Spirit
 

They're a psychedelic/progressive rock band that started in the 60s. I've recently started getting into their music, and I have to say that their first album and their fourth album are both excellent.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...firstalbum.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Sardonicus.jpg

I plan on looking into more of their work in the future.

That "Dr Sardonicus...errr...wotsit" lp is acclaimed as their masterpiece.

"Fresh Garbage" (covered by Wigwam!) is a great track, but I must say I have no need of Spirit in my collection.

My sister once gave me a copy of Sardonicus, but I got rid of it without her knowing.

That (first?) lp of theirs with the 4 quadrant face cover, is one I definitely did not care for.

But thats just me.

(So please dont ban Baggs!)

I only have Twelve Dreams on vinyl and I just ran into some spirit greatest hits compilation :)

One of the best things to come out of the 60s-psych/pop era. Intelligent spacey eclectic pop music with a prog-flair. But after the Summer of Love tanked and whatever was in the air, slowly evaporated...so did Spirit.

They were offered a spot at Woodstock just before Jimi Hendrix in 1969 but turned it down in order to go touring instead. Had they decided otherwise, they could have been a lot more popular I guess, even today.

I don't regularly listen to Spirit, but I like them. Some time ago, I wrote a review of their second album, The Family That Plays Together from 1968.

Interesting. Randy California was always sited as a disciple of Hendrix, though I never heard it in his playing.

Haha .. Forgot to add "at Woodstock" to my last post, but I guess you got what I meant.

Post edited!

IMO Spirit doesn't get the recognisation they deserved. Eclectic, avant-garde and progressive for the time as they fused jazz, psych, folk, funk and blues especially on thier first two albums. Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus is a psychedelia classic.

Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes left the band in 1971 to form the great party rock band Jo Jo Gunne and Spirit released Feedback which has to be one of the most disappointing follow up albums in rock history. Baffling. However Spirit would make a brief comeback in 1976 with Spirit of '76 which was a refreshing and diverse double album. Randy California is a under appreciated guitarist IMO and Spirit was prog before prog was put on the map a year latter.

I haven't heard much of their early stuff at all and despite the 'Spirit' tag, this was virtually a solo album for Randy California but it is an absolute classic.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kMkWq1e4b7...over_small.jpg

Freakout frog is a classic to get stoned too.

Although I'm sure this is fairly common knowledge on any music forum by now, Spirit are of course also known for being one of the bands Led Zeppelin stole from, in particular the descending guitar from Taurus. Zeppelin did support Spirit on a tour in America, so Jimmy Page and the boys were obviously familiar with the song.



It's beautiful, but I actually prefer Led Zeppelin's little changes. :p: