Through The Times With Randy California And Spirit
A Historical Discography, by Steve Robey
In January 1997, the music world
received the heartbreaking news that Randy California, longtime
guitarist, songwriter, and leader of the band Spirit, was
reported missing after saving his son from drowning off the coast
of Hawaii. He is presumed dead. We have all felt that moment of
remorse, loss, and shock we get when we first hear that such a
talented musician has passed on. Randy spent nearly thirty years
of his short life writing and recording beautiful, understated,
and honest music that refused to concede to mainstream appeal yet
kept thousands of fans around the world following his every move
and savoring every note he played. This article pays tribute to
the band he led for so many years, through a historical overview
of Spirit's vast and diverse discography. We thus dedicate this
piece to the memory of Randy California, a true original.
Spirit have been one of
California's most loved and long-lived rock groups, from their
debut in 1967 up until the present day. Mass success always
eluded them: they wrote occasional (great) pop songs but were
generally too "weird" to be embraced by a large
audience. As such, most people remember Spirit for two songs
alone, the timeless "I Got a Line on You" (a hit in
1969) and the beautiful "Nature's Way" (a hit from
about two years later). The rest of their massive recording
output deserves attention, and that is the reason for this
feature. The untimely and sad death of founding guitarist Randy
California affords us the chance to pay homage to this
trailblazing band that pushed its musical limits to the extremes
of rock, jazz, blues, and classical music. Ironically, we at
Exposé had already planned this career retrospective even before
California's passing, inspired by the recent re-release of
Spirit's first four albums on CD with greatly enhanced sound and
amazing bonus tracks. Each of these will be reviewed in detail.
The Origins of Spirit
Guitarist Randy California was a
child prodigy in the right place at the right time, artistically
speaking. His uncle ran a jazz and blues club, and the young
Randy learned his licks firsthand from greats such as
Lightnin Hopkins, Doc Watson, Jesse Fuller, and Sleepy John
Estes, who would routinely pay visits to Randy's family between
gigs. When he was 15 years old and living in New York City, Randy
befriended Jimmy James (soon to move to England and record as the
Jimi Hendrix Experience) and played in his band, Jimmy James and
the Blue Flames, for three months. In the meantime, a seasoned
jazz drummer, Ed "Cass" Cassidy, had not only begun
gigging with Randy, but had married Randy's mother, effectively
making their musical partnership truly a family affair (which was
to last until Randy's death). The initial line-up of Spirit was
thus born. Combining the diverse talents of blues musicians
(Randy California on guitar and Mark Andes on bass), two jazz
musicians (Ed Cassidy on drums and John Locke on electric piano),
and a classical buff with a knack for songwriting (vocalist Jay
Ferguson), Spirit had all the ingredients necessary to make truly
eclectic, genre-defying music. Although this lineup was only
together for four years, their recorded output remains astounding
and way ahead of its time; few bands in history have ever pulled
off such an accessible yet challenging fusion of song-oriented
rock and jazz (Phish and Steely Dan come to mind).
The First Four Albums (1967-1970)
Many regard Spirit's first four
albums (the only ones with the original lineup) to be the
definitive work released by the band, and it's hard to disagree.
Each successive release points to directions rarely traveled by
rock bands, much less rock bands with an eye on the charts.
In the wake of the overhyped
Summer of Love, the members of Spirit retreated to a house in
Topanga Canyon, and laid the groundwork for their debut album.
This album is definitely in the running for their best album
ever, with a quietly brilliant hybrid of
jazz/blues/folk/classical that has rarely, if ever, been equaled.
