music.
Arthur is on top form - working his audience like the superlative showman he is. Coaxing and crooning his way through Old Man - for which he needs a music stand as he can't remember the words - and wringing every ounce of feeling from Bryan's song.
And then a change of tempo as the band launch into the Red Telephone. It seems to me that they perform this live a little faster than on the album - and there's certainly a lot more spirit in the live version. Just before the song, Arthur makes a comment about the song being relevant thirty years ago
and being relevant again now with the American war machine gearing up in the Gulf.
At the climax of the number the whole place is erupting and crying "Freedom" in reply to Arthur.
Clark and Hilldale is the moment when Mike Randle really starts letting rip - in the background the horn section start bobbing up and down in time to the music and end up pogo-ing madly as they get totally caught up in the vibes.
Needless to say, everyone is singing along as Live and Let Live begins - never in the field of gigging has so much snot caked against so many pants. Mike again comes centre stage to deliver his power riffs which ring out loud and clear - this guy really delivers.

Another change of pace and mood with the Good Humor Man and I think that everyone appreciated the opportunity to mellow out a bit. The horns really work well here giving the song a stunning climax.
Bummer in the Summer starts cranking things up again and the crowd erupts at the opening notes of You Set the Scene.
As the last echoes of the Forever Changes suite resonate through the hall, the crowd erupts. Arthur seems absolutely bowled over by his reception but doesn't forget to pay tribute to the strings and horns.
The guys are only off for a few moments before they're picking up their instruments again to wild applause from the crowd.
They kick off with a superb version of Robert Montgomery - this is such a strong number and is even better than it is on Four Sail. I'm so pleased that they've brought it back into their repertoire.
My Flash On You gives Dave Chapple the chance to show off some gorgeous bass runs in this proto-punk number.
Signed DC is, as always, 100% emotion. Arthur's harp soars out between verses dripping with feeling.
Arthur never misses the opportunity to give John Lennon a name check ("a good friend and a hero of mine" ) before he launches into the sing along fun of Everybody's Gotta Live/Instant Karma.
She Comes In Colors is another favourite of the crowd (though let's face it, they all are) and Mike does a lovely impression of a flute at the appropriate moments.
The next one from Four Sail is August - and this is one of their most requested numbers, along with Singing Cowboy. Tonight we got both and they really rock.
The strings and horns return for another Four Sail favourite - Always See Your Face - which neatly brings the tempo down again after the highs of August. This in turn is followed by the gentle Listen To My Song.
My Anthem is the new one. No piper as for the RFH (wonder if they'll bring one back for the February RFH gig) and I think that this is the weakest moment. Perhaps the song will develop, but I'm really not sure about it.
The fourth and final number from Four Sail is Singing Cowboy. This is a fitting finale to the show and everyone is whooping and hollering "Coming back to you-hoo, yoo-hoo" in response to Arthur.
The band leave the stage again and look as if they have all given everything they've got. The crowd cheers madly and within a few seconds the band comes back to play an encore. Most unexpected as they haven't done so hitherto when I've seen them.
They launch into a fierce Seven and Seven Is and when that ends it really is the end of the show. The crowd leave with beaming faces. My son has had a really good time and thought they were shit hot - and so did I.
Arthur is such a dominating showman and Mike such a powerful lead guitarist that it would be easy to overlook the contribution made by the rhythm section in holding the whole thing together. Daddy-O Green never misses a beat and provides a solid foundation. Dave Chapple plays a very neat bass and clearly enjoys every minute of what he is doing. Rusty is a very talented guitarist indeed, but in a totally unpushy way. It seems to me that it is he that actually ties the whole thing together. It was certainly noticeable last year in Leeds that Arthur had to constantly refer to Rusty to find out what happened next, and sometimes to help him remember the words. This wasn't quite as obvious this time around, but nevertheless, Rusty was the man.

Love are now performing four songs from Four Sail, and I wonder if they'll also bring in to the repertoire Nothing and Dream - two more strong songs from this underrated album. I'm also eagerly awaiting the resurrection of some of the tracks from False Start - I can really envisage Mike Randle tearing the place up with The Everlasting First.
When I first heard about Love performing Forever Changes with strings and horns, I had serious doubts as to whether it would work in a live setting. My doubts were totally dispelled at the RFH and I have to say that these people - totally unaware of Forever Changes until a few moths ago - just keep getting better and better. They have made a huge contribution to the enjoyment of the show and it's so nice to see that they are enjoying it too.
Well that could have been it. But after the show, I decided to wait around and try and get a word with some of the band. So, like the tour slut I've become in the last year, I hung around outside by the band's bus and vans and waited for the band to emerge. It seemed to take ages before they did finally leave the hall, but my waiting time was made easier by the presence of Lavinia a beautiful twenty-something student at the University who had brought along a copy of the booklet from the Forever Changes CD in the hope of getting Arthur to sign it. I'd brought a ringbinder full of my photos in the hope that I could get a few autographs too. I'd had a chance at Sheffield when I'd met all the band bar Arthur before and afterwards but had stupidly not taken the opportunity to do so. This time - my last opportunity for this tour - I wasn't going to give up lightly.
Eventually, after an hour, they emerged and started to dash straight for the bus. Lavinia managed to buttonhole Arthur though and got him to sign her booklet and posed while I took their picture. Mike came out and asked me if I'd gotten in all right on my guest pass before he boarded the bus. I then had the chance to show Arthur just one photo of mine - but one which he seemed impressed with - and got him to sign it (you can see a scan of the signed print at Torben's review of the January RFH show). Lavinia took my picture with Arthur and that was it. The band were away. The show was over and now it was all just memories. But what memories - whoooo.

