SPIRIT with Randy California-the first four, album by album

Circle, Son Of Spirit

 

Magic Fairy Princess

 

Yesterday

 

The Other Song

 

Sorry...it wasn't Iron Butterfly, rather Fever Tree's first album; the label decided guitarist Michael Stephen Knust should henceforth be known as "Michael". Michael was baffled as they hadn't informed him of the decision...Michael was amused that UNI Records maybe wanted him to seem mysterious... but that fuzz guitar. Wow. No gimmick needed.

 

What's your opinion about the 1979 reissue of the first album? The one with the horrible alternate cover

 

Not! Stick with Steve Hoffman's remastered gem.

 

Too expensive

 

Which one is your favourite album? Is there any poll?

 

No poll, but their first is my favorite as I still have my vinyl from 1968, and a mono promo copy. The rest are pretty tied through Dr. Sardonicus. Then it's Spirit of '76 and Potatoland.

Which do you like best, Sear?

 

Dr Sardonicus or The Family, depends of the day

 

The second album has a melancholic tone

 

I have thier 2nd and 3rd albums (Original ODE release)

Clear
The family that plays together


I just got clear a few days ago.... ABSOLUTELY GOREGOUS!!

 

Definitely my favourite is The family that plays together

 

I recently started getting into Spirit. (Yeah, I listened to the Taurus song). But I must say, that was a truly great band. I can't believe I missed out discovering them during my 60s and 70s music discovering phase. Randy California was truly an amazing player.

 

There are a few bands for me who have a catalog of decent albums but have one classic album that stands so high above the rest I almost forgot the others are there. The Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus is one such album for me. Another would be Ten Years After A Space In Time. Two perfect albums from two not so perfect bands.

 

The Family that plays together is amazing. I only discovered it recently and for me it's up there with a lot of THE classic late sixties albums. Haven't warmed to the other albums anywhere near as much though Nature's Way is a great track.

 

The rest of the Spirit catalog through Sardonicus deserves your full attention as they all are top tier efforts. All "perfect" IMHO.


Fresh Garbage...still gives me goosebumps. Brilliant stuff.

 

Aren't You Glad, a top ten Spirit tune. Cass is in my top five drummers of all time.

 

This little lip synced number at home is a cool one by Randy, Cass and ...

California Blues on Randy's back porch

 

Shared again....Mr Skin. Mike Nile on bass, Scott Monahan on keyboards.

 

Nature's Way...still pretty damn relevant.

 

Randy with...
Robby Krieger, Steve Howe, Andy Powell

All Along The Watchtower--Night Of The Guitar

 

Randy covered some the classics...so well. Randy did America so beautifully...a kind of tragic, melancholy tribute to the "land of the free". And the segue into Dylan's classic is just perfect.


America The Beautiful/The Times They Are A Changin'