Love - The Best of Love [2003]

This 2003 CD is an entirely different release than the vinyl LP Best of Love that came out on Rhino in 1980. Although it does happen to include 15 of the 16 tracks from the 1980 release, the CD The Best of Love expands the program to 22 songs, adding a few tracks from Love, Forever Changes, and Four Sail (and dropping the 1966 B-side "Number Fourteen"). A Love best-of, it should be cautioned, is not the best way to appreciate a band whose first three albums are better heard in their totality, particularly Forever Changes. It's also true that for a bigger cash splash you can get the two-CD Love Story 1966-1972, which has all of these songs and more (including all of Forever Changes and some good tracks from the first two albums that miss the listing on The Best of Love, like "A Message to Pretty" and "The Castle"). Still, if you do want a one-disc Love best-of, this has a lot of good music and generally pinpoints the highlights of the group's early albums, though the Four Sail tracks and the non-LP 1968 single "Your Mind and We Belong Together"/"Laughing Stock" are in no way as good as the missing tracks from Forever Changes. The packaging and liner notes are good, too, though again it's not nearly as comprehensive as what you'll find on Love Story. [The disc was later issued in 2007 as Love's Greatest Hits.] ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alban Pfisterer Organ, Harpsichord, Drums Andrew Sandoval Project Assistant, Associate Producer April Milek Project Assistant Arnold Belnick Violin Arthur Lee Percussion, Vocals, Harmonica, Guitar (Rhythm), Producer, Piano, Arranger, Guitar, Engineer, Drums Bill Inglot Producer, Remastering Billy Strange Guitar Bruce Botnick Engineer, Producer Bryan MacLean Vocals (Background), Vocals, Arranger, Guitar Bud Brisbois Trumpet Carol Kaye Bass Chuck Berghofer String Bass Chuck Boyd Photography Dan Hersch Remastering Dave DiMartino Liner Notes David Angel Orchestration, Arranger David Hassinger Engineer Don Randi Piano Drachen Theaker Drums Frank Fayad Bass, Vocals (Background) Gary Peterson Project Assistant Gary Stewart Compilation Producer George Gaal Engineer George Suranovich Vocals (Background), Drums Hal Blaine Drums Jac Holzman Producer, Production Supervisor James Getzoff Violin Jay Donnellan Guitar Jesse Ehrlich Cello John Echols Guitar John Haeny Engineer Ken Forssi Bass Leigh Hall Project Assistant Mark Abramson Producer Marshall Sosson Violin Michael Stuart Drums, Percussion Norman Botnick Viola Ollie Mitchell Trumpet Paul Rothchild Producer Randy Perry Project Assistant Reggie Collins Project Assistant Richard Leith Trombone Robert Barene Violin Roy Caton Trumpet Sheryl Farber Editorial Supervision Tim Scanlin Liner Note Coordination Tjay Cantrelli Flute, Saxophone William S. Harvey Cover Photo