Vocalist Jay Ferguson is the focus of the album, writing the
majority of the material, which consists of odd, seemingly slight
short songs (such "Fresh Garbage" and "Straight
Arrow") which veer suddenly into brief, jazz-inflected jams
without notice. Although Randy California mainly plays a
supporting role on this album (in contrast to later on), his
ringing, heavily sustained guitar presence is felt on the bizarre
"Mechanical World" (ironically, their first single,
written about Andes' fear of death when he was suffering from the
flu), John Locke's 10-minute jazz instrumental "Elijah"
(featuring solos by all the instrumentalists), and the sublime
instrumental break in "Gramophone Man." He also lends a
delicate touch on the acoustic guitar on his own composition, the
pastoral instrumental "Taurus", complete with a great
string arrangement (by Marty Paich) and harpsichord. Legend has
it that "Taurus" directly inspired Led Zeppelin's
"Stairway to Heaven", with its similar mood and
identical opening acoustic guitar figure - the fact that Led
Zeppelins opened for Spirit on their first US tour in
December 68 makes that connection even more certain.
The re-release of Spirit's first
album is notable mostly for its four superb bonus tracks, a
couple of which nearly surpass the tracks on the original
release. The extended jazz instrumental "Elijah" is
represented here in an alternate take that nearly puts the
original to shame (especially in the guitar and bass solos
performed by California and Andes, respectively). The other three
bonus tracks further highlight the jazzy element of the band,
emphasizing instrumental interplay over songs; imagine the Soft
Machine circa 1970 (say, "Slightly All the Time" or
"Esther's Nose Job") with Hendrix-like guitar instead
of sax, and you'll get a feeling for what's going down. On the
down side, the re-release tries a bit too hard to brighten the
sound, and is a bit top-heavy on the frequencies. The added
emphasis on the cymbals and tambourines can be a bit wearing
after a while. The guitar sounds better that ever, though.
The Family That Plays Together. The title says it all. This was
probably the "happiest" period in Spirit's history, and
this superb album is a testimony to the sheer joy of creation
(notwithstanding the somber tone of many of the songs). Not only
does it contain much of their best music, but it yielded a
massive hit single in "I Got a Line on You" (penned by
Randy California, an assertion of his increased presence as a
songwriter). The remainder of the album is split between
California's and Ferguson's songs, and nearly all of it is
excellent. Avoiding stagnation, the material has been stripped of
its overt jazz tendencies, opting instead for a more subtle
hybrid of styles. "It Shall Be", co-written by
California and Locke, combines a fluid electric piano riff with
flute, an orchestral arrangement, and a beautiful vocal melody.
Ferguson's "Drunkard" features one of the best
orchestral arrangements (for a rock song) in recent memory, and
his "Dream Within a Dream" reaches heavenly peaks as
well. The album rocks too, with the concert favorite "It's
All the Same" and the joyous "Aren't You Glad".
The re-release of The Family That
Plays Together is one the truly great works of remastering I have
ever heard. The bass sounds absolutely perfect. The impeccable
attention to detail makes the great songs even better, and sheds
new light on the lesser tracks. This album, and particularly this
re-release, is highly recommended to all readers out there.
Spirit's unique approach is accessible while paying so much
attention to nuance and detail. To boot, the re-release contains
4 bonus tracks, one of which (Ferguson's "Now or
Anywhere") ranks as one of my favorite Spirit songs.
Now things get a bit more
complicated. Having declined an invitation to open for Hendrix at
Woodstock (and regretting it afterwards), Spirit's spirit began
to decline. Their third album Clear consists partly of instrumentals
intended for soundtrack material (some were used in the film
"The Model Shop"), with the balance filled in with rock
songs which were odd but impressive, displaying Spirit's
increasingly wide stylistic range. Despite the scattershot nature
of the album's contents, just about every track is great,
especially "Dark Eyed Woman", their hardest rocker yet
(though a single of it failed to chart), "New Dope in
Town", with its tough piano riff and dramatic middle
section, and the bluesy Clapton-like "I'm Truckin'".
Two concert favorites "Apple Orchard" and "So
Little Time To Fly" are included, as well as the title track
- a beautiful classical guitar piece by California. And it's hard
to argue against the quality of Locke's jazzy instrumentals
"Ice" and "Caught", both of which display a
finesse lacking in the works of their contemporaries.
