Spirit's debut unveiled a band that seemed determine to out-eclecticize everybody else on the California psychedelic scene, with its melange of rock, jazz, blues, folk-rock, and even a bit of classical and Indian music. Teenaged Randy California immediately established a signature sound with his humming, sustain-heavy tone; middle-aged drummer Ed Cassidy gave the group unusual versatility; and the songs tackled unusual lyrical themes, like "Fresh Garbage" and "Mechanical World." As is often the case in such hybrids, the sum fell somewhat short of the parts; they could play more styles than almost any other group, but couldn't play (or, more crucially, write) as well as the top acts in any given one of those styles. There's some interesting stuff here, nonetheless; "Uncle Jack" shows some solid psych-pop instincts, and it sounds like Led Zeppelin lifted the opening guitar lines of "Taurus" for their own much more famous "Stairway to Heaven." Review by Richie Unterberger (allmusic.com)
trax:
01 Fresh Garbage 02 Uncle Jack 03 Mechanical World 04 Taurus 05 Girl In Your Eye 06 Straight Arrow 07 Topanga Windows 08 Gramophone Man 09 Water Woman 10 The Great Canyon Fire In General 11 Elijah
...served by Magic Kaic's Music...
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13 comments:
Spirit "Spirit"
...served by Magic Kaic's Music...
gitit! no pw
http://www30.zippyshare.com/v/37269994/file.html
BONUS:
SPIRIT - Spirit (1968) (Expanded Deluxe Edition with Four Bonus Tracks) (Remastered by Bob Irwin)
http://www60.zippyshare.com/v/15542565/file.html
As soon as I hear the "yeah" cried out in the distance, just before the first notes hit, I am lit. What a magically engrossing affair this is. Spirit was certainly a very special band from a very interesting time in rock history. The group's albums are a compelling blend of psychedelic rock and jazz, and I find their adventurous allure a constant delight.
The infectious beat of "Fresh Garbage" is in 4/4, but because of where the accents are placed, it sounds like five, seven or maybe nine. The piano break is a jazzy 6/8. Drummer Ed Cassidy completely understood jazz and rock. This is why the transitions between the rock rhythms and the jazz rhythms are seamless and utterly convincing. Much of his drumming on the album suggests far more than he's actually playing, while his perfect choices time and again yield the perfect complement to the music. Listen closely to what he plays on "Straight Arrow"; always interesting, always brilliant. Randy California's guitar work is magnificent throughout. Oh, the sound he gets on his solo in "Mechanical World"--what an incredibly delicious tone! And, the guitar harmonies at the end of "Gramophone Man" are simply divine.
Most of the tunes were written by Jay Ferguson, and are fantastic vehicles for the band to show off their unique style. "Girl In Your Eye" floats along beautifully, with sitar shadowing the melody. Listen closely to the guitar line in "Taurus" and you'll hear where the main line during the verse in Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" came from. (Jimmy has been known to lift a line or two.
Do you love psychedelia, the 60s, great and imaginative music? Get this. These guys won't disappoint. (The delightful and informative liner notes were written by Randy California in 1996.)
I include the Cd expanded version of Spirit for comparison, enjoy both versions.
Thanks for both versions, it will be interesting to compare. Tracks are going well with this rainy Monday morning we are having here today.
Thanks for the CD version and for the notes !!! where did you find that ?
Yes, Magic Kaic is right -- the best IS yet to come, when Spirit puts out 12 Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus (1970), which happens to be one of the best albums of all time.
I was 9 years old at the time, and it's never lost its place in my pantheon.
C in California
Being from Southern California I bought "Spirit" in 1968 after being caught up in all the Jazz-Rock hype that accompanied it. Back then at 21 years old any type of "Rock" was a thrill and although I wasn't completely swept off of my feet I went along with the crowd and proclaimed this album a masterpiece.
Thank you for reminding me why this album has sat in the back of my collection, un-listened, for all these years; slow, plodding, and pedestrian. Any comparison to Led Zeppelin, in my opinion, discredits that overblown band as well.
Thanks, I wanted a pantheon when I was a kid but all I got was a treehouse.
Xcellent! I still play my vinyl Spirit as well as CD's, downloads etc, Spirit are great.
I to am anonymous.
This is an album i bought when it first came out. I really bought it because the cover caught my eye. Then I played the album. The music will forever be with me. Thank You.
fresh garbage is still as fresh today as it was 40 years ago--thanks for putting this stuff online
Thanks for helping this stuff to live on and on, just as it should. This album could sit on MY shelves right next to Love's Forever Changes...once upon a time there were people endeavoring to create absolutely new music, not just new songs to add to existing (an increasingly cheap)genres, but entirely new ideas. The City of Angels had a huge pop industry already of course, but it was with musicians reading charts and strings arranged by Lou Adler et al. When Ed Casady left The Rising Sons behind to concoct this Frankenmusik with his stepson it was a remarkably ambitious and original move. And yes quite unlike Led Zeppelin who had the temerity (at first)not only to steal practically everything from already existing recordings, but who also released said recordings credited to themselves while some of the still-living exponents of the original music toughed it out somewhere in strained financial circumstances and obscurity....which worked fine for LZ because most people didn't know that...not that their work isn't genius in its own way; it's just not in the same league if you're discussing originality. SPIRIT was new territory, and like all good things as fragile and fleeting as a freshly-cut rose...just look at the rock-bloat that splintered away from it shortly afterward (Jo Jo Gunne). I didn't discover Spirit until about two years after Sardonicus came out, and I recall being astonished at how forward-looking, weird, and just how great this band was....and it was right around the time when I began to leave Led Zeppelin behind....Randy California, like his buddy Jimi Hendrix, was a lot more like the folks that Jimmy Page was borrowing from.
Remember Jimi Hendrix playing the first Spirit album and praising Randy California during a live interview on a Cleveland Ohio radio station back in the day. High praise, indeed.
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