10 Best Posthumous Rock Music Releases
9. Black Beauty - Love
Not at all inspired by the horse, Black Beauty is instead a celebration of the band Love and its departed lead singer Arthur Lee. Lee had been the band's leader during their '60s heyday and was responsible for taking the group in a more hard rock direction in the 1970s.
Material for Black Beauty was originally recorded in 1973 and was set to be released on a label called Buffalo Records. Unfortunately, the label went bankrupt, and the recordings were shelved.
Some of the demos began appearing via bootleggers and on Love compilation albums, leading Lee to start a campaign to get the original sounds mastered. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2006 after being diagnosed with leukaemia, the album still unreleased.
Six years later, thanks to work by Lee's widow Diana, his dream finally came true when Black Beauty hit shelves.
For fans of Love, this was like stepping back in time to hear the band at their peak. Lee's voice sounded as smooth as ever, and the influence of Jimi Hendrix could be felt across the record.
It took a long time, but Black Beauty was eventually the success Lee wanted it to be.