Customer Reviews

Clear

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've had this album since 1995. At first, it didn't move me, but I couldn't get the songs out of my head. I was compelled to keep playing it, and have taken it out at least once a month since 1995. I can't say that about many of my albums, of which I have 1000s. It is a very fine, but very strange record.

The first half of Clear is covered of hard-rock numbers, like "Dark-Eyed Woman" and "Groundhog Day." These songs blare with Hendrix-tinged leads, but they have time changes and keyboard solos that add a very sophisticated polish to the tunes. Everything is extremely well thought out. Every song's dynamics unearth themselves with repated listens; there are layers and layers of sound here.

The second half is mainly covered by spacy interludes and jazzy improvosations. There are some nice sounds here, but only "Ice," the musical equivlant of a mountinside in the middle of the night, is fully realized.

Clear overall carries a very strange aura: the electric panio and some of the lyrics make this album a clear product of 1969. You can picture it blasting out of hippie dorm rooms or suburban key parties. Yet structually, it holds up quite well, and is a very, very enjoyable listen on strictly musical terms. It is of its time, yet nothing from the era can be directly compared to Clear.

All of which is part of its appeal. Clear is not a good first listen, because the most interesting parts of this music are buried deep within the music, and because listeners will have initial trouble with Spirt's strange musical cross-breeds. But stick with it, and this album will be a fantatic standby for years and years to come.

I've been a big Spirit fan since I was a kid, as I remember my older brother spinning "The Family That Plays Together" (their 2nd LP - yes, I said "LP") when it was released back in 1968. I was immediately amazed by this band's unique sound - believe me when I say this is one group that had few peers...they were years ahead of most of the music scene back then...and, as far as I'm concerned, light years ahead of the music scene today (yet, somehow, they remain sadly kind of obscure in the musical scheme of things - almost like a rare gem, hiding out and waiting to be discovered - again! Except for those of us who have always treasured their important, barrier-breaking contributions to rock & roll). Eclectic, melodic, original, whimsical, thought-provoking...these are just a few words to describe the myriad of colors Spirit sound-painted with. I chose "Clear" to review because (much to my own astonishment) I finally discovered this album within the last year, having sustained myself for (3) decades + on the aforementioned "Family" and the brilliant "12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus" (which in and of itself might give you an idea of the staying power of their work - I unearthed their eponymous debut LP about a decade ago). Anyway, this album is just as brilliant as the other three - a new adventure, a departure, yet completely familiar to any fan of Spirit's catalogue of music. CD remastering has definitely improved the listening experience, as much of the "quieter" sections of tunes can be appreciated without the clicks & pops of vinyl LP's (sorry vinyl, I do still love ya). Check out rockers like "Dark Eyed Woman", "Ground Hog" or "I'm Truckin'" and then simmer down with beautiful, almost tearful melodies like "Give A Life, Take A Life" and moody, provocative instrumentals like "Ice" & the title track...you'll be blown away! Bonus cuts are excellent too... "Fuller Brush Man" is sheer whit & genius! I believe this was one band that recorded lots more material than they ever released, so we can only hope for more magic from the vaults of Spririt. Also, after listening to any of their first (4) LP's (with all five original members), you will understand why so many British prog bands of the late 60's/early 70's would site Spirit as a definitive influence. When I surf the radio waves of today, I thank the gods that bands like this once roamed the earth, and that they left an electric legacy for our modern-day rock & roll-starved souls to continuously rediscover & immerse ourselves in! PS - I can't conclude this piece without paying tribute to the late, great Randy California - an absolutely brilliant, underrated guitarist. When you consider that he was all of 18 to 20 years old when Spirit was happening, and that he played a Dan Electro guitar, no less (a cool guitar, but not a real "players" guitar -you guitarists will know what I mean), this should really serve to underscore the magnitude of his unbelieveable talent that much more! We can only (try to) wonder what it might have sounded like if Randy & Jimi had gone on to record together...

