Customer Reviews

Feedback

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this album on vinyl in 1972, and am glad it's finally out on CD. And does it sound good! Ranging from the sophomoric and silly (the hormonally-charged Ripe and Ready) to the near-great (Cadillac Cowboys), with everything else falling in the `good to very good' category. Chelsea Girls, Darkness and Right on Time are top-notch songs, which demand repeated listenings. Particularly nice are the two instrumentals, Puesta Del Scam and Trancas Fog-Out. The latter has some nice bass and piano interplay.

The loss of Randy California, Mark Andes and Jay Ferguson, and the addition of the Staehely brothers made for a unique `Spirit' album, that (as other reviewers note) stands on its own. Al Staehely doesn't sound like Jay Ferguson, but he does not suffer in comparison, and his bass playing is impressive. Younger brother Christian lays down some tasty guitar playing throughout. As one reviewer correctly noted, his guitar solo in Cadillac Cowboys is especially memorable. It's great to hear John Locke stretch out and shine, and the jazz-trained Ed Cassidy is excellent. There is an added, bonus track titled New York City. It sounds a bit like Cadillac Cowboys, with an interesting instrumental coda. However, the song is flawed with juvenile, sex-oriented lyrics ("I can't wait to get in your bed, can't wait for some good head"). Ripe and Ready offers similar lyrical gems.

Of course, these were young guys (well, at least the Staehely bros. were, as Christian was still in his teens), and many could identify at the time.

This is a really good album, perhaps even better today than it seemed in 1972. Maybe that's in part because of the lack of good rock albums over the years, or perhaps it just evokes a more pleasant time. One thing is certain; the sound quality of this recording is stunning. The instruments are clear, distinct and well defined in the soundstage. It sounds better, in fact, than my Mobile Fidelity Master copy of The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. Sony did a great job in this `Collector's Choice' line.

If you remember this album, and liked a few cuts on it, chances are you'll like it even more than you did back then. If you've never heard it, now's your chance. It's worth it.

When two-thirds of your band leaves it's bound to have an impact on your sound. After recording a number of terrific albums Spirit guitarist Randy California, guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Jay Ferguson and bassist Mark Andes (they formed Jo Jo Gunne)left Spirit. Drummer Ed Cassidy and keyboardist John Locke remained and with the help of Ferguson recruited Al Staehely as vocalist/bassist later Christian Al's brother joined as guitarist.

The album the quartet recorded although not up to the standards of the band's first four albums, had promise. With the shift in personnel and the decidedly Texas flavored rock 'n' roll. The quartet's only album features some terrific tunes and Al ably steps into Jay and Mark's shoes while Christian although not the same type of guitarist as Randy, does a very good job. Many of the tunes have a Southern rock flavor to them very gritty and quite different from what Spirit had tried before. The boogie rock that this edition of Spirit did ironically wasn't that far different from what Ferguson and Andes did in Jo Jo Gunne.

Collector's Choice has done a service to Spirit fans by reissuing this overlooked minor gem. The mastering by Ken Robertson is quite good and the liner notes include comments from Cassidy and Locke about this line up and their experience recording the album with the late producer David Briggs ("Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus" and a frequent co-producer with Neil Young).

The album has a few weak tracks (most notably "Mellow Morning" written by Al Staehely with Jo Jo Gunne guitarist Matt Andes)but overall, it's a worthwhile addition to the Spirit tradition with some truly outstanding tracks. This new edition has a b-side that added as a bonus track. "New York City" is a solid closer that would have sounded terrific on the album. Given time this line up could have produced music equal to but different from the previous incarnation. Jo Jo GunneTwelve Dreams of Dr. SardonicusThe Best of Spirit

This isn't anything like the first 4 classic Spirit albums, and yet it has it's own magic. This is more good-timesy rock, funk, and honky tonk and it's within those genres that the greatness of the musical work exists. Great upbeat music for cruising on a sunny day or partying at night. J.C. Staehely just kicks out the sweet country rock and bluesy guitar licks at every turn, and brother Al Staehely plays a very tight and funky bass. In terms of the 2 original Spirit members, this album seems to have given keyboardist John Locke the freedom to really cut loose and he provides lots of great honky tonk and jazz fills. You can really hear this on the samples. Drummer Ed Cassidy pretty much plays it straight here, which is exactly what the music needs. The 2 short jazz rock instrumental fusion pieces (Puesta del Scam & Trancas Fog-Out) written by Locke are absolutely amazing in terms of potency and execution. They will blow you away! Unfortunately the sample of Puesta doesn't really represent the song that well (but the other samples really represent the feel of the album well, and the sample of Locke's "Darkness" demonstrates just how creative this edition of the band was). This album is more straight ahead good time rock music, and within that genre, this is a great album. It's not at all like the eclectic conceptual stuff you'll find on the first 4 albums. Rock On!

