"You Set the Scene" is the only song I really play off this anymore. I think Arthur Lee can be a bit overrated--his songs can sound a bit too much like children's rhymes for me--but I have had a few occasions when I've woken up to "You Set the Scene" vividly playing in my head, which I would consider to be the pivotal sign of greatness.
― Cat Stevens, Friday, 5 October 2007 13:46 (sixteen years ago) link
"I think Arthur Lee can be a bit overrated"
even if its true, his rare vocals talent and beauty is undeniable. just compare "andmoreagain" with "7 and 7 is" and "signed d.c." (the later version. it's like 3 different,great singers..
― Zeno, Friday, 5 October 2007 13:49 (sixteen years ago) link
"The Red Telephone" for its exemplification of 1960s LA dread.
― Euler, Friday, 5 October 2007 13:49 (sixteen years ago) link
Old Man, ever since I saw Love at Glastonbury in 2003. The whole set was a beautiful moment of clarity for me, but when I got home, it was remembering Old Man that caught the essence of it.
― Alba, Friday, 5 October 2007 13:54 (sixteen years ago) link
And can we settle this once and for all: the line is "We're all normal WHEN we want our freedom" not "AND we want our freedom."
He's quoting Marat/Sade on this one; "We're all normal and we want our freedom" is a line the inmates in the asylum say.
― dad a, Friday, 5 October 2007 14:00 (sixteen years ago) link
But he quite clearly says WHEN on the recording itself despite what the Arthur Lee tribute album claims.
― Kevin John Bozelka, Friday, 5 October 2007 14:16 (sixteen years ago) link
More, at the time, if he was so great, it would be his song that was the most well know, as opposed to Bryan Maclean's or Burt Bacharach's.
I thought they were teaching rockism in schools now.
I had heard too many rub bands that were influenced by "Forever Changes"
P.S. What's a rub band?
― Kevin John Bozelka, Friday, 5 October 2007 14:18 (sixteen years ago) link
lol the idea I'm in school now.
Funnily enough, we were on a tour round a secondary school for Amber, the library had (amongst other things) NMEs going back ooh 30 issues?...
(not that that's rockism, etc)
― Mark G, Friday, 5 October 2007 14:43 (sixteen years ago) link
rub = rubbish, Kevin.
― Alba, Friday, 5 October 2007 14:47 (sixteen years ago) link
this is difficult.....
― whatever, Friday, 5 October 2007 14:56 (sixteen years ago) link
-- Kevin John Bozelka, Friday, October 5, 2007 2:16 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Link
not THAT clearly! ive never heard it as anything but "and."
― 69, Friday, 5 October 2007 15:43 (sixteen years ago) link
'the red telephone'
but really fucking hard poll.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Friday, 5 October 2007 15:57 (sixteen years ago) link
It's "and" on the "FC Concert" right?
― Mark G, Friday, 5 October 2007 16:00 (sixteen years ago) link
You Set The Scene
― kornrulez6969, Friday, 5 October 2007 16:14 (sixteen years ago) link
"Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale"
I mean this is a hard one, but I love the way that each verse ends with an elipsis and the first word in the next verse inserts the missing word. Is that device called something?
― Bill in Chicago, Friday, 5 October 2007 16:19 (sixteen years ago) link
Difficult choice. The only track I've never much liked is "Good Humor Man" - sounds like an "Orange Skies" retread to me - and even that one's got a nice skittering orchestral freakout at the climax.
I'm gonna go with "Daily Planet". Just like "You Set The Scene", it sounds like 2 or 3 little songs joined together, but unlike that album closer, it comes full circle: Begins with "Every morning we arise...", ends with "Look, we're going round & round" and begins again, another day of sirens and accidents on Go/Stop Boulevarde, etc.
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Friday, 5 October 2007 17:12 (sixteen years ago) link
"The Red Telephone" by a nose over "You Set the Scene"
― Dr Morbius, Friday, 5 October 2007 17:19 (sixteen years ago) link
OTM Dr Morbius!
― butchy, Sunday, 7 October 2007 04:08 (sixteen years ago) link
I'm gonna go with "Maybe the People..." slightly over "A House Is Not a Motel."
