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Elly Roberts reviews
Rhino
- Released: April 2008
- Rating: 10/10+++
- Vote and comment on this album:
Two CD set including original album, alternate album mix and bonus material from LAs quintessential trippers.
On this album is one of the greatest songs ever written Alone Again Or. Ok, so Im biased. That song rates in my all-time top 10 favourites:always has, always will. So imagine my excitement at seeing the new version ofLove (Baby Lemonade) backing Arthur Lee, twice play on my home patch at NEWIhere in Wrexham north Wales on 2 July 3003 and 16 March 2004.It was worth going to see them just to hear that one song. The gigs wereactually worth more than that. And so, the same applies to this release.
Its been re-issued before in 2001 but not quite like this. Rhino have nowbolstered the package with an alternate mix of the album under previouslyunissued recordings of Alone Again Or, Andmoreagain, and lot more.
Aficionados, in particular, will be thrilled to hear the count-ins andouttakes of Wonder People (I Do Wonder) along with “rolling rolling takeone rolling..” on the backing track of the divine Red Telephonewhich crumbles into laughing madness, and shambolic fallout of Wooly Bully,which typifies the stressful sessions which were finally done in 64 hours ata cost of $2,257.
Neil Young was earmarked to co-produce, but pulled out due to Buffalo Springfieldcommitments, though hung around to arrange Daily Planet.
Bruce Botnick, co-producer was a very patient man but resorted to gettingsession musicians to spark the dysfunctional members into action. It did thetrick, but you can literally hear the frustrations on the numerous Your Mind And We Belong Togetherinstrumental takes (track 19).
The best, and most interesting part (especially from a journalists angle) isthe blistering work they recorded on the finished version. Lee said of thetime, “When I did that album, I thought I was going to die at that particulartime, so those were my last words.”
Lyrics from Red Telephone sum it all up “Sitting on a hillside / watching allthe people die / I feel much better on the other side.”
The 2001 CD package notes described the original release like this.
1967. Nothing caught the strangeness of those days, or captured the combinationof beauty and dread contained, quite like Loves masterpiece Forever Changes. Rooted in acoustics, the albums lyrical contents were a perfect summationof the time sometimes overzealously joyous, sometimes contemplative and justoccasionally devastating.
Considering its inherent problems, it has become a masterpiece, after all andwas recently inducted into the 2008 Grammy Hall Of Fame, 31 years after itsrelease in November 1967.
For a complete list of the tracks, click on the Amazon link above.
File under: Fab! Fab! Fab!
Weblink:rhino.com
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.