This, the only Spirit album without Randy California, while not their best shouldn't be overlooked. There are a couple of clinkers (Mellow Morning especially) but the three John Locke songs and Chelsea Girls are as good as anything the band ever recorded and the "bonus" track helps flesh the album out a bit. If you're a Spirit fan give it a try. If you're new to Spirit don't make this your first but maybe come back to it after hearing the 1st four albums.

because when this LP came out on the heels of TWELVE DREAMS OF DR SARDONICUS, I despised it. Only because the previous incarnation of Spirit had given me a psychedelic punch, and here was some normal sounding Cal-rock. Adolescents want what they want, you know.

But revisited decades later... hey, this is good, solid rock and good songwriting. And the instrumental tunes like "Trancas Fog Out" are stellar.

Tunes "Right on Time" and "Mellow Morning"..evocative of the year, and solid.

Overlooked gem. Not fantastic, but notable!

I realize it's a pretty thin justification for hard earned bucks, but the guitar on Cadillac Cowboys makes the album worth having.

I've been a fan of Spirit since I first heard "Dr Sardonicus" back in the 70's but I dismissed this album because of Randy's absence. It was my loss! I'm older now and I've reached a point in my collection where I'm getting some of the music I left behind (I make more money now than I did when I was 18!) and truthfully I've picked up a lot of....well, not good albums. Feedback though is a great album. It's good rock, it's a believable direction for Spirit and SOUNDS-like a Spirit album. It isn't "Sardonicus" but if you are a fan of 70's-style rock/progressive rock and a fan of Spirit then this is an album worth taking a risk on; enjoy!

First, for Sony to have re-released this disc in any form is a treat. Fresh into the Spirit world, I was buying first on vinyl and had this as a double album with "The Family That Plays Together". At first, I thought it a throwaway, but gave it another spin, and another... Bought it in the in the "Original Album Classics" with the other 4 Spirit albums. Finally bought this edition for the liner notes and the extra track.

So, why didn't this version of Spirit stay together and grow? It was the same on the charts as "12 Dreams" but wasn't a Spirit album. It was "New Spirit". To rate this with the other Spirit albums would be wrong. It's like any post Spirit "golden 4", with strengths and weaknesses. Initial listen was bad. I thought they had changed for the worse. Other listens however grew on me. "Cadillac Cowboys" is actually a great comment on the later 70's trend to come. "Earth Shaker" is a good rock breakdown with background singers? 1971 rock seemed to use backups a lot. Locke's three contributions "Puesta", "Trancas", and "Darkness" are the link to the past and look to the future that never happened. The only song that took me longest to warm too is "Mellow Morning" which seemed trivial non rock. "Witch" is the best track that I liked even on first hearing. It's has a great party like wrap with studio banter that I love to hear. The extra "New York City" completes this disc and would slot well anywhere in the album.

Overall, a great effort. "New Spirit" one album picture of great talent.

I have always been a SPIRIT fan. The Original [5] man line-up stands as seminal
60's Progressive Rock. I had a chance to see this [2 + 2] line-up at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago in '73. The concert opened with Ed Cassidy pounding out a hard stacatto beat that morphed into "Earth Shaker". I happen to really enjoy "Mellow Morning" [a guilty pleasure for sure]. Sadly, with the passings of Randy and John the promise of a reunion is in SPIRIT only.

Like The Doors "Other Voices", their first album after Morrison's death, this Spirit album produced after the departures of Randy California and Jay Ferguson is packed with top-flight tunes and performances, but never caught on with the public --or even much of their fan base, who abandoned both 'starless' bands. A shame. Check out both, but be cognizant of the record production quality in those days. This was made just before the huge strides in record production and instrument amplification quality in the early-mid seventies, and sounds very sixties-ish, even though the material is fairly sophisticated rock.