― Tim Ellison, Sunday, 7 October 2007 04:21 (sixteen years ago) link
yes, Morbs got it just about right xpost
― gershy, Sunday, 7 October 2007 04:22 (sixteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― ILX System, Monday, 8 October 2007 23:01 (sixteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― ILX System, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 23:01 (sixteen years ago) link
what?
― Zeno, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 23:07 (sixteen years ago) link
I missed this. But probably would have gone for "Alone Again Or" anyway.
― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 23:11 (sixteen years ago) link
"old man" is a much better maclean song. )and where is the love for "daily planet")
― Zeno, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 23:13 (sixteen years ago) link
I voted for "Daily Planet"!
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:55 (sixteen years ago) link
But I couldn't be unhappy with any set of results
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:57 (sixteen years ago) link
I wanted to stage a rally or protest since my pick A House is Not A Motel didn't win. But I can't really complain since I liked all the candidates and feel that each gave their best effort and to lose to both You Set the Scene and Alone Again Or means that most people who voted probably got to the end of the album and that's very encouraging for all of us as we move into the future together.
Thank You. Now, c'mon, isn't it about time some wiseacre comes along and tells us why Reel to Real or whatever it's called is the REAL masterpiece. I'm game.
― smurfherder, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 05:06 (sixteen years ago) link
So any road: Now there's a "Collectors Edition" due shortly.
Disc 1 = Original stereo mix
Disc 2 = Stereo mix made in 1970 and used ever since, and also some extra tracks:
12. Wonder People (I Do Wonder) [outtake/previously unreleased] 13. Hummingbirds [demo/previously unreleased] 14. House Is Not A Motel [backing track/previously unreleased] 15. Andmoreagain [alt. electric backing track/previously unreleased] 16. Red Telephone 17. Woolly Bully [outtake/previously unreleased] 18. Alone Again Or [mono single mix] 19. Your Mind And We Belong Together [tracking sessions highlights] 20. Your Mind And We Belong Together 21. Laughing Stock
― Mark G, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 14:11 (sixteen years ago) link
Woolly Bully [outtake/previously unreleased]
I'm thinking I could probably live without this
― Tom D., Tuesday, 1 April 2008 14:15 (sixteen years ago) link
Well, I have the FC CD with the extra tracks, which are most of those, a Forever Changes Concert CD and DVD also, and I also got the original mono vinyl recently.
I think I'll make do with the downloads.
― Mark G, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 14:18 (sixteen years ago) link
-- Tom D., Tuesday, April 1, 2008 3:15 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Link
hahaha yep. paid for this TWICE now, that's yer lot.
― banriquit, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 14:19 (sixteen years ago) link
I'd be interesting to hear a mix of "Alone Again Or" with Bryan MacLean's lead vocal intact, before it was wiped, but that probably doesn't even exist anymore. So yeah, this looks pretty damn redundant. They managed to fit most of that stuff on a single disc last time 'round...
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 14:51 (sixteen years ago) link
I've owned this 3 times but not buying it again.
― Herman G. Neuname, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 14:54 (sixteen years ago) link
I'd be interesting to hear a mix of "Alone Again Or" with Bryan MacLean's lead vocal intact, before it was wiped, but that probably doesn't even exist anymore.
Closest you can get is his solo version from 1972
― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 15:04 (sixteen years ago) link
Really? Never even heard of that! Oh, and I meant to say "IT'D be interesting". Or "I'd be interested", that works too.
I've owned it FOUR times since '86! ($0.25 for my first one, which had no cover.)
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 15:07 (sixteen years ago) link
I've owned it three times - vinyl in 86 (the weird pressing which didn't fade out "A house is not a motel" so it just solo-d and solo-d until it just STOPPED - anyone else have this?), CD in 88 and remastered CD a few years back. My brother had original mono and stereo LPs, both CDs I had, and the "Love Story" double CD which had it in full as well.
On the one hand, my heart is thinking it's a good idea and I'd probably want it. On the other hand, my head (and wallet) are saying "Why bother?"
― Rob M v2, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 15:14 (sixteen years ago) link
(the weird pressing which didn't fade out "A house is not a motel" so it just solo-d and solo-d until it just STOPPED - anyone else have this?)