The reissue of Clear
has appropriately clear (no pun intended) sound, and includes
another single ("1984" / "Sweet Stella Baby")
as bonus material. Written by Randy California, "1984"
(which charted briefly in December 69 before being
jettisoned by radio tip sheets) now seems rather dated with its
awkward and controversial lyrical content (it's remained a
concert favorite, though, and still has a certain edge in live
performance as an energetic rocker), and its B-side by Jay
Ferguson is a throwaway. "Fuller Brush Man," another
bonus track (by Ferguson) is a real winner though: Spirit at its
weirdest. As good an album as Clear is, it gave little indication
of the wide-eyed brilliance which was to distinguish their next
release.
The Twelve Dreams Of Dr.Sardonicus is considered by many to be
the quintessential Spirit album, and the only one which has
remained in print in the US throughout the years. At this point,
Spirit decided to pull out all the stops, and make an album that
would finally put their creative energies in the limelight. The
sound and production values of this album are so advanced for
their time that it's hard to believe it was recorded in 1970 (I
felt similarly on my first hearing of 1973's Dark Side of the
Moon by Pink Floyd). The songs run together, often using voices
and sound effects as links (not unlike Sgt. Pepper), enhancing
the conceptual feel and flow of the album's contents.
"Prelude - Nothin' to Hide" kicks off the album in true
rocking style, notwithstanding a delicate acoustic guitar intro.
Randy California's "Nature's Way" is next, and is
simply one of the most poignant, memorable songs of the early
70s. The rest of the album doesn't let up either. Whether through
the manic rocking of Ferguson's songs ("Street Worm",
"When I Touch You", "Mr. Skin") or through
the gentler strains of California's songs ("Soldier",
"Why Can't I be Free", "Life Has Just Begun")
or the trailblazing experimentalism of John Locke's contributions
("Space Child" and "Love Has Found a Way",
two of the earliest compositions to utilize Moog synthesizers),
this album hits bullseyes from start to finish. Unfortunately,
the rest of the world didn't feel the same way, the album sold
only moderately, and the band broke up, frustrated and spent.
The re-release of Dr. Sardonicus
contains 4 bonus tracks, including alternate mixes of
"Morning Will Come" and "Animal Zoo" which
are unspectacular but historically interesting. The other two
tracks point to the 70s direction of Spirit: more
straightforward, simple arrangements fronted by the expressive
guitar of Randy California.
Post-Breakup: Jay Ferguson and
Mark Andes in Jo Jo Gunne
Wishing to further explore the
hard rock territory hinted at in his contributions to Sardonicus,
Jay Ferguson formed Jo Jo Gunne, with Mark Andes on bass and
Mark's brother Matt on guitar (Jay played keyboards, rhythm
guitar, sang, and wrote the songs). At their best, Jo Jo Gunne
was the best kick-ass California boogie band ever. They made 4
albums between 1972 and 1974: Jo Jo Gunne, Bite
Down Hard, Jumpin' the Gunne, and
So....Where's the Show. The first album gained them
their most success, with the hit single "Run Run Run";
the remainder of the album followed suit with steamy boogie
running from hot ("Shake that Fat") to cool
("Babylon").
Mark Andes left the band after the
debut album, to be replaced by Jimmie Randall, who may have
contributed to the band's subsequent increase in amplitude. The
third release is a case in point: Jumpin' the Gunne
is nothing short of breathtaking, a red hot testimony to the
power of pure, basic rock and roll. This album deserves to be a
rock classic. The down-and-dirty slower blues-inflected numbers
("High School Drool", "Before You Get Your
Breakfast") perfectly complement the fast rockers ("I
Wanna Love You", "Getaway", "Monkey
Music"). Someday this will come out on CD and you will take
it home, put it on, and your fish will stop swimming. It smokes!
The last release, "So...Where's the Show?" doesn't
quite reach this level of intensity, but it is a fine release
nonetheless. It features the guitar of Al Staehely, who joined
Spirit for their 1971 album, Feedback (see review below).
