TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Love" - Love (1966)

"Love" - Love (1966)

     Finding Love's debut album in one of the 2 or 3-dollar boxes on the floor at Spektrum Muzik, located in the Delano District, was a pretty cool and unexpected surprise.  It was the latter part of May, the first of June, right before the weather started getting hot.  Just sitting in one of their bargain boxes.  It was an original copy with some expected ringwear, but there were no seam splits, and the spine was clean and readable.  The album had someone's name written on the front cover up in the top-right corner, but it was small and fairly neat.  Usually, a name on the front is a deal-breaker, but honestly, I hardly noticed it.  As for the vinyl, it looked almost VG, but for a weird, hard crumb stuck in one of the grooves on the very first track on side one.  It was tiny, but I could feel it.  Still, for less than a Lincoln, I thought it might be worth it to take the record home and try to rescue it.

     After I got back to the house, I dropped the needle, and sure enough, that teeny-tiny crumb made it skip.  The rest of the album played through fine.  I grabbed a toothpick, which you sometimes hear about, to try to remove the hard crumb, which actually looked like a grain of sand.  After a few attempts, I was able to sort of flick it out.  Sometimes it actually works!  I gave the vinyl another good spin clean, and now it sounds great.  Overall, a steal of a deal found at Spektrum.

"Love" - Love (back)

      Love's debut square was the beginning of the band's holy trinity of albums, culminating in what many consider their apex: the 1967 psych-rock gem "Forever Changes."  However, their first two albums are near equal in enjoyment.

     Hailing from California, Love's first offering is more garage rock with early shades of proto-punk peeking its head.  Occasional jangly Byrd vibes are heard, and, yes, there are light dustings of an overall psychish aura as well.  Only two songs break the 3-minute mark, and that's alright.  The album sounds...important in the best of ways.  This will serve as a good player copy for now.

Favorites include:
"My Little Red Book"
"Signed D.C."
"Softly To Me"
"Can't Explain"

Elektra label

    As I mentioned, this is an original stereo copy on the tan Elektra label with the big "E" variation.  It was pressed at the Columbia Records Pressing Plant in Terre Haute, identified by the letter 'T' in the deadwax.  RnRF: Band member Bryan MacLean was once a roadie for The Byrds before joining the band Love.

Cat #
EKS-74001
SIDE A  DEADWAX
0 EKS-74001A-1A  |  T  A5
SIDE B  DEADWAX
0 EKS-74001-1A  |  T  D4

"Can't Explain" - Love / "Love" (1966)

TRACKS:
A1  "My Little Red Book" 2:30
A2  "Can't Explain" 2:35
A3  "A Message To Pretty" 3:10
A4  "My Flash On You" 2:05
A5  "Softly To Me" 3:10
A6  "No Matter What You Do" 2:40
A7  "Emotions" 1:55
B1  "You I'll Be Following" 2:25
B2  "Gazing" 2:40
B3  "Hey Joe" 2:38
B4  "Signed D.C." 2:44
B5  "Coloured Balls Falling" 1:50
B6  "Mushroom Clouds" 2:45
B7  "And More" 2:56

PERSONNEL: 
Arthur Lee - vocals, percussion, harmonica, drums (A2, A6, B2, B7) 
Johnny Echols - lead guitar
Bryan MacLean - guitar, vocals, lead vocals (A5, B3)
Ken Forssi - bass
Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer - drums

Good stuff.

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