Arthur Lee, 1945 - 2006

Arthur Lee, the brilliant songwriter at the center of the '60s psychedelic band Love, died Thursday. He succumbed to a battle with leukemia in Memphis, where he lived with his wife. His lyrics ranged from the seemingly simple, yet sublimely poignant to the vivid, surreal and frightening. He was just as adventurous musically, incorporating influences from folk to Mexican brass and helping to create psychedelic music in the process. His song "Alone Again Or" was covered by bands as diverse as the Damned in the eighties and Calexico in the 'oughts.

Lee battled internal and external demons for much of his life and was notoriously demanding and difficult to work with. Despite the scandalous and sensational details of his life, the music he created denies turning him and his career into a hackneyed, reductionist "Behind the Music" cliche. There's a transcendent quality to his music that will keep it alive forever.