Love Forever Changes 1967

This simple yet striking album cover by Bob Pepper, who did many covers for ELEKTRA ‘s nonesuch offshoot, is a perfect reflection of the music contained within. Forever Changes is full of tonal colour. It’s also been observed that the design is shaped a bit like the continent of Africa. The songs burst with musicality while the lyrics often have a darker tone. Love were two African Americans and three white Americans, a band dominated by Arthur Lee, who wrote most of the songs and who ruled the roost. I talked to him once as he was waiting for a hotel lift and he was very gracious.
    With it’s bespoke brass and string sections, Forever Changes is now recognised as  a musical masterpiece, but it flopped, particularly in the US, on release. (Less so in the UK where it just made the top 30.) It’s not hippie music, it’s not particularly ‘psychedelic,’ it’s just fine music and for me, timeless. David Angel who co-arranged the brass and strings with Arthur, thought Lee was right up there with classical composers.
     Of course I have to pick a sample. Set the Scene, the final song, contains everything that is good about the record. It’s quite long, but hang in there and you will be rewarded. I’ve gone for the live version from 2003. Same notes but more powerful. I've mostly avoided having heroes, but I make an exception for Arthur.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sks2mjIIeZA
Extra: The back cover pic - l to r Johnny Echols, Bryan Maclean, Kenny Forssi, Arthur Lee, Michael Stuart.