Arthur Lee’s studio swan song (the mini-album on New Rose aside), Reel To Real was his final big-budget attempt at a comeback with a funky crew and an eye on psych soul, as evidenced by his version of William DeVaughn’s Be Thankful For What You Got.
Reissued here with a bundle of alternate versions and unreleased material, the old Love style is still apparent in Time Is Like A River, the remade Singing Cowboy and Everybody’s Gotta Live.
Though not as good as Four Sail or Out Here, this 1974 affair is still proof that the man had a God-given voice with talent to spare – and squander.
The new-look Love had ferocious rock credentials but the songs were less compelling; throwaway even, in the case of Which Witch Is Which. Some smart arrangements can’t alter the feeling that this is too hands-off for its own good.
