November 29, 2004 | Posted by mark at 2:22 PM

I've Seen Just About A Million Sunsets

Arthur Lee
Love - Everybody's Gotta Live. Maybe it's because I live in Los Angeles, with sunbleached streets, palm trees and the ocean only a clear-day's view away. Maybe it's because I can only see the mountains behind my house when the sky parts after an infrequent rain storm. Maybe it's because I have to drive everywhere, meaning that I have to wait it out for a few hours after the clubs close before I can make the long drive home. Maybe it's because at 4 a.m. the empty freeways of Los Angeles are the most complex and beautiful things I've ever seen. Maybe it's because there's nothing like seeing old friends out of the blue, and hanging on the street, eating tacos under the streetlights.

Either way, there is no more fitting end-of-the-night song than Love's "Everybody's Gotta Live" from the 1974 "Reel to Real" album -- which I can't seem to find anywhere. It's got everything you want -- a sing along chorus, that recorded-in-my-living-room feel to it, and wonderfully easy to decipher sentiments about life.

More typical Love songs, like Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark and Hilldale lay the template for Belle & Sebastian and the rest, with swanky 60s horns, galluping lounge snares and inescapable melodies. But when you're driving home after the party, nothing beats the cameradic group hug of Everybody's Gotta Live.

Click Here to buy Love's Forever Changes album from insound. Unfortunately, I haven't yet found a copy of Reel to Real for sale. I don't think it's been pressed on CD, to tell you the truth. I could be wrong though. Either way, Forever Changes is easily the better album, and well worth owning-- right alongside your copies of Sgt. Pepper's and Pet Sounds as hugely important/influential albums of the late 1960s/early 1970s. Enjoy it.

Comments

beautiful track and beautiful impressions about L.A. you just made my day.

Posted by: thebeathunters at November 30, 2004 4:09 AM

There's some more Love and a Love cover now at SaidTheGramophone.
Personally I don't get the interest in Forever Changes, especially next to Pet Sounds but hey...

Posted by: Mat at November 30, 2004 5:12 AM

I like this a lot too. It's not quite as good as Alone Again Or, though, which blew my mind the first few times I heard it. Flamenco? Pop? Folk? Wha??

Posted by: David at November 30, 2004 8:54 AM

Nice. Never heard of that Reel to Real record. You know, while I appreciate and enjoy Forever Changes (it's a classic, I agree), I still prefer the self-titled album. the cover of "My Little Red Book," for example, is awesome.

Posted by: Jeff at November 30, 2004 10:41 AM

I can assure you, living in Amsterdam doesn't change liking this song... Thank you for bringing it to my attention!

Posted by: Jack Owl at November 30, 2004 1:35 PM

Great band - I can highly recommend Da Capo to you all too, it's a wonderful record....

Posted by: radamsee at December 1, 2004 7:22 PM

Yay! Thanks for a great song.

Posted by: beth at December 2, 2004 8:56 PM

That is beautiful. What a fantastic piece of music.

Posted by: Acetate at December 5, 2004 4:47 AM

i have been humming this song for days now to help get me through the work day with out killing someone.....thanks for posting such a great song.

Posted by: jackboyce at December 6, 2004 3:11 AM
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