Brilliant lp, I've got a first pressing. Love it!
Brilliant lp, I've got a first pressing. Love it!
Love this album , have owned it on vinyl , cassette and cd . A true classic in my opinion.
One of my all time favorite albums. Love every song on it.
I think it's a pretty close call between the first four Spirit albums, still this is arguably the most "assured" of the bunch. And for my money, Spirit was to US then-current rock what Procol Harum were to their British counterpart - and such, yes, progressive from the outset. Wildly eclectic, stylistically transcendent, expertly performed and arranged, refined to the core and with an overall sense of conceptual direction to its approach. Great band, wonderful records.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
I suppose it's better to read this than to be blind....
While I loooooove their first three, but this one easily tops all three added together (there are some fillers in the debut and Family, something there is absolutely not on this 12 Dreams - even the weakest track of Sardonicus is a highlight on any other albums of theirs)
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
Listened last night; I'll say all 4 are essential, but all have tracks I don't really like much. Dreams is, overall, the most commercial of the lot, which is not a plus in my book. Saw them in early 70's in San Antonio.
the last 2 tracks before Soldier are pretty average imo.I can't even remember the name of them.Not sure i would say any of the 4 have obvious filler or novelty songs on them though.
Also california, though beautifully tasteful and very enjoyable on here, is a bit too restrained compared to the earlier three imo.Those have memorable lead lines and licks on nearly every other track where here he's often in a textural supporting role.I prefer the previous 3 for his work.
And Cassidy too, here there are a few too many driving rock tracks where he just sounds weak, unimaginative and out of his element.He was always much better when he could juxtapose his jazz and latin playing with the rock framework of the rest of the track, but there's less room for that here and as a straight rock drummer i have little time for him.
Great one! One of the first albums I took a chance on when I began exploring classic rock/prog. And one of the few who's songs when they pop up on iPod shuffle, I don't skip over. Really, really like the tune 'When I Touch You'.
"Who would have thought a whale would be so heavy?" - Moe Sizlak
I understand where you're coming from... indeed, less room for virtuosity than on previous albums... Well I guess you're right about no fillers, but Clear's Apple Orchard and Give A Life , Family's Silky Sam, Darlin' If and She Smiled oand the debut's Girl In Your Eye and Water Women don't leave any outstanding memories (I had to look the albums up to find their names)
Indeed When I touch you and Morning Will come are the two star tracks of the flipside, but Soldier and Space Child and Life Begun are right behind them.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
Not one I pull out often, but I'm always glad when I do! Great stuff. Mr. Skin is the best!
Last edited by zombywoof; 04-15-2014 at 09:00 PM.
Ian Beabout
Mixing and mastering engineer. See ya at ProgDay !
https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.co...m/bakers-dozen
https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.co...-and-holland-3
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A perfect rock album, Spirit's absolute best IMO.
Desert Island disc for me....heard it when I was 17 back in 71 and it hasn't left fairly regular play since then.
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