The four Jo Jo Gunne albums were reissued as 2-on-1 limited edition
CDs by Rhino Handmade in 2000
After the breakup of Jo Jo Gunne,
Jay Ferguson went on to a successful solo career, recording a
number of solid albums (especially great is All Alone in the End
Zone, now out of print), and even charting with the hit
single "Thunder Island" in the late 70s. Mark Andes was
part of the seventies country rock wave in the band Firefall, and
joined Heart in time for their 1983 album
Passionworks.
Post Breakup: Randy California
After the departure of Ferguson
and Andes, Spirit forged on for a few months as a four-piece
adding bassist John Arliss, even adding some new material to
their repertoire (songs like "Going Away",
"Something You Might Say" and "Tow The Line"
are from this period, none of which have ever been released).
Ultimately Randy California opted out of continuing with Spirit,
and left the music business for a period of time. He returned in
72 with a solo album entitled Kapt. Kopter and the
Fabulous Twirly Birds. As the name suggests, this is a
whimsical, fun release that rocks hard and showcases California's
formidable guitar playing nicely. The opening track,
"Downer", is great, as are his versions of "Day
Tripper" and "Rain" (both by the Beatles). Working
with seasoned sidemen, including Noel Redding (formerly of
Hendrix Experience - listed as Clit McTorius on the album
credits for contractual reasons) and Cassidy, California is
comfortably in control, and he asserts his underrated vocal
presence, which would come to full fruition when he rejoined
Spirit a couple of years later.
In mid-72, California and Cassidy
(after the latter had left Spirit after the "Feedback"
tour, see below), together with bassist Larry Knight (who had
played on the Kapt. Kopter album) began working together again,
planning and recording material for what was hoped to be the next
Spirit album. After a move to England in early 73, a
British tour, and some session work with Van Der Graaf Generator
main-man Peter Hammill (you can hear Randy featured on "Red
Shift" from Hammills Silent Corner of the Empty
Stage LP), the record company (Epic) who had initially
agreed to release the new album (see Potatoland, below) began
backpedaling and in the end rejected it. This took its toll on
California, who ultimately suffered a nervous breakdown, and as a
result, dropped out of Spirit again. However, renewed interest in
the band, as well as unfulfilled touring obligations led Cassidy
and Knight to assemble a new fake Spirit, featuring
Steven Lyle (vocals & keyboards), Steve Edwards and Scott
Shelley (both vocals & guitar).
Post-Breakup: Ed Cassidy and John Locke
After the departure of California
in 71, Cassidy and Locke continued recording under the
Spirit name, and assembled a band which included Texan brothers
John and Al Staehely (on guitar and bass/lead vocal,
respectively) to release Feedback in the last days of
1971. In retrospect, this album doesn't really fit in with the
rest of Spirit's recorded output, with mainstream guitar rock
only occasionally punctuated with Locke's keyboard genius. Only
Cassidy's presence, excellent drumming, and musical direction
maintain any of Spirit's former identity. A couple of
all-too-brief Locke penned instrumentals "Puesta Del
Scam" and "Trancas Fog-Out" are the albums
high points. A single was released - the unabashed rocker
"Cadillac Cowboys" backed with Lockes
"Darkness", but it failed to chart. The
Cassidy/Locke/Staehely lineup toured after the albums
release, performing a mix of material new and old (the latter
including "Elijah" and "Ice"), but both
Cassidy and Locke bailed at the conclusion of the tour. The
Staehely brothers continued on as Spirit with new musicians for
an Australian tour, after which they disbanded. Meanwhile
Spirits back catalog was beginning to show new signs of
life. A Best of Spirit was released in early
73, followed later that year by a double LP set of
Spirit and Clear, released with a new cover.
Later another double LP set of Family That Plays
Together and Feedback was reissued. As the
subsequent years would show, the future of Spirit's sound would
lie in Randy California's songs, singing, and guitar stylings. By
1973 he had returned to the studio with Ed Cassidy.