This and the other first four albums by Spirit are real musical treasures. The music is rock with a touch of jazz, much like Steely Dan. It is well written, well played and packs an emotional whollop that blow you all the way back to the 60's. The group is composed of talented musicians from a varied background. Like all great bands, they play as a cohesive musical force that is greater than the individuals that comprise it. For those of you interested in expanding your musical experience beyond the "classic rock" you hear on the radio, check out this record or "12 Dreams of Doctor Sardonicus," both extremely good albums by Spirit.

Although I've been aware of Spirit for ages, thanks to FM radio playing "I Got a Line On You" and "Nature's Way", it's only been now since I acquired any of their albums, and of course, I had to get their first four albums, with the original lineup of Randy California, Ed Cassidy, Jay Ferguson, Mark Andes, and John Locke. Clear was their last album produced by Lou Adler and on the Ode label (which was owned by Adler), before switching to David Briggs and Epic Records for Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus.

Of the first four Spirit albums, I thought Clear was the most difficult to get in to. The first half of the album consists of rock songs, not too far from what you already heard on The Family That Plays Together and their self-entitled debut. Examples are "Dark Eyed Woman", "Apple Orchard", "Ground Hog", and "Policeman's Ball". There's also the more psychedelic "Cold Wind". Many of these songs tend to have a bluesy bent to it. The second half consists of mellower material, many of them instrumental cuts intended for a film soundtrack (I don't recall name of the film). Some of the songs you can't even call rock. "Ice" is a really pleasant orchestral number, with John Locke giving us some nice use of electric piano, and Randy California giving us some nice guitar work. "Give a Life, Take a Life" find the band exploring more of a soft rock style, I am reminded a bit of the Association here. "I'm Truckin'" is a rocking piece that fits fine on the first half of the album. The title track is another orchestral number, while "Caught" is the most straight-up jazz piece. "New Dope in Town" is another rocking piece, but there's some really interesting jazzy passages to go with it.

Of the first four Spirit albums, this is probably the one to get last, after you get their self-entitled debut, The Family That Plays Together, and Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus, but still this album is full of great stuff, just require a few listens to get it.

Over thirty years later after listening to this album for the first time, I finally cleared the cobwebs out of my head and relistened to this masterpiece. What a great, piece of work. I'm only sorry it took me so long to finally hear this recording for what it is.

Following on from their quirky, jazz influenced debut ("Spirit") and their more mainstream, rock orientated second album ("The Family That Plays Together"), Spirit's third album is a more extreme representation of the band's unique musical mix.

Caught between wanting to be an innovative jazz-rock band and a guitar-hero rock band, "Clear" suffers from noticable schizophrenia as both sides of the group's character vie for space. This tension leads to some odd results (for example "New Dope In Town" whose over heavy rock verses surround a beautifully lilting jazz piano break that bears little relation to the rest of the song) and some real gems - "Ice" and "Clear" are marvellous, low key, jazz based instrumentals, "Dark-Eyed Woman" is truly excellent straight down the line hard rock and "Give A Life, Take A Life" is a superb slice of vocal harmony straight out of the Beach Boys "Surfs Up" drawer. In between the album moves, not always comfortably, between these diverse, sometimes conflicting styles.

Somehow it works... a record that frustrates and rewards in equal proportion, which sums up Spirit's music more effectively than the rest and which contains some of their very best tracks.

I first discovered this one on an old tape, unaware as to who Spirit actually were. The tape wore out, and I eventually came across "The Best of Spirit", but still I had to get this one. I got the CD and discovered some songs I hadn't really listened to before. "Ice" and "Clear" are two great instrumental tracks (sort of like Pink Floyd of the era, in some ways comparable to their "Echoes"). "New Dope in Town" is a funny song to end off with. In addition are bonus tracks, and considering how well the sound quality is, it's worth the rather small price!

Mark, Randy, Ed, Jay, and John made up a band well ahead of its time. Thank goodness for Lou Adler giving them a chance to prove themselves and that they did. This is, like all the other albums they made, a rich hybrid of songs making you feel satisfied with forking out the bucks to get this album.

