Forever Changes

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Template:Album infobox Forever Changes (1967) was the third album released by the Los Angeles-based quintet Love. Dropping keyboardist Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer and flautist/saxophonist Tjay Cantrelli, the remaining five-piece performed on nine of the album's eleven tracks. The album was the first to be produced by Arthur Lee, with assistance from Bruce Botnick, after the originally-slated producer, Buffalo Springfield's Neil Young, bowed out.

The sessions began in June 1967, with the group partially replaced by well-known Los Angeles session musicians Billy Strange (guitar), Don Randi (piano), Hal Blaine (drums) and, in most likelihood, Carol Kaye (bass) due to their inability to function. The two tracks laid down, "Andmoreagain" and "The Daily Planet", were later given sparing overdubs by the group, who felt the tracks otherwise sufficed.

After much rehearsal, the group resumed work in August and continued through September, quickly laying down the remaining nine tracks, with a total estimated cost at $2,257. Rooted in acoustics, the album's lyrics were a perfect summation of the year 1967, at times joyous, at times contemplative, at times downright devastating.

"When I did that album," commented Arthur Lee, "I thought I was going to die at that particular time, so those were my last words." This is borne out by perhaps the most famous lines from the album, on the song "The Red Telephone":

"Sitting on a hillside
Watching all the people die
I'll feel much better on the other side."

Sweetened with horns and strings arranged by David Angel with each song's respective songwriter in September, the album was released in November with cover art by Bob Pepper and disappeared, rising to a lowly #154 on the Billboard charts. Only well after the group's break-up would the album be recognized as the masterpiece it is in the rock journalism press. It was re-released in an expanded version in 2001 on Rhino Records, featuring alternate mixes, outtakes and the group's 1968 single, "Your Mind and We Belong Together"/"Laughing Stock", the last tracks featuring John Echols, Ken Forssi, Michael Stuart and, in most likelihood, Bryan MacLean. As for Arthur Lee, he would reform the group in late 1968 with all-new members and carry on the Love name for a few more years.

In 1998 Q magazine readers voted Forever Changes the 82nd greatest album of all time. In Joe S. Harrington's Top 100 Albums it comes in at #69. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Forever Changes 40th in its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in the December 11, 2003 issue. In a special issue of Mojo magazine, it was ranked the second greatest psychedelic album of all time. Forever Changes was ranked 83rd in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time.

Contents

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Track listing

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November 1967 issue

  1. Alone Again Or (Maclean, 3:16)
  2. A House Is Not a Motel (Lee, 3:31)
  3. Andmoreagain (Lee/Maclean, 3:18)
  4. The Daily Planet (Lee, 3:30)
  5. Old Man (Maclean, 3:02)
  6. The Red Telephone (Lee, 4:46)
  7. Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale (Lee, 3:34)
  8. Live and Let Live (Lee, 5:26)
  9. The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This (Lee, 3:08)
  10. Bummer in the Summer (Lee, 2:24)
  11. You Set the Scene (Lee, 6:56)
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February 2001 reissue

  1. Alone Again Or (Maclean, 3:16)
  2. A House Is Not a Motel (Lee, 3:31)
  3. Andmoreagain (Lee, 3:18)
  4. The Daily Planet (Lee, 3:30)
  5. Old Man (Maclean, 3:02)
  6. The Red Telephone (Lee, 4:46)
  7. Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale (Lee, 3:34)
  8. Live and Let Live (Lee, 5:26)
  9. The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This (Lee, 3:08)
  10. Bummer in the Summer (Lee, 2:24)
  11. You Set the Scene (Lee, 6:56)
  12. Hummingbirds (Lee, 2:43)
  13. Wonder People (I Do Wonder) (Lee, 3:27)
  14. Alone Again Or (alternate mix) (MacLean, 2:55)
  15. You Set the Scene (alternate mix) (Lee, 7:01)
  16. Your Mind And We Belong Together (tracking session highlights) (Lee, 8:16)
  17. Your Mind And We Belong Together (Lee, 4:28)
  18. Laughing Stock (Lee, 2:33)
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Personnel

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Music

  • Arthur Lee: lead vocals, guitar, arranger
  • John Echols: lead guitar
  • Bryan MacLean: rhythm guitar, vocals, arranger (lead vocals on "Alone Again Or" and "Old Man")
  • Ken Forssi: bass
  • Michael Stuart: drums, percussion
  • with
  • Billy Strange: guitar on "Andmoreagain" and "The Daily Planet"
  • Don Randi: piano on "Andmoreagain" and "The Daily Planet"
  • Hal Blaine: drums on "Andmoreagain" and "The Daily Planet"
  • Carol Kaye: bass on "Andmoreagain" (presumably)
  • David Angel: arranger, orchestrations
  • Orchestra: Robert Barene, Arnold Belnick, James Getzoff, Marshall Sosson, Darrel Terwilliger (violins); Norman Botnick (viola); Jesse Ehrlich (cello); Chuck Berghofer (double bass); Bud Brisbois, Roy Caton, Ollie Mitchell (trumpets); Richard Leith (trombone)
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Production & design

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