ProStudioMasters.com

"[The album] can survive endless listening with no diminishing either of power or of freshness ... parts of the album are beautiful; others are disturbingly ugly, reflections of the pop movement towards realism." - LA Times Forever Changes is the third studio album by the American psychedelic rock band Love. It was released by Elektra Records in November 1967 and was the final album by the original band, as subsequent albums featured leader Arthur Lee backed by a variety of new players. Love started recording Forever Changes in June 1967 at Sunset Sound Recorders. However, beginning with the early recording sessions, the band, except Lee, was plagued by internal conflicts and lack of preparation for Lee's intricate arrangements. Through Holzman's perspective, Botnick was an "album savior", guiding and motivating Lee's bandmates out of their trying period. In order to compel the band to participate, Botnick enlisted top session musicians, the Wrecking Crew's Billy Strange (guitar), Don Randi (piano), Hal Blaine (drums), and Carol Kaye (bass guitar) to work with Lee. Shocked by the implications of losing their role in the album's development, Botnick's plan succeeded in motivating the Love members in recording the other nine tracks appearing on Forever Changes. Botnick recalls that the use of session musicians "sparked" the band, and they "realized they had blown it, got their act together and recorded the rest of the album". After much rehearsal, the group returned to the studio in August and continued through September, quickly laying down the remaining nine tracks, at a total estimated cost of $2,257. Forever Changes had only moderate success in the album charts when it was first released in 1967, but it has since become recognized as one of the greatest albums ever made.