Love is Everywhere

I was introduced to Love in 1998 when I saw Bottle Rocket. I never hated people who listen to Disturbed - many of them are my friends. But when I hear that bullshit I can't help but roll my eyes. Why? Because none of these people have heard of Love.

Well it's my fault not theirs. Instead of crawling into my cave of exaggerated superiority, I should have introduced them to Love.

Fortunately, I introduced my friends to their music. And they all loved "Alone Again Or." But it wasn't enough. Nowhere near enough people recognized Love.

Yet their influence is everywhere. Arthur Lee, the first black hippie, was a predecessor to Danger Mouse, the first black hipster. Seriously, nothing is creepier than Gnarles Barkley's (a psychedelic black hipster band) newfound fame occuring the very same year Arthur Lee died. It's as if Lee found a host in Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse before passing on. But without Gnarles, Deltron, The Shins, Wilco, we would still appreciate Love's legacy.

And let's get back to that black hippie thing. Arthut Lee was black at a difficult time in American history. We can crack wise about him not being black enough, but the truth is rock and roll is black. Besides, even if he was "white," so what? What's wrong with black people appropriating white culture? Outkast did it with "Hey Ya." Gnarles Barkley is doing it now with "Gone Daddy Gone." People like Arthur Lee came from both worlds but belonged to neither. Hopefully, we will remember him as an unsung hero not as a footnote to the '60's rock scene.

Yes Arthur Lee passed on last week, but it will never be too late to remember him.

Thanks to Stereogum, I found this incredible video. Try hippie-hating now, you poser mall punk. RIP, Arthur Lee.