After the modest success of there first two albums, Spirit released "Clear" #55 in 1969. It just goes to show, if you don't have a hit single your album won't go anywhere! As 1969 went on Spirit as a band was starting to break-up little by little. They were offered the spot before Hendrix at Woodstock but management sent them on a radio promo tour instead. Oh the blown opportunity. But enough about those things, let me show you the highlight's of this great lost disc.

"Dark Eyed Woman" - A hard charging hard rocker, Randy's colorful guitar solo is the highlight. Should of been a hit!

"Apple Orchard" - Funky little number, Blues feel, lust between ranch hand and the farmer's daughter. You can really hear the cowbells here.

"So Little Time To Fly" - Folky little number reminiscent of their last album.
"Ground Hog" - Blues riff-rocker. Great bass by Mark Andes. Jay said he played a 5-string banjo.
"Cold Wind"- Fergusoncomposed tune, Classical type tune. Moody. Psychedelic guitar at the end nice touch.
"Policeman's Ball" - The guitar sounds like saxaphone,very clever. Good electric piano by John Locke.
"Ice" - A song from the film "Model Shop". To me this John's most classic mood instrumental. Great strings and guitar.
"Give A Life, Take A Life - Vietnam was going on at the time. Great harmonies here. Just a great pop tune. Also should of been a hit.
"I'm Truckin'" - John Locke composed song with words. Nice little simplistic tune.
"Clear" - Instrumental. Interplay between Locke and California something to behold. (It's a shame they couldn't continue this for another 5 to 10 years). Good orchestration.
"Caught" - Inspired by the heavy rainstorms in Spirit's communal home in Topanga Canyon.(in liner notes). Great piano riff, sounds like an early 60's jazz club movie or David Brubeck.
"New Dope In Town" - Drug trade business. Again excellent interplay between the band. John Locke's jazz-funk piano in the middle of song. Ending with Randy's crafty guitar.
""1984" - #69 on the charts. Should of gone higher! Except for some music business stupidity. One of Randy's classic riffs.
"Sweet Stella Baby" - Jay Ferguson rocker B-side to "1984". Pre-dates Jo Jo Gunne.
"Fuller Brush Man" - Psychedelic sounding, with hints of jazz interplay between Andes,Cassidy and Locke. Great guitar by Randy.
"Coral" - Here's an Ed Cassidy, John Locke composed number. Totally different sounding song in the early Spirit canon.
Bonus Hidden Track - "Clear album spot.
Next would come "Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus", you all know about this album. As the orginal band would break-up after this album, before re-forming for one more album in 1984.

R.I.P. Randy "Wolfe" California 1951-1997. One of the best guitar players and writers.
and John Locke 1943-2006 a terrific keyboardist.

If your looking to listen to Spirit, I think you can't go wrong with the first four CD's!

I bought this album on vinyl, originally, when it was released in the sixties. Unlike a lot of bands, Spirit still sounds as fresh and relevent today as they were cutting edge in the sixties. They were always ahead of their time and still have a unique sound that no other group has ever equalled.

I had several of Spirit's albums, by the early seventies, and I'm collecting the CD reissues. Among them, "Clear" remains my favorite. It is rather unique in Spirit's discography, with its instrumental tracks "Ice" and the title track, "Clear," being my favorites, accompanied by strings.

I think there is much here that today's youth would identify with, just as I did when I was a teenager, myself. From the melancholy "Cold Wind" to "Give a Life, Take a Life," Spirit's music remains as relevent as ever. The only exception might be the now dated "1984," although its theme, like the Orwell novel, is still relevent today.

If you're looking for good, solid rock songs with a sound that is unique, you can't do any better than "Dark Eyed Woman," "Apple Orchard," "So Little Time to Fly," "Ground Hog Day," and the Spirit classic "I'm Truckin'."

I think one thing that set Spirit apart from most sixties bands, and still does, was its fusion of rock with elements of jazz, partly (or mostly) due to the influence of Ed Cassidy's background as a jazz drummer. Coupled with Randy California's Hendrix-inspired guitar virtuosity, Spirit's sound is unique in the annals of rock music and has never been duplicated. Whether you're an old fan returning to their music or you've never heard of them and would like to find out more, I think you'll find much here to like.