Love: Club Spaceland - 2nd April 2002 CD Track Listing

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Love Club Spaceland - 2nd April 2002
Recently released after serving the better part of 10 years in state prison \n(the three-strikes-enhanced fruit of accrued dope, arson and firearms \ncharges), Sunset Strip psych-rock legend Arthur Lee made his unannounced \nreturn to the bandstand a charged moment, and one he made the very most \nof. While his career had been on a slow upturn prior to incarceration, \nfor most of the '80s and early '90s he'd labored under a cloud of disrespect \nand ridicule (the last time a review of a Lee show appeared in the Weekly, \nan editor inserted, apropos of nothing, "Of course he had to be physically \npropped up for the entire set"). While Lee, then a damaged yet beautiful \nfigure whose chemically induced disorientation had brought much of this \npoison upon himself, often seemed at the point of no return, his performances \nwere always riveting.\n\nStill, mere fans' faith did not prepare one for this Arthur Lee, who hit \nthe stage and tore into "Little Red Book" with such focus and force he \nseemed like a different person. The entire set was a dazzling showcase \nboth for Lee's renewed ability and for Love's extraordinary catalog -- \nsome of the most complex, idiosyncratic and artful examples of rock & \nroll ever created. Lee relished the highly vocal adoration of a sellout \ncrowd (many of whom appeared too young to have ever seen him before), \nand the atmosphere was poignant, verging on surreal. Wielding a tambourine \nlike a testifying evangelist, he sang with intensity and control, demonstrating \na sort of beatific grit so affecting that it was nothing short of profound.\n\nWhen he strapped on his ax and launched into "Alone Again Or," Lee pushed \nthe proceedings ever higher; by "7 and 7 Is" it was an orgiastic, euphoric \nexercise in pure Los Angeles rock & roll. The band, anchored by some of \nthe Baby Lemonade cats whose assistance proved crucial 10 years ago (and \nhelped expand his audience beyond a small tribe of grizzled fanatics), \nwas more than able, but Lee, ever the purist, halted them completely at \none point. This strict adherence to Love's freewheeling style paid off, \nemphasizing Lee's criminally overlooked stature and his striking, undiminished \nartistic power.\n\nBeyond historic, this was no mere comeback frolic: Arthur Lee, who reportedly \nwrote more than a hundred songs while imprisoned, still has plenty to \ntell us. (Jonny Whiteside)
This rock cd contains 15 tracks and runs 59min 6sec.
Freedb: b90dd80f
Buy: from Amazon.com

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