The Spirit Lives On (1975-1996): Ed Cassidy and Randy California
The first product of California
and Cassidy's renewed partnership was an ambitious concept album
consisting of whimsical dialogue, catchy, fun songs, and copious
amounts of studio experimentation. The album, Potatoland, was not
actually released until 1981 (on Rhino Records), but bootleg
versions of the original 1974 version circulate as well. Although
both versions contain mostly the same songs, the track order is
different, and the concept is more fully fleshed out in the 1974
version (the 1981 version only dedicates side two to the
Potatoland concept, with side one consisting strictly of songs).
The album is a bit flaky at times, but it does contain some great
songs ("Turn to the Right", "Fish Fry Road"
and others), and the abundant humor makes for some fun listening.
The duo's first album proper was
the sprawling 2-record set, Spirit of 76 (released in 1975 on the
Mercury label). This album is quite extraordinary in that Randy
California handles virtually all the instrumental and vocal
duties (except for Cass on drums, of course, and Barry Keene
helping out on bass, track depending). Aside from sensitive
covers of well-known classics ("Like a Rolling Stone",
"Hey Joe", "The Times they are a-Changin'",
"Happy") California turns in beautiful performances of
his own material, ranging from the quietly acoustic to the
ominously psychedelic. Standout tracks include
"Sunrise", "Joker on the Run", "My
Road", and "Veruska", the latter a fiery
instrumental that is Randy at his finest (an early version of
"Veruska" with the original Spirit lineup recently
appeared as a bonus track on the reissue of the first album!).
Spirit of 76 is a quiet masterpiece with a lot of atmosphere.
A single from the album "America The Beautiful/The Times They
Are a Changin" backed with "Lady of The
Lakes" was released, and received some FM/College airplay,
but ultimately was ignored by mainstream radio.
Randy and Cass' next outing, Son of Spirit (released late 1975),
continued much in the same vein,
with emphasis on acoustic guitar and gentle singing. While
containing little of the ambitiousness that distinguished the
early records, Spirit during this period had seemed to find a new
sound and style that remained consistent, if unspectacular.
Whether on acoustic or electric, California continued to harvest
a very unique and passionate guitar style; fans of his playing
will definitely not be disappointed with this release. Standout
tracks include "Circle", the contemplative "Maybe
Youll Find", and "The Other Song", a
jazz-tinged workout co-written by Cassidy that ranks among their
most unique. A single "Looking Into Darkness" b/w
"Holy Man" was released in October, but like the album
itself generated little interest. Whether it was poor promotion
on Mercurys part, or that Spirits newer material was
just too eclectic for the record buying public, the fact was that
Spirits post-Sardonicus albums were being largely ignored,
and for the first time the bands current album ended up in
cutout bins before the follow-up album was released.
Things took a somewhat unusual
turn with the next album, Farther Along (July 1976).
With John Locke, Mark Andes, and Matt Andes joining California
and Cassidy, this album is ostensibly a "reunion"
album. However, apart from more fleshed out arrangements (horns,
pedal steel, and the occasional dance beat as on the questionable
"Atomic Boogie"), it's pretty much business as usual.
California still dominates, and though the record has its moments
(the title track, "Mega Star" and "Phoebe",
not to mention a new version of "Nature's Way"), this
is not one of Spirit's greater efforts. The title track was
released as a single, and received a small amount of FM airplay,
but never made the charts. This short-lived reformation came to
an end on the last date of the tour at a concert at Santa Monica
Civic when California pushed a drunken and off-key Neil Young
from the stage, who had joined the band impromptu during the
encore of "Like A Rolling Stone". Ferguson (who had
rejoined the band for a few of the dates) and an angry Locke
walked off stage, vowing never to be part of a Spirit reunion
again. Only days later, Locke, Young and California were back on
good terms, and the entire incident was soon forgotten by all but
the sensationalist rock press.
