Arthur Lee & Love - At The Academy (2021)

SUPERB UK BROADCAST RECORDING FROM 2004 Formed in Los Angeles in 1965, Arthur Lee s Love were one of the first racially-diverse American rock bands, while their music drew on an eclectic range of sources including folk rock, blues, jazz, flamenco, mariachi and orchestral. While finding only modest success on the music charts, Love would come to be praised by critics as one of the most influential American rock groups of all time. Their third album, Forever Changes (1967), is generally regarded as their masterpiece, and was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry in 2011. Lee s early music partner, guitarist and vocalist Bryan Maclean, who composed a number of early Love classics, left the band after Forever Changes, while Lee dismissed all the other members shortly afterwards. Lee then convened a new line-up who released three albums between 1969 and 1971, and Arthur released the solo album Vindicator in 1972. The final official Love album, Reel to Real (1974), was recorded by Lee and session musicians. After spending six years in prison from 1995 to 2001 for firearms offenses (during which time Bryan MacLean died of a heart attack), Lee began touring again under the name Love with Arthur Lee. This incarnation featuring guitarist Johnny Echols, a founding member who had played on the band s first three albums, including Forever Changes - toured during 2004 and 2005, and during this time the group played a number of shows in the UK, including a spectacular gig at the Manchester Academy which was recorded for live FM radio broadcast.