Surfing the web with my player set on shuffle when "Nature's Way" by Spirit popped up. What a great classic album. Seems like 12 Dreams had something for everyone: Psych, ballads, jazz, horns, cowbell and of course good old R&R. If you were to ever to indulge into your favorite habit, it sounded even better. Headphones or Klipsch so much to listen to here. The next few days I will research info and give opinions. Feel free to join in. For the uninitiated give the songs a listen.
From Wiki: Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus is the fourth album by the American psychedelic rock group Spirit. It was produced by David Briggs, who is best known for his work with Neil Young. The original LP was released in 1970 by Epic. The band's lowest charting album to that point, it peaked at #63 on the Billboard 200 in February 1971, spending only fourteen weeks on the chart. However, it sold well as a catalog item and became the band's only album to ultimately attain a RIAA gold certification in the U.S., achieving that status in 1976.[3] On the Canadian RPM Magazine Top 100 charts, the album reached #49 and was in the top 100 for 10 weeks.[4] "Nature's Way" became one of Spirit's signature songs, but was not a big hit at the time, peaking at #111 on the Billboard pop charts in 1971. To capitalize on the album's enduring appeal, "Mr. Skin" (the B-side of "Nature's Way") was released as an A-side in 1973 and also charted, peaking at #92. The album was re-issued on CD in 1996 by Sony in remastered form, with bonus tracks.
It was a great favorite in the dorm rooms. Our little group considered it pure genius, whether we were straight or indulging in this or/and that.
What an opener. This really opened the door of the great things to come. AllMusic review of the song "Prelude-Nuthin' to Hide" Opening up Spirit's celebrated Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus album, this two-part invention starts with a deceptively gentle folk ballad that touches on spirituality and ecologically minded thoughts. Randy California's gentle, fingerpicked acoustic guitar frames one of his sweetest melodies and is buttressed by a great vocal duet between him and Jay Ferguson. However, this brief snippet is done almost before it develops, and it segues into a hard rock/jazz meltdown, loaded with overdubbed guitars and multiple counterpoint vocals. The funk rhythm section of Ed Cassidy and Mark Andes on drums and bass guitar provide a heavy base for the downright psychedelic guitar histrionics from California. It's a rock & roll lust song that subtly touches on a possible ménage à trois, and the slightly dirty elements of the lyrics make this an even better rock & roll song.
Nothin' to Hide Lyrics [Intro] You have the world at your fingertips No one can make it better than you You have the world at your fingertips But see what you've done to the rain and the sun So many changes have all just begun... to reap I know you're asleep, wake up! [Verse 1] Swastika plug in your wear Jealous stars in your pants Top turning, nothin' to bear Except the view or the dare [Chorus] We got nothin' to hide No we got nothin' to hide We're married to the same bride We're married to the same bride She eats away from inside And we got nothin' to hide [Verse 2] Drink down it, a jug full of beer The bloated heads in your hands That's freezing the mouse trap is there He knows he's blown his last chance [Chorus] We got nothin' to hide No we got nothin' to hide We're married to the same bride We're married to the same bride She eats away from inside And we got nothin' to hide We got nothin' to hide No we got nothin' to hide We're married to the same bride We're married to the same bride She eats away from inside And we got nothin' to hide [Outro] All right! Well all right! Got to get it on home Aw, aw Well all right, well all right, well all right, all right, all right
From the Prog Archives blog: Review by Sean Trane SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk After the superb Clear album, Spirit was really flying in a class of its own which allowed them to make THE psychedelic album that not even The Beatles would managed to do. Up until this album, Spirit was one of the most advanced psych-proto-prog groups (two members were jazz veterans), but songwriting-wise they were still a step bellow Jefferson Airplane and The Beatles. But with 12 Dreams, Spirit would surpass both with this flawless album that strikes by its awesome construction, its incredibly tight songwriting, aligning the brilliant ideas and impeccable melodies one after the others, bridging them magnificently together and implacably stunning you with awe and stupor and forced admiration. Graced with a superb psychedelic