Two classic albums. One of them – Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience – is widely celebrated with at least three songs on it – Crosstown Traffic, All Along The Watchtower and Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – known by even casual rock music fans. The other – Love’s Forever Changes – is arguably relatively obscure to many but an influential album incorporating myriad genres from psychedelia to pop to folk rock.

The artists are connected, as Hendrix and Love leader Arthur Lee had a friendly relationship with Hendrix – then working with The Isley Brothers – playing on some pre-Love sessions of Lee’s as early as 1964. And at one point they discussed forming a band together. Later on, Lee’s 1972 solo album Vindicator, which I’ve delved into on the show and eventually will again, was a guitar-fueled hard rock record reflecting Hendrix’s influence.

I’m starting the set with Love, as a nod to Valentine’s Day. More of my commentary on the albums, under each record’s track list.

Love – Forever Changes

1. Alone Again Or
2. A House Is Not A Motel
3. Andmoreagain
4. The Daily Planet
5. Old Man
6. The Red Telephone
7. Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark And Hilldale
8. Live And Let Live
9. The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This
10. Bummer In The Summer
11. You Set The Scene

It’s been said of The Velvet Underground that the group, noted for its creative force Lou Reed, sold few records, but everyone who bought one started a band. The same could arguably be applied to Love, a brilliant band I was initially drawn to long ago by the critical hype over an album that I’d never heard. Or even heard of. So, I bought it. And soon enough, I ‘got it’, realized why it was so well-regarded, loved the music and by extension the band to the point I over time have accumulated every studio album, all of now late leader Arthur Lee’s solo stuff, and assorted compilations that include previously unreleased tracks.

I agree with most music writer critics that 1967’s Forever Changes is likely Love’s masterpiece but perhaps interestingly, probably my favorite song of Love’s is Signed D.C., a harrowing yet musically beautiful song, a bluesy acoustic ballad about heroin addiction I’ve played before on the show. It’s from the group’s self-titled debut album, released in 1966. As for Forever Changes, it’s a terrific full listen – much as Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland is – but favorite tracks for me are the jaunty pop-rocker Bummer In The Summer, the uptempo, slightly wonderfully off-kilter album opener Alone Again Or followed immediately on the album by A House Is Not A Motel. Highly recommended, all of it, as is the rest of Love/Arthur Lee.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland

1. . . . And The Gods Made Love
2. Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)
3. Crosstown Traffic
4. Voodoo Chile
5. Little Miss Strange
6. Long Hot Summer Night
7. Come On (Let The Good Times Roll)
8. Gypsy Eyes
9. Burning Of The Midnight Lamp
10. Rainy Day, Dream Away
11. 1983 . . . (A Merman I Should Turn To Be)
12. Moon, Turn The Tides . . . gently gently away
13. Still Raining, Still Dreaming
14. House Burning Down
15. All Along The Watchtower
16. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

A few weeks ago I played 1983 . . . (A Merman I Should Turn To Be) and said on air how, by playing the extended psychedelic track, I was reminded how great an album Electric Ladyland is and that I may play it in full on one of my album shows. Here it is. A terrific sonic experience, mind-blowing, really, Hendrix arguably at his creative peak in terms of myriad musical directions and production all on one double vinyl album. It was the final studio release, unleashed upon us in October 1968, by the Experience lineup of Hendrix, drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding, who sings lead vocals on the track Little Miss Strange.

Among those contributing to the album as session players were Traffic members Chris Wood (flute on 1983 . . . ) and Steve Winwood, organ on the lengthy, psychedelic Voodoo Chile, a companion piece to its shorter, better-known cousin Voodoo Child (Slight Return) which features that immortal opening guitar riff, a song that closes the record and is on most Hendrix compilations. Winwood’s presence is interesting in that at one point there was talk of Hendrix forming a band with Winwood and Love’s Arthur Lee, though it never happened. According to Lee, it was to be called Band Aid, suggested by Hendrix. Lee liked the name and wound up using it on the album I mentioned in my overall preamble, Lee’s 1972 Hendrix-like solo album Vindicator, subtitled “With the group Band-Aid.”