I had this. I thought that's what it did on the original record? I thought it was changed to the fadeout for later reissues (like not fading out the title track on "Marquee Moon" - boo!)
― Tom D., Tuesday, 1 April 2008 15:17 (sixteen years ago) link
Apparantly not. The real version fades out, but there were pressings made in the 80s which didn't fade out. In fact it makes for a better ending, I think.
― Rob M v2, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 15:19 (sixteen years ago) link
Are you sure?
― Tom D., Tuesday, 1 April 2008 15:21 (sixteen years ago) link
Absolutely. That's why my brother ended up buying the original mono and stereo LPs, to find out. I had my weird pressing first, then bought "Love Masters" which had the faded version, which intrigued me and my brother enough to get the original albums (he found them before I did). I remember reading about the weird pressing a few years back in a Fred Dellar page in Mojo or something like that. The full 'unfaded' version has never been issued on CD.
― Rob M v2, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 15:26 (sixteen years ago) link
Strange! I prefer the abrupt ending too!
― Tom D., Tuesday, 1 April 2008 15:27 (sixteen years ago) link
So, presumably, one of the discs will have this unfaded version.
Presumably two, track 14 (instrumental version) will not fade at the end...
― Mark G, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 15:28 (sixteen years ago) link
so far on the extra disc--more piano in some cases, vocal mixes different, etc. "Wolly Bully" is cool; and it is only too bad that Love did not do it as a rock n roll tune instead of the folk-rock they play it as. on the other hand, Arthur Lee doing Sam the Sham and being a little embarrassed about it, therefore rendering it as folk-rock singalong, reminds me of his fellow Memphis native Alex Chilton doing the Kinks on Third. concept. FC is a great album.
― whisperineddhurt, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 17:05 (sixteen years ago) link
But is there a version of "A house is not a motel" that doesn't fade out???
― Rob M v2, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 18:20 (sixteen years ago) link
who is "Andmoreagain" written about?
one of Arthur Lee's girlfriends wasn't it...?
― Drugs A. Money, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 18:45 (sixteen years ago) link
It's on the Ifyoubelievein CD that came out a couple years back http://www.bryanmaclean.com/album/ifyoubelieveinalbum.htm
― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 19:04 (sixteen years ago) link
and the "Love Story" double CD which had it in full as well
Shit, I totally forgot about that one...Alright, I've bought Forever Changes FIVE times! No more, I swear.
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 22:08 (sixteen years ago) link
This latest version is on Rhapsody, so I finally got to hear it (wasn't going to buy another reissue either).
What's funny is that while the alternate mix definitely isn't "better" or anything, it's different enough from what I'm used to that it's letting me hear the album w/somewhat fresh ears. Kinda wish that alternate mixes like this existed for a lot of other albums that I've played to death.
― dlp9001, Monday, 3 August 2009 19:44 (fourteen years ago) link
Wonder if it's on Spotify. I've owned this album at least 4 times and I don't really want to buy it again whether it's my fave album of all time or not.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Monday, 3 August 2009 19:58 (fourteen years ago) link
You know, I see a lot of people that like Four Sail, actually. I am certainly one of them!
― timellison, Wednesday, 8 November 2017 19:33 (six years ago) link
Out Here has a lot of really good songs comparable to those on Four Sail also.
― timellison, Wednesday, 8 November 2017 19:34 (six years ago) link
I've gotta listen to Four Sail right this second.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Wednesday, 8 November 2017 20:01 (six years ago) link
False Start is another great one, with The Everlasting First belonging in the top rank of their oeuvre. Featuring a killer guitar solo by Jimi Hendrix.
― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 8 November 2017 20:50 (six years ago) link
i like robert montgomery off four sail
anyway, happy birthday forever changes xx
― nxd, Thursday, 9 November 2017 10:18 (six years ago) link
is it Johnny Echols who plays the solo on "Live and Let Live"?
― droit au butt (Euler), Monday, 14 May 2018 15:00 (six years ago) link
No reason not to think it isn't.
― Kanye O'er Frae France? (Tom D.), Monday, 14 May 2018 15:28 (six years ago) link
... er. No reason to think it isn't. Rather. LOL.