The next album, Future Games
(early 1977), is a concept album that returns to the
experimentalism of Potatoland and Spirit of 76. Song fragments
come and go, all the while conveying a feeling of transience,
isolation, and distance. References to Star Trek, CB radio,
Hawaii, and Doctor Demento abound...even bits of some TV
commercials. Some very unusual tracks here, like "Freakout
Frog", the synth-edged instrumental "Gorn Attack"
and the Cassidy penned "China Doll". A cover of
Dylans "All Along The Watchtower" was released as
the single (but went completely ignored, as always). It's not the
easiest listening in Spirit's catalogue, but many fans praise
Future Games as one of their favorites. California again provides
much of the sound, and the album really takes a deep look into
his psyche. The closing track, "Ending", is especially
affecting: one of the few fully fleshed out songs on the album,
it poses a number of troubling questions to American culture, and
sums up the album's contents nicely. While I wasn't too fond of
this album at first, it has grown on me over time.
Spirit released a fine live album
in 1978, featuring a tight trio of California, Cassidy, and Larry
Knight on bass. Several old Spirit classics are performed,
including "1984", "I Got a Line on You",
"Nature's Way", and "It's All the Same."
Somehow, the newer readings of the old songs (originally recorded
with an entirely different lineup, remember) seem a bit thin in
comparison to the originals. Still, this album is worth seeking
out for the new track "Looking Down" (previously
unreleased on album) which is one of Spirit's best
post-Sardonicus songs.
It returns California and crew to rocking
again, which is quite a refreshing after the introspection of the
last few releases. To boot, the album also contains the rocker
"Downer" (from 1971's Kapt. Kopter album).
(Discographer's note: the British, German and US releases of this
album have different tracks -- the US version replaces
"Downer" and "Wild Thing" with "Rock and
Roll Planet" and "These are Words", while the
German version is identical to the US version but with the
addition of "Rockpalast Jam", a track that was recorded
in Germany). A single from the Live album "Natures Way"
b/w "Stone Free" (the latter not available on any
version of the LP) was released in the UK, a testament to the
fact that by the late seventies Spirit was enjoying far more
success in Europe than at home in the States.
At that point, Spirit had pretty
much called it quits, at least as far as recording, though the
band was still playing live dates in 79 and 80 as a
trio with various bass players. The official release of
Potatoland came out on Rhino Records in 1981 (originally recorded
in 1974). (Discographers should note that Potatoland was
re-released again on CD in 1988 on the Chord label with an
expanded tracklist, including many of the cuts that were featured
on the original 74 version, but excised on the 81
release.) Aside from that, the only new Spirit recordings for the
bulk of the 80s was the reunion album, The Thirteenth
Dream (aka Spirit of 84 in the USA). Featuring the
original lineup of California, Cassidy, Ferguson, Andes, and
Locke, along with numerous L.A. session players, this album
contains remakes of many of the original band's most loved songs,
along with three new songs (two by Ferguson, one by California).
As on the live album, the attempt to recreate past glories
inevitably falls a bit flat. Eighties keyboard sounds are often
used in place of the warm sounding electric piano on the
originals, and even Cass can't keep the tempos from bouncing a
little happier than they should. The claustrophobic, moody
atmosphere of Spirit's original 60s recordings was a large part
of their mysterious appeal, but much of that mood is sadly gone
by now. As a piece of nostalgia, however, the album works fine,
and longtime fans will enjoy hearing the talented quintet
enjoying themselves in the studio again. The entire reunion was
also captured on video, but in the end it was decided not to
release it (although some of the tracks are on Spirits
"Video History" tape). Several singles from it were
released in the UK in early 84, including two 7-inchers
("1984" b/w "Elijah" and "Fresh
Garbage" b/w "Mr. Skin") and a 12-inch
("1984"/"Elijah"/"I Got a Line On
You"), none of which went anywhere. The version of Elijah on
these singles was not included on the album.
