Spirit It Shall Be: Ode & Epic Recordings 1968-1972 CD

2018 five CD clamshell box set by the legendary American band Spirit. Formed in Los Angeles in 1967 from the remnants of The Red Roosters, Spirit was one of the great bands to emerge on the US West Coast in the psychedelic era. Featuring the talents of 16 year old guitarist Randy California (who had played guitar with Jimi Hendrix in New York the previous year), his step-father drummer Ed Cassidy along with Jay Ferguson (vocals, percussion), John Locke (keyboards) and Mark Andes (bass), Spirit signed to producer Lou Adler's newly established Ode Records label in late 1967. Their self-titled debut album appeared some months later and demonstrated the breadth and diversity of the band covering psychedelic, rock and jazz influences and featuring such legendary cuts as 'Fresh Garbage', 'Uncle Jack', 'Topanga Windows', 'Mechanical World', 'Elijah' and 'Taurus' (the subject of a court case decades later when it was alleged Led Zeppelin had taken the musical structure of the piece as a basis for 'Stairway to Heaven'). The band's follow-up album, The Family That Plays Together, spawned the hit single 'I've Got a Line on You' and was one of their finest works thanks to material such as It 'Shall Be', 'Aren't You Glad', 'Silky Sam' and 'Darlin' If'. Leading up to the recording of 1969's Clear album Spirit recorded the soundtrack to Jaques Demy's film The Model Shop. In 1970 Spirit recorded the classic The Twelve Dreams of Doctor Sardonicus for Epic Records, from which the single 'Animal Zoo' was taken and included excellent material such as 'Nature's Way', 'Mr Skin', 'Space Child', 'Morning Will Come' and 'Soldier'. Sadly, the original line- up of Spirit fell apart some months later leaving just Ed Cassidy and John Locke to assemble a new incarnation of Spirit for 1972's Feedback, which saw brothers Al and John Staehely join the band on bass and drums respectively. Spirit went on hiatus soon after, although California and Cassidy would continue to tour and record as Spirit on and off until California's untimely death in 1997.

1. Fresh Garbage 2. Uncle Jack 3. Mechanical World 4. Taurus 5. Girl in Your Eye 6. Straight Arrow 7. Topanga Windows 8. Gramophone Man 9. Water Woman 10. The Great Canyon Fire in General 11. Elijah 12. I Got a Line on You (Original 1968 Stereo Mix) 13. It Shall Be (Original 1968 Stereo Mix) 14. Poor Richard (Original 1968 Stereo Mix) 15. Silky Sam (Original 1968 Stereo Mix) 16. The Drunkard (Original 1968 Stereo Mix) 17. Darlin' If (Original 1968 Stereo Mix) 18. All the Same (Original 1968 Stereo Mix) 19. Jewish (Original 1968 Stereo Mix) 20. Dream Within a Dream (Original 1968 Stereo Mix) 21. She Smiled (Original 1968 Stereo Mix) 22. Aren't You Glad (Original 1968 Stereo Mix) 23. The Moving Van 24. Mellow Fellow 25. Now or Anywhere 26. Fog 27. Green Gorilla 28. Model Shop I 29. Model Shop II (Clear) 30. The Rehearsal Theme 31. Song for Lola 32. Eventide 33. Coral 34. Aren't You Glad (Demo) 35. Dark Eyed Woman 36. Apple Orchard 37. So Little Time to Fly 38. Ground Hog 39. Cold Wind 40. Policeman's Ball 41. Ice 42. Give a Life, Take a Life 43. I'm Truckin' 44. Clear 45. Caught 46. New Dope in Town 47. Prelude - Nothing to Hide 48. Nature's Way 49. Animal Zoo 50. Love Has Found a Way 51. Why Can't I Be Free? 52. Mr Skin 53. Space Child 54. When I Touch You 55. Street Worm 56. Life Has Just Begun 57. Morning Will Come 58. Soldier 59. Rougher Road 60. Chelsea Girls 61. Cadillac Cowboys 62. Puesta Del Scam 63. Ripe and Ready 64. Darkness 65. Earth Shaker 66. Mellow Morning 67. Right on Time 68. Trancas Fog-Out 69. Witch 70. Fresh Garbage (Mono Mix) 71. Uncle Jack (Mono Mix) 72. Mechanical World (Mono Mix) 73. Taurus (Mono Mix) 74. Girl in Your Eye (Mono Mix) 75. Straight Arrow (Mono Mix) 76. Topanga Windows (Mono Mix) 77. Gramophone Man (Mono Mix) 78. Water Woman (Mono Mix) 79. The Great Canyon Fire in General (Mono Mix) 80. Elijah (Mono Mix) 81. Veruska 82. Free Spirit 83. If I Had a Woman 84. Elijah (Alternate Take 2) 85. I Got a Line on You ("Time Circle" Mix) 86. It Shall Be ("Time Circle" Mix) 87. Poor Richard ("Time Circle" Mix) 88. Silky Sam ("Time Circle" Mix) 89. Scherozode ("Time Circle" Mix) 90. All the Same ("Time Circle" Mix) 91. A Dream Within a Dream ("Time Circle" Mix) 92. Aren't You Glad ("Time Circle" Mix) 93. Eventide ("Time Circle" Mix) 94. Model Shop Theme ("Time Circle" Mix) 95. Green Gorilla ("Time Circle" Mix) 96. Rehearsal Theme ("Time Circle" Mix) 97. Fog 98. So Little to Say 99. Mellow Fellow 100. Now or Anywhere 101. Space Chile 102. Fuller Brush Man 103. Coral 104. 1984 105. Sweet Stella Baby 106. Animal Zoo (Mono Single Version) 107. Red Light Roll on 108. Morning Will Come (Mono Mix)