SPIRIT "The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus", the beginning of the end?

It seems as if musicians aren't the smaartest of peoples...

 

If memory serves correct, Sardonicus didn't fare too well out of the starting gate. The real applause seems to have come a couple years later when Mr Skin hit the charts. Qualiy stuff sometimes takes a while to get deserved respect.

 

That would make a good thread,albums that sold better latter.

 

I get a kick out of "Taurus" (the 4th track) I think Jimmy Page may have heard this one and put in in his head and it came out when he wrote the intro to Stairway. (an old story but a funny one)

 

Yeah MikeM, we must be close in age...Spirit was very unique group for sure...I prefer strawberry incense however...

 

Not 'may', Page did hear it. The New Yardbirds and later LZ opened for Spirit at a number of venues in Europe and Page did hear it, liked it, and asked Randy California if he could use it. Hippie days indeed: California said 'sure, why not?'

Dale

 

of course he heard it. LZ were playing Fresh Garbage as part of the As Long As I Have You Medley on the first two tours... Page and Plant had their ears open to a lot of West Coast music.

 

The album cover was awesome, too!

 

Vic Anesini is responsible for the sound of the current in-print cd.
You are no doubt familiar with the consistent quality of his work.

 

I've never "gotten" this album. At all. I even owned it for a while in the '70s. I know people I respect who swear it's a great piece of music but I just don't get it and I don't know why.

I never could stand "Nature's Way," either.

What's wrong with me on this one?

 

Its an acquired taste.

 

Listen to the Technicolor Web of Sound in iTunes for one week straight, 24/7, and you'll get it.

 

Someone correct me if I am wrong but aren't the first three Anesini remastered Spirit LPs remixed a la Miles Davis and the Byrds?

 

I prefer the MoFi silver CD version over the more recent remaster, but haven't heard the original CD release.

 

I too say the MFSL aluminum disc. I only had old vinyl and an 8 track to compare though.
Saw them, or what was left of them sometime in the mid 70s at a bar here in Chicago. It was not a given until the last moment that Randy would not make it. Jack Cassidy was there of course and they were traveling in an Ford Econoline if I remember correctly. My friend and I sat about 10 feet away from them and were tossing down 16oz Old Styles. Man were they loud.
Fun night!

 

I just found and bought The Best of Spirit on Epic,1987. Have to say the tracks from Sardonicus on the best of hold up pretty good to the MFSL.

 

Don't worry, you're not the only one, I don't get it either

I LOVE the S/T debut though!

 

I like it, but think the first 3 LPs are a lot better.....

 

There was a lot more to it, apparently. Sounds like a soap opera: Briggs was screwing Mark Andes's girlfriend on the QT, and RC got into cocaine during those sessions (possibly/probably introduced by Briggs, since he loved the stuff (see Neil Young's bio for details)).

Plus, everybody was totally freaked out by the Manson murders that happened almost next door--Sharon Tate did not live far from the Spirit house (was it Topanga or Laurel Canyon?)--Andes and Jay Ferguson jumped ship shortly thereafter and formed Jo Jo Gunne.

 

Love that band and actually everything they recorded, even after the 4 albums. The jazzy element was always what made them so special.

 

I Love this album! I brought it in a Jb Hi Fi shop in the mid nineties i had no idea what to expect but it was cheap $16.99 so thats why i got it also the cover looked weird! I have listened to this album countless times and from start to finish it is a masterpiece a a must listen to for anything with a love of music. my favourite song is the ending song "Soldier"!

 

Too true! Keyboardist John Locke was their secret weapon. He sadly died recently of some sort of cancer, without ever really getting due credit for his musical accomplishments.

 

A great keyboardplayer... I also enjoyed his playing when he joined Nazareth

 

IMHO Twelve Dreams is one of the greatest headphone albums of all time.

 

Spirit's house was in Topango Canyon, which is closest to the ocean. Terry Melcher's house (where the Tate murder was committed) was on Cielo Drive, which is in Benedict Canyon (it's now east of the 405). Laurel Canyon is further over to the east. Oh, and if you do a mapquest search for the exact location of the Manson murder site, be aware that they changed and renumbered the street not too very long ago. Harder to find, now.

So, close as the crow flies, not that close to actually drive to. BUT, there was that murder in Topango Canyon that Bobby Beausoleil and Sadie were involved in, and THAT might've been close to the Spirit house. Probably was, now I think about it.

I should ask Mark Andes for some details of the split-up. This thread brings to mind that I've not done that, tho I see him several times a month (and he knows I'm a huge Spirit fan). The split I think was more or less down to 'artistic differences' (i.e., a desire to move more towards rock and away from jazz) which led Andes and Ferguson to split and form Jo Jo Gunne with Andes' brother Matt.

I did learn that the original band actually got back together a number of times, and everyone seems to have always been on pretty good terms. I do know that Mark, at least, never had any sort of personal falling out with anyone in Spirit. He was in touch with Locke and California up until their deaths, and I'm pretty sure still talks to Ferguson, too.