Thanks Arthur and Love, and the horns and strings for three superb concerts (RFH, Sheffield and Liverpool). The memories you've given me will give me a warm glow during many a cold winter night in the future.

Chris Jones

Controversial sixties legend Arthur Lee, born Arthur Porter Taylor, put his troubled past behind him with an astonishing two hour show at Academy Liverpool.
Iconic Lee is a cool past master, and showed why he is so revered amongst musos around the world. Looking remarkably fit at 57 years of age, he rolled back the years as he revisited the album which brought Love such critical acclaim back in 1968 – Forever Changes, a musical extravaganza of gargantuan proportions. At the time it was regarded as the American equivalent of the Beatles’ Sgt.Peppers despite strong competition from Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. Music cynics might argue that this is a dubious concept in itself, regurgitating compositions from 35 years and beyond, but as far as I’m concerned it was an absolute master stoke.
Advertised as the 35 Anniversary of Forever Changes, it was in reality a celebration of one of the most groundbreaking albums of all time. It also served to influence a whole generation of musicians from the outset, with the opening song Aloneagainor setting the scene for a collection of immaculately crafted songs that have not dated one iota.
Aloneagainor ranks amongst my all time favourites, made even more remarkable by the fact that despite several attempts, six in all, to get it into the UK singles chart over the years, it never made it.Sadly it was the number one hit that never was. As with many bands from that period, the only remaining member was frontman Arthur Lee with a superb new line – up of musicians, Mike Randle guitar, Rusty Squeezebox guitar, Dave ‘ Daddyo ‘ Green drums and Dave Chapple bass. Added to this combo was a young Swedish string and horn ensemble who seemed to be relishing every moment of their inclusion. Just about every decible of the sound had been meticulously engineered, even down to the vocal mics which gave unparalleled clarity to the lyrics, almost replicating every nuance of the studio recording .
With the benefit of a photo pass, I was able to get right in the thick of it so to speak, directly in front of Lee for the first four numbers. Artistic licence is permitted when you’re a mega – star, so the band elected to open with My Little Red Book, a riffy lamment with Lee’s vocals showing richer tones than the original, rapidly followed by Orange Skies and Your Mind And We Belong Together. Then it was enter orchestra for Aloneagainor. It was almost like having him play it in my own living room. Full on delicate chords and then bag into the brass and strings – absolute heaven ! And it didn’t stop there either, as the set threw up other gems, A House Is Not A Motel ( covered by Robert Plant on the very same stage last Summer ), the delightful Andmoreagain, Red Telephone and the exquisite You Set The Scene. Other album material got an outing such as Signed DC, She Comes In Colors with newly penned songs such as My Anthem and Singing Cowboy bringing new light to his present portfolio, making this one of the best gigs I’ve ever attended and the fans, packed to the rafters certainly did. Best part of the evening was watching two teenage men looking on at the stage front, with their jaws dropped throughout in amazement at the beautiful music conjured up three decades ago. Faultless performance in every aspect – truly outstanding and I can’t begin to tell you what that music did to me.
Pulling off Forever Changes was a major feat in the first place, as it was reportedly dogged by in – band friction, but thankfully it successfully emerged as a magnificent eleven track masterpiece that all budding musicians should check out.

Elly Roberts

Freelance Music Reviewer

WIRRAL GLOBE Wednesday, February 5 2003 Page 31

Love's very, very good indeed

ARTHUR LEE & LOVE @ Liverpool Academy

LOVE released Forever Changes -the best album in the world - in 1969. You might think that since then the appeal of the album and the band might have dwindled
but the crowd at the sold-out Liverpool Academy would disagree.
Forever Changes sounds as good now as it ever did and it may, in fact, sound better. With bands such as the White Stripes and The Strokes constantly referencing their work, Love's sound is about as contemporary as you can get.
Lee stepped on stage with the same musicians that toured with him last year but with the added bonus of a string section brought all the way from Sweeden.
Every age group was represented and all were blown away by a performance that proves Arthur Lee is still very much the man.
In three words Coral guitarist and fan, Lee Southall, summed up the night: "Very, very good," he said.