Arthur Lee & Forever Changes

[Guilbert]

After the recent death of Arthur Lee I though I would write a few words on
his greatest work, the album Forever Changes.

I "grew up" in the 1960s and like most teenagers I loved music. I started
with the Beatles and Rolling Stones and other UK pop groups, but as the
60s moved on I got into what was loosely called progressive or psychedelic
music - the Woodstock generation (Cream, Hendrix, Who, Yes, Doors, Joni
Mitchell etc).

I discovered Forever Changes in 1967 in my constant desire to discover
new groups and albums, and like very few albums, I felt it spoke to me. It is
almost like a personal letter from Arthur Lee.

It is one of the few albums from that era that I still play and enjoy today.

It is a wonderful blend of a number of styles, without being any of them. It
has rock and folk overtones, but is not a rock album and not a folk album, it
has lots of strings, but is never schmaltzy.

It was also produced by a group high on drugs, but it is not a druggie
album like others from that era.

Even though it is enjoyable to listen to, under the wonderful music and
arrangements is Arthur Lee's tortured soul.

I am not sure how they managed to produce such a magical album. They
had produced two previous albums which were fairly good rock albums, but
nothing outstanding.

Then in Forever Changes it all fell into place. It think a lot of it was down to
the producers and arrangers, taking Arthur's songs and wrapping them in
to beautiful and interesting arrangements.

After Forever Changes the group fell apart and Arthur never produced
anything else worth listening to again.

I do not believe Arthur Lee was a very happy person, and he had a rather
distant or remote view of the world, and if you feel the same about life the
album will appeal to you.

There are 11 songs on the album, and Arthur wrote 9 of them. The other
two were written by Bryan McLean who sadly also died a few years ago.

Bryan's songs fit into the album very well (both are beautiful ballads) but it
is Arthur who you can hear asking about what his role is in the world.

Certain phrases or lines from the album show his tortured soul.

From the song Daily Planet

In the morning we arise and
Start the day the same old way
As yesterday the day before and
All in all it?s just a day like
All the rest so do your best with
Chewing gum and it is oh so
Repetitious
Waiting on the sun

From the Red Telephone

And if you wanna count me
Count me out

From You Set the Scene

Everything I've seen needs rearranging
And for anyone who thinks it's strange
Then you should be the first to want to make this change
And for everyone who thinks that life is just a game
Do you like the part you're playing

The last song on the album is called "You Set The Scene" is a near 7 minute
tour de force and is one of the greatest songs to finish any album. Similar
to Day in the Life on Sgt Pepper.

You can probably pick the album up for about ?5.00 in HMV or other record
shops. It still sounds fresh and it sounds like it was recorded only yesterday.

Do yourself a favour, buy it.

Read some other reviews

[steve56]

well put,my fave track on "forever changes" is "maybe the times or clark and hilldale"as it sounds like a cross between blood sweat and tears and chicago very good jazz-rock etc.

[Pervert]

The album notes with Forever Changes reveal that Arthur thought he was going to die soon, and that the songs he wrote would be his legacy. Ironic that he should be the last to die, but the legacy part was prophetic.

It isn't an easy album----a superficial first listen will make you blush with the naivety of the hippie era; but repeated listens will peel away layers of meaning, and before you know it the songs have burned into your brain.

Well worth the effort, and certainly well worth buying.

[dynatech]

It speaks to me in every way. I heard first heard Alone Again Or after The Damned covered it in Spring 87, but didn't hear the full album until I bought it many years later. It took me quite a few listens to fully appreciate it but it draws you in and doesn't let go.
To pick one track is hard, "Maybe The Times" perhaps -it's so damn groovy- but The Red Telephone, Andmoreagin, A House Is Not A Motel... oh damnit I'm going to list every track at this rate....
The best Fiver anyone will spend, especially give that the remaster in the shops now has a load of extra tracks and outtakes