From a retrospective point of view, this might be the first album in the career of singer and songwriter
Arthur Lee that might have been received with more enthusiasm had it been released under his name, and not under the band name. Obviously, it must have been in his commercial best interests to retain the
Love identity, but here
Lee is the only member of the original band left. He is trying to recreate a
Love-able identity with fewer players than he had before and a completely different sound. The old
Love delivered material in a solidly
folk-rock vein, meaning among other things an emphasis on combinations of acoustic and electric guitars. When the original group wanted something a little heavier, it would really put the hammer down. Records such as
"My Little Red Book" and
"Seven & Seven Is" were tough enough to be rightly considered precursors of
punk rock, which is a lot of mileage to get out of a
Burt Bacharach tune.
Lee's new lineup here does not have this kind of versatility. Guitarist
Jay Donnellan plays a heavy lead guitar minus the impressive chops and gets lots of solo space in the arrangements. The rhythm section favors a more leaden sound as well, particularly drummer
George Suranovich, who soaks the barbecue with
Keith Moon and
Mitch Mitchell licks.
Lee fills in on several different instruments, but his real strength is the set of ten original songs he has provided. The tracks are deep in feeling and performed with an emotional fervor that sometimes approaches anguish. It is like going into a dark coffeehouse late at night and finding an electrically charged performer delivering messages about things familiar to one and all: love, memories, friendship,
"Good Times," and even
"Nothing." Lee's lyrics and performances have been compared to
Jimi Hendrix, certainly a compliment. This album is such a good example of these strengths that it rises above the
garage band sound to communicate a sense of time and place as well as some truly sincere feelings. ~ Eugene Chadbourne
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