Randy California: The Solo Albums
In the meantime, California had
been keeping his chops in shape with three solo albums he
recorded during the 1980s. The first, Euro American
(1982), departs from Spirit's usual approach through increased
emphasis on hard-rock guitar stylings. California is joined by
some familiar names, including Mark Andes (bass), John Locke
(keyboards), Jay Ferguson (backing vocals), and Curly Smith (of
Jo Jo Gunne) on drums. This album, along with Randy's other two
solo efforts, Restless (1985) and Shattered
Dreams (1986), are recommended primarily for die-hard
California fans -- the songs are competent but lack the
personality that graced the Spirit albums. Perhaps a true working
band would have helped -- a problem partially solved by Randy's
live set, Shattered Dreams, in which the performances
benefit from increased intensity and tighter playing. The
collection focuses on Randy's solo albums, but also contains
charged versions of "Downer", "Hey Joe", and
"All Along the Watchtower" (previously on Future
Games). Incidentally, all three albums, as well as the six song
EP All Along The Watchtower were only released
overseas -- no US releases exist, further underlining
Randys (and Spirits) greater popularity abroad than
at home.
Spirit - The Comeback
Randy and Cass re-formed Spirit to
release Rapture in the Chambers in 1989, this time
working with a tighter power-trio format, utilizing only a couple
of guest performers. John Locke is back on board(s), and while
his keys are primarily digital, it was nice to have him back.
This version of Spirit continues in the vein of Randy's solo
albums in some ways, primarily through the heavier guitar sound
and echoed drums (Cass' jazz days are way behind him at this
point). The biggest improvement is in the band's consistency, as
their subsequent prolific output would later prove. Standout
tracks include "Thinking Of", "Enchanted
Forest", and "The Prisoner" - the latter was even
included in instrumental form on the first of three Guitar
Speak albums. In particular, Raptures production
level is quite high, their new label IRS. seemed to be putting a
bit of promotional push behind the new release, and it seemed at
the time that this might be the release that put Spirit back in
the charts. But it was not to be.
The next year, the new Spirit
released Tent of Miracles on their own Dolphin label,
which featured the solid bass work and songwriting of newcomer
Mike Nile, who further deepened the sound and contributed one of
the album's stronger tracks in the title song. Several other
tracks, like "Zandu", an unusual "Stuttgart Says
Good-Bye", the blues-based "Ship of Fools" and the
concert smoker "Love From Here" rank among the best of
Spirits more recent material. Tent of Miracles is truly a
power trio effort, with Randy, Cass, and Mike Nile the only
credited musicians, and with all three contributing compositions.
Spirit decided this would be a
good time to re-cap the band's illustrious history, and released
two compilation CDs in the next couple of years. The first,
Time Circle, is a double CD that covers the band's
first four albums from 1967-1970, along with some previously
unreleased material (all of it fantastic, by the way). Still,
even with a compilation this strong, there were some glaring
omissions (most notably "Elijah", one of only two
tracks from the first album which were not included) and Spirit
fans had to make do with that until the reissues came out in 1996
(although non-US pressings were available, if a bit pricey for US
customers). This minor gripe aside, Time Circle is an
excellent introduction to the original Spirit's material, and is
highly recommended to those who may be hesitant to shell out the
cash for all of the first four albums (though that path is highly
recommended too).
Shortly thereafter,
Chronicles (1967-1992) was released. This compilation
is entirely composed of previously unreleased material, some of
it excellent. Many of the tracks are demo versions of songs that
Randy recorded during the 1970s (around the time of Spirit of 76
and Son of Spirit), and these gentle tracks exude a certain
charm. Other tracks include the 1967 chestnut "If I Had a
Woman" (one of Randy's first Spirit songs; the middle
section was later remade into "Jewish" from The Family
that Plays Together), and a totally ripping version of
"Elijah" (in response to this song's omission on the
Time Circle collection). While a bit uneven considering the wide
breadth of Spirit's musical styles over the years
("Elijah", "Stuck in L.A.", and "Lake of
Love" are the three extremes), this collection is a must for
fanatics. Concurrent with Chronicles, a five track CD
single was released featuring an outstanding new version of
"Natures Way" recorded as a duet with Sara
Fleetwood (wife of Fleetwood Macs Mick Fleetwood), along
with two other tracks from Chronicles, an unreleased
track ("Fallen Hero") and a twenty-three minute
interview with California and Cassidy.
