Arthur Lee - "Vindicator"

I've been on a serious Arthur Lee kick lately... The first three Love records: "Love" (my favorite), "De Capo", the legendary "Forever Changes" have been in constant rotation as of late. I've also been getting into "Vindicator" too, which was homeboy's first post-Love solo record. It's nowhere near as good as (or maybe I should say "as cool as") Love... but it's defiantly got it's moments. Arthur sounds a lot like his friend, one time band mate and fellow "black hippy"... Jimi Hendrix on this record. I think they both claimed to be the first black hippy... Does anyone reading this have the official word on who really was the first black hippy? Speaking of, one of the bonus tracks on this reissue just so happens to be Arthur's take on the Hendrix song, "EZ Rider". My favorite song on here is "Everybody's Gotta Live" ("You Want Change for Your Re-run" and "Love Jumped Through My Window" are also worth checking out), the version I posted is a bonus track and was the first take of the song... I like this version cuz it's a bit more on the raw side of things. For shits & giggles, check out this bizarre video some weird people made for the song. Sadly, Lee just passed away this August from leukemia. I feel lucky to have caught three or four of his LA shows a few years ago when he was fresh out of jail... Dude killed it. RIP Arthur Lee.

(Download - "Everybody's Gotta Live" take 1)

(Download - "You Want Change for Your Re-run")

Comments

[kid]

Thanks for posting these, I've never heard them. I caught a "Da Capo" first pressing for 1.99 mint a few years ago. Anyway yeah Love slays etc.

[celeste]

yessss!
OGBH.
thanks for this.
on a serious Love kick as well.

[David Owen]

I gave away my copy in a fit of genereosity about 20 years ago. I was a big fan of "Love Jumped Through My Window" and "Find Somebody (Who Won't Let Go)"
One of the great dynaflow-groove albums. As I recall there was a guitar player named Craig Tarwater on there who contributed a lot of the howl.
Randy California's Kaptain Kopter album happened around the same time.
Rich stuff.

[jeff]

bobby beausoleil used to be in/play with love... does anybody have any links for the video of arthur lee and love on the jools holland show?

[tesco]

I love this blog (one of only a few that have actual mp3's and not that rapidshare bullshit) but that advertisement at the bottom makes me want to shoot myself in the skull.

[DEATH mp3 TO FALSE BLOGS]

;)

[Ceegoose]

The first black hippy is a 3 way tie:
Jimi Hendrix
Arthur Lee
and Shuggie Otis

With an honorable mention for (white guy with a major hippy fro in Randy California of the LA late 60's band Spirit)