Comments on: Clear Light “Clear Light”

By: heyday2day

heyday2day — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:30:16 +0000

I’m wearing out the comments but I’m coming across a bunch of stuff that I have recently bought and can’t resist. kind of like the early pangs of a relationship!

Anyway, as for lad’s comment about Love’s “Forever Changes” being a stinker….. Well, I bought the Sundazed vinyl reissue awhile back and my first impressions were’nt that strong either. In the past, that has tended to be a good thing and it was no different with Love. On the first few listens, nothing really grabbed me but slowly I started to hear little things, good lyric couplets until eventually I was under it’s spell. Led me to go out and pick up the self titled debut, Da Capo and Four Sail, all of which have their own charms. I digress..

Clear Light. Interesting record. Nothing here that is really bad and (so far I think) nothing that is exceptional. Nice musicianship, good, clear production. ‘Black Roses’ and ‘Mr. Blue’ are the two tracks that stood out the most upon first listens.

By: Gray Newell

Gray Newell — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:53:03 +0000

Just got to point out that Bud Mathis wasn’t responsible for Black Roses, it was actually written by Wolfgang Dios, who worked for Bud’s Little Giant publishing company. Bud did co-write with Doug Lubahn “Me,” the flip side of the Brain Train 45 though.

By: Lad Litter

Lad Litter — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:16:18 +0000

Thanks for the heads up Brendan & Jason. I’ll give Forever Changes the benefit of the doubt and put it on high rotation. Which is how I developed an appreciation of Led Zeppelin III all those years ago!

No recorded output for the garage band: 60s covers at parties & pubs. On a good night we were probably just okay but a few people said we kicked arse with the Animals It’s My Life and Manfred Mann’s Fox On The Run.

Love the Airplane and will put Clear Light and the Moby Grape debut on my shopping list.

Congrats on a great blog.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:45:22 +0000

Forever Changes throws some listeners off but I think it lives up to the hype. Some feel the folk influence is a little too much but the lyrics are full of detail and imagery and the arrangements seem flawless. I like Surrealistic Pillow myself, those were the Marty Balin days though Bathing at Baxters is a personal favorite – perhaps their most experimental record.

By: Brendan

Brendan — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:32:11 +0000

Hey there Lad, glad you found us. Say, what was the name of your band? Did you put out a record?

As for Forever Changes. What can I tell you? It’s a total classic, loved by many. You don’t HAVE to like it but I would just say give it time.

By: Lad Litter

Lad Litter — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:51:26 +0000

Sensational blog. I have a 60s garage band that gets together every important birthday (next-my 50th) Love the detailed information on 60s acts that I’ve heard of but never really heard. This is what I’ve been looking for.

I had seen Love’s Forever Changes on numerous Greatest Albums of All Time-type lists and so snapped up the CD next time I saw it at a reasonable price. I think it stinks. I was expecting something of the standard of Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow or The Byrds 5-D. Have you encountered others who feel this way? What is the response of Love admirers to criticism?

I’m a big Rolling Stones fan who recognises their many flaws.