Out Here

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This set marked several firsts for Love. Not only was Out Here (1969) their initial foray away from the Elektra imprint, it would be their only double-LP package. After the relative failure of Forever Changes (1968), co-founder Arthur Lee (vocals/rhythm guitar) disbanded the unit and then re-formed with Frank Fayad (bass), George Suranovich (drums), Jay Donnellan (lead guitar), and Gary Rowles (lead guitar). Granted, it's certainly not the greatest work in their catalog. However, Out Here is proof that Lee's faculties for quirky and personable pop and rock compositions had yet to elude him. The results -- unquestionably a mixed bag -- present listeners with evidence of the combo's increasingly heavier approach, as well as a few selections that hearken back to the lighter whimsy of the earlier ensemble. The latter circumstance is clearly demonstrated, ranging from the acoustic introspection of "Listen to My Song," to the full-blown group jam on the 11-plus minute "Love Is More Than Words or Better Late Than Never" featuring Rowles' inspired electric fretwork. The update of "Signed D.C." -- the original having been a key component of Love's 1966 self-titled debut -- is given a weightier blues-fueled edge that remains drenched in the emotive angst of its precursor. The band's subsequent (and final) outing False Start (1970) continued mining the same heavy metal vein tapped on "I'm Down" and the suitably wordless "Instra-Mental"." While not exactly throwaways, "Abalony," "Discharged," and the droll funeral procession ode "Car Lights on in the Daytime Blues" are more filler than killer. Still, all in all, Arthur Lee enthusiasts can discover plenty of music to Love on Out Here. In 2007, Hip-O Select's Blue Thumb Recordings anthology provided freshly remastered editions of both Out Here, False Start, and the nearly hour-long Live in England 1970boasting 11 previously unreleased concert performances.

© Lindsay Planer /TiVo