Love

1967’s Da Capo captured Love in a transitional phase, evolving from the frenetic garage folk of their debut album to the lush, psychedelic textures of their third release, Forever Changes. Da Capo’s first single, the tremolo drenched rave-up “Seven & Seven Is,” is a direct link to the energy and verve of the debut and rightfully became a garage-punk classic. In contrast, the Bryan Maclean-penned “Orange Skies,” with its subtle samba rhythms and exotic instrumentation, pointed the way forward...

As Arthur Lee entered the studio to begin the sessions for 1969’s Four Sail, he was the only remaining band member from the previous three LPs’ lineups. Enlisting the aid of Frank Fayad on bass, George Suranovich and Drachen Theaker on drums and Jay Donnellan on guitar, Lee launched a marathon recording session. Elektra culled through the session tapes, selecting the best songs for inclusion on the album. With the exception of “Singing Cowboy,” which he co-wrote with Donnellan, all tracks were...

After gigging around the Los Angeles scene for three years, Arthur Lee was ready for something different. Inspired by seeing The Byrds live, he decided to merge their folk-rock sound with the driving r&b he had been playing to create a new group, dubbed Love. Recruiting guitarists Johnny Echols and ex-Byrds roadie Bryan Maclean, bassist Ken Forssi and drummer Alban “Snoopy” Pfisterer, Love began recording their eponymous debut LP in January 1966. Their first single, Bacharach/David composition...

In four short years from 1966-1970, Love released four albums of increasingly adventurous rock and, mainly due to their hesitance to tour, remained an enigma to most music listeners beyond their Los Angeles base. Revisited, originally released by Elektra in 1970, gathers many of the highlights of that explosively creative period. The band’s biggest singles—“My Little Red Book” and “Seven & Seven Is”—are included, of course, but that is only the beginning. Also included are three of Bryan...