artwork (trafficked shots of the disguised band members), this loose concept of Dr Sardonicus' twelve dreams in twelve songs (not am accident, uh?;-) is one of the top twenty albums list of all times, and if it is not in yours, get yourself a shock treatment, you are not sane and even less insane. As a logical continuation, guitarist Randy California has now taken over the majority of the songwriting - Ferguson has never been stronger while John Locke has no space for his jazz influences but still contributes two beauties - and again Spirit is way ahead of schedule on their era with their ecological preoccupations. Although the album is not long, from the first second of the acoustic guitar intro of the Prelude, until the final notes of Soldier, Spirit will not give a single second of rest and you will come out of this dream sequence breathless. This is even more so true with the Cd reissues since you are not allowed to flip side. Nothing To Hide gives a good idea of what lays ahead with its incredible vocal harmonies behind Ferguson's, but as you think the tracks is one its way out, out comes from hidden the groups stepping up tempo for a bit of sparring bouts complete with brass section. The track slowly dies down to reach the horrifyingly beautiful Nature's Way, where California and Ferguson create heaven on earth (no need of fallacious gods) and the whole group is right behind them with flabbergasting backing vocals harmonies. Way too short, NW ends with an incredibly polluting engine sputtering its toxic fumes and in comes Animal Zoo with its superb humour and infallible bass line. Just as you walk out of the park, an electronic whizzing sound is taking you to a trafficked backwards tape intro, Love Has Found A Way is divided in two by another infallible bass line, before allowing the ultra-short but orgasmic Why Can't I Be Free. A reggae rhythm (in 1970?) gives the perfect intro into Mr Skin, where the band unleashes all its power while remaining in control of your mental ejaculations with ultra tight songwriting. Once the slice of wax has been flipped quicker than a pancake, a spacey piano takes us by the hand into a quiet but ever-changing twirl of melodies and ambiances where the myriad of chord succession gives you the thrill of a lifetime. Some prog groups used less cord succession throughout their whole career than spirit did in this tune. As the track cedes ground to electronics sounds very reminiscent of 2001's Space Odyssey (the psych trip around the end), a raunchy guitar takes over and When I Touch You does touch you, you cannot be anything but floored in amazement, wondering how this album is still not in everybody's household. The track is halfway between a Floyd space track and a hard rocking Beatles (Come Together-style). Street Worm is another superb tracking worming its way into your brains and California sometimes-fuzzy guitar is close to Trower's contributions in Procol Harum and Hendrix (he's a pupil) bravery. Probably the least immediately accessible track on the album, Life Has Just Begun as its title tells you will sink in time (but since it only began, you got plenty of it, right?). Another highlight is in sight with the horn-inflicted Morning Will Come (suggesting you the end of your dreams are about to end), but the track is one scorcher, but as usual a bit short. Funnily, Soldier (an excellent quiet tune, is closing the album, but I would've switched the last two tracks of place for a more effective ending. Unlike its three preceding albums, the remastered version does not come with bonus tracks that honour the album (but could that have been possible?) even if Rougher Road could provide the suitable to the album it yearns. Alternate takes of two tracks mar a bit the re-issue, while the closing bonus Red Light is rather interesting live track, but a bit out of context with the album. As incredible as it may seem, after such an immense album, and for rather still unclear reasons (I am not really convinced by the explanations given), the group will explode with singer Ferguson and bassist Mark Andes (and his brother Matt) will form Jo Jo Gunne which will never live to the expectations (promising debut, but lacklustre following two), while Randy California is diving into drugs, leaving Locke alone in the group to record the awful Feedback. Yes, Sardonicus is simply the best album to come out of LA (much better than The Doors or Love or other consorts) and although not prog per se, the album is one of those proto-prog gems every proghead simply must have if he wants his life to be completely fulfilled. Better than sex and even better during sex, especially playing air-guitar with her clitoris with your tongue. Ooooorgasmic!