― Kanye O'er Frae France? (Tom D.), Monday, 14 May 2018 15:29 (six years ago) link
sure, just wanted to be surer, for no important reason. an incredible solo obv !
― droit au butt (Euler), Monday, 14 May 2018 15:33 (six years ago) link
Maybe the People is the sound of summer, every summer since '67
― Dr X O'Skeleton, Monday, 14 May 2018 19:20 (six years ago) link
I don't think I will ever tire of hearing Forever Changes. One of those records, like Odessey and Oracle, that has this incredible ability to retain its freshness for me.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Monday, 14 May 2018 19:35 (six years ago) link
Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale (what a strange title) is toe-curling-joyous (my translation of the french "jouissif"). So lively, and this lead guitar melody repeated by the one-note repetition of the trumpets is genius. I wasn't familiar with this particular song, for only listening to the more famous ones, but now I have it on repeat. I prefer it to the more elaborate guitar compositions.
― Nabozo, Thursday, 9 August 2018 18:45 (five years ago) link
The whole album's a killer, man. Every last song is fantastic.
― outside, you're never alone. (Austin), Thursday, 9 August 2018 18:51 (five years ago) link
maybe the people is so good, love it when Arthur Lee sings over the trumpets too
― ant banks and wasp (voodoo chili), Thursday, 9 August 2018 18:54 (five years ago) link
my vote would've been a dead heat between that and you set the scene, but yeah this is a front-to-back classic
― ant banks and wasp (voodoo chili), Thursday, 9 August 2018 18:55 (five years ago) link
Was it on this board or somewhere else in my years past internet forum fumblings that there was this completely absurd backlash against this album? It was entirely based upon this really trolltastic revision that Arthur was a late-60s hipster / scenester doofus that was just trying to get chicks or something.
― outside, you're never alone. (Austin), Thursday, 9 August 2018 19:04 (five years ago) link
tbf a lot of great albums were made by late 60s hipster scenester doofuses just trying to get chicks
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 9 August 2018 20:58 (five years ago) link
lol otm
― tylerw, Thursday, 9 August 2018 20:59 (five years ago) link
70s, 80s, 90s hipster doofuses as well.
Live and Let Live deserved better than one vote here.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 9 August 2018 22:11 (five years ago) link
I know, but I seem to remember this lot was trying to say the album was trash because of that.
― outside, you're never alone. (Austin), Friday, 10 August 2018 03:11 (five years ago) link
It was extremely try-hard and had nothing to do with the actual music.
― outside, you're never alone. (Austin), Friday, 10 August 2018 03:14 (five years ago) link
“Andmoreagain” always seems to me to be some kind of El Lay take on a British folk thing, like their version of “Fotheringay” or something.
― Groovy Situation Vacant (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 20 May 2022 00:23 (two years ago) link
I just got this album in March.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 20 May 2022 00:27 (two years ago) link
You just got a hold of it or you just “got” it, as in understood it?
― Groovy Situation Vacant (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 20 May 2022 00:28 (two years ago) link
One of the many things I love about this record:
- side 1 ends with a repeated i - I progression - stasis- side 2 ends with a repeated V - I progression - completion
― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 20 May 2022 03:29 (two years ago) link
Still have not heard that version of “A House Is Not a Motel” with the sudden stop, predating “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” by a good two years. That’s how the song originally was supposed to end but they were talked out of it by Elektra. HOWEVER, it did appear on some obscure ‘80s Canadian pressing of the album.
― Mr. Snrub, Monday, 23 May 2022 11:29 (two years ago) link
The version I had must have been obscure and Canadian in that case... except I'm pretty sure it wasn't.
― Doodles Diamond (Tom D.), Monday, 23 May 2022 13:06 (two years ago) link
When I bought a vinyl reissue of Forever Changes in England in the 1980s , it definitely had the sudden stop version of A House is Not a Motel and for a long time I thought that was the ONLY version.
― Ward Fowler, Monday, 23 May 2022 13:13 (two years ago) link
This fan remix/remaster is pretty awesome
https://www.profstoned.com/2022/08/love-forever-changes-remixed-prof.html
― SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Saturday, 13 August 2022 20:39 (one year ago) link