Inspired by the rekindled interest
in the band as a result of these two compilations, Spirit put out
their strongest live album to date, entitled Live at La
Paloma (1995). California (vocals, guitar), Cassidy
(drums), and Scott Monahan (vocals, keyboards, bass) handle
nearly all the instrumental chores in heartfelt readings of many
Spirit favorites and a few lengthy, spacey jams. Happily, Spirit
pulls out a couple of surprises from the back catalog: "Give
a Life, Take a Life" dates from the Clear album, and is
rendered in a tearjerking acoustic guitar/harmonica version;
likewise, the CD opens with a beautiful acoustic version of one
of Sardonicus lesser known tracks, the sublime "Life
Has Just Begun".
Enjoying its most creative period
since the late 70s, Spirit released the admirable
California Blues in 1996. Matt Andes (slide guitar)
is back in the band, and California's writing (by now
commercial-sounding but never pandering) makes good use of the
two guitar lineup. Also notable is the beautiful vocal work of
Rachel Andes (as Spirit has proven, the family that plays
together....). Once again using guest musicians, Spirit assembles
a hall of fame of sorts for this release: Spencer Davis (whose
"Gimme Some Lovin" is covered), Robbie Krieger, and
Arthur Barrow all make notable appearances. Several very strong
tracks are contained herein, including "Look Over
Yonder" (co-written with Hendrix in 66), the bluesy
"Song For Clyde", "The River" with its
beautiful dual-guitar lead and gospel influence, the acoustic
duet "Call On Me", and the rocking title track. Some
blues standards like "Crossroads" and "Red
House" are covered as well. Surprisingly, the CD includes
five bonus tracks of (previously unreleased) older material,
three of which were recorded live in 1967! While the sound
quality on these bonus tracks leave a bit to be desired, they are
a true treat for fans.
By the end of 1996, Randy had
assembled the contents for Spirit's next compilation, entitled
The Mercury Years. Released in early 1997, this
compilation finally sheds light on the undernoticed output of
Spirit's 70s albums. Disc one is entirely devoted to Spirit
of 76; it takes its best tracks (in fact every track from
the original double album is included minus one) and ingeniously
puts them in an entirely different sequence, in effect re-doing
the album with a flow every bit as good as the original album,
and with vastly improved sound to boot. Bravo! Disc two
concentrates on Son of Spirit and Farther
Along, with a few remixed tracks from Future
Games included as well. While the material on these albums
is inferior overall to Spirit of 76, it too benefits from
superior sound and wisely chosen tracks.
Sadly, Randy California did not
live to see the release of The Mercury Years. His untimely death
came as a shock to us all. Our only consolation is that his
impressive body of work has once again reached the masses through
the many excellent CD reissues and compilations. Goodbye, Randy,
and thank you for your honesty, inspiration, and your faith in
music.
"In the future soon /Beauty will find you /
And all of mankind /
Together binding you and me /
....It Shall Be....."
("It Shall Be" by California/Locke) [Editors Note: Since this article originally appeared in issue #13 of Exposé, two further Spirit discs have been released: (1) 1984 is a bootleg CD containing all the tracks from the original 1973 Potatoland, Plus additional early live tracks, including the heretofore unreleased concert favorite "You Make Me Jealous". (2) Cosmic Smile is a new disc of studio material (some with Spirit, some Randy California solo) recorded throughout the early nineties.] Thanks to the following persons who helpfully provided information pertinent to several historical details: Johan Bengtsson, Debbie Pollard, John Locke, Nick Moroney, and to Todd Bolton for the photo of Randy. This Article originally appeared in Exposé #13, Page 28