12 Dreams, or at least Nature's Way got lots of play on FM radio during the 70s. Too bad that Spirit didn't do a more worthy follow up to this album. It might have made them into an even bigger name. Scott
For sure. They split after this as California and Ferguson seemed to have differing ideas on the direction of the band. From what I have read California wanted more experimental stuff and Ferguson wanted to steer to a more pop direction. Their solo albums seemed to support that story. If you haven't given their first three albums a spin they all had very enjoyable bits and pieces that would eventually add up to 12 Dreams.
Yes, Jay Furgeson had a decent run as a solo act in the late 70s. The song Thunder Island was a big hit. Scott
It's certainly a great album. The classic cuts are "Nothin' To Hide", "Nature's Way", "Animal Zoo", "Mr. Skin" and "Morning Will Come"; and "Street Worm", where California's guitar shines, is a personal favorite. I believe this album would have been bigger if it had been released a couple of years before; by 1970 probably this kind of record sounded out of date. Previously, the same year, they released the non-album single "1984" (inspired on Orwell's novel), which in my opinion should have been their biggest hit. For some strange reason it was banned from the radio.
Mr. Trane needs to lay off whatever substance(s) he's abusing that are obviously clouding his judgement. Spirit, The Family That Plays Together and Clear all feature songwriting, arrangements and musicianship second to none. And that includes the Airplane and the Beatles.
Next up the band's last AM hit. Nature's Way features great harmonizing and an emotional plea to it. A nice acoustic strum followed by cowbell and an environmental message still relevant today. AllMusic review: One of Spirit's best-known songs, "Nature's Way" provided the band with their last Top 40 hit single. Inspired by a conversation that writer Randy California had with a San Francisco musician, it takes aim at the fact that Northern California was certainly not immune to ecological nightmares. The song is driven by a positively gorgeous folk-jazz melody; its bittersweet beauty is easily apparent upon first listen.
From the Retro Kimmer's blog Randy California and Spirit were one of the most influential bands of my life. My gang of teenage buddies played Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus' Nature's Way until the needles were dull on our turntables. The entire album which included Mr. Skin and Dr. Sardonicus was a classic psychedelic underground album. We danced around for hours and hours and playing these videos took me right back to the time when all that mattered was our music....and dancing..
Nature's Way Spirit It's nature's way of telling you something's wrong It's nature's way of telling you in a song It's nature's way of receiving you It's nature's way of retrieving you It's nature's way of telling you Something's wrong It's nature's way of telling you, soon we'll freeze It's nature's way of telling you, dying trees It's nature's way of receiving you It's nature's way of retrieving you It's nature's way of telling you Something's wrong It's nature's way, it's nature's way It's nature's way, it's nature's way It's nature's way of telling you It's nature's way of telling you Something's wrong
From the website Songfacts This song is a reflection on mortality, and also a lament for the fate of the Earth, as nature is telling us that something is wrong. The song was written long before climate change became a hot topic, but even in 1970, some ecologically minded songwriters were concerned about Mother Earth. This was written by Spirit's guitarist, Randy California. It was a very personal song, and in some ways, his maxim. The song deals with how nature guides you, and that's just what he did throughout his career. Spirit reached #25 US in 1969 with "I Got A Line On You," a track from their second album, but the group remained on the fringes of breakout success, in part because they turned down an invitation to play Woodstock. California got heavy into LSD and became even more mercurial. In 1970, he was riding a horse on the streets of Topanga Canyon when he fell off and fractured his skull. The same year, he wrote "Nature's Way," which was included on Spirit's fourth album, Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. California left the group in 1972 and the band splintered soon after. Sardonicus found a following and eventually sold over a million copies, prompting an iff-fated band reunion in 1976. California died in 1997 when he drowned while swimming in Hawaii.
Reminds me so much of the summer of 72.....must have played it every day along w The Beck Group lp. Both good heavy rockin’ guitar albums which also notable keyboards, etc. Both on Epic... Yes, they should have been much more famous. The fit right in that time period very well.
