Cherry Red [Release date : 28.11.25]

Californian band, Spirit, blossomed in the fertile fields of psychedelic rock. They came together in 1967, the year of “The Summer Of Love”, a year later they released their self titled debut.

Its febrile mix of rock, jazz and psychedelia struck a chord with many. It was a commercial success, taking up a 6 month residency on the USA’s Billboard album charts.

Led by the talented singer/songwriter/ guitarist, Randy California (1951-97 RIP), they went on to release more than a dozen best selling studio albums through the 70s and 80s.

More than 50 years later, the UK’s Cherry Red Records have added this 4 CD Spirit package to their carefully curated catalogue.

It’s a remastered and expanded successor to 2002’s posthumous double CD of previously unreleased material.

CD1: Sea Dream
CD2: Sea Dream Suite
CD3: Live in Philadelphia and Detroit 1
CD4: Live in Philadelphia and Detroit 2

The collection spins around the 20 track Sea Dream, a completed project California had been working on for some time. It takes up the first CD and a bit more.

Michael Skidmore, a trustee for the estate of late Spirit guitarist, recently located new master sources of this material. That’s what we’re hearing here.

The dreamy, post psychedelic sounds of ‘Jack Rabbit’ and ‘Cages’ and the intimacy of ‘Father And Son’ are clearly where California’s mind was at.

The 13 track Sea Dream Suite, largely instrumental, is an extension of the concept. ‘Whale’, ‘Dolphin’, ‘Deep Blue Sea’ all point in the same direction.
It takes up most of CD2.

CDs 3 and 4 are as close to pristine as you can get, material coincidentally discovered by Skidmore around the same time.

It’s a source of amazement that recordings of such high calibre material can be “lost”.
Of corse, the No.1 priority was always “get the album out and start making money.” Organising and documenting what was left behind was not a priority.

Two sets, Live in Philadelphia and Live In Detroit, both mid 80s.

The recorded sound is good, way beyond the threshold of acceptability.

The hit songs ‘I Got A Line On You’, ‘Fresh Garbage’, ‘Mr Skin’ and ‘Nature’s Way’ are all there of course, along with covers of Dylan’s ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ and Hendrix’s ‘All Along The Watchtower’ (California was in Hendrix’s band before he relocated to the UK).

These guys were entertainers too, as much as rock musicians, just listen to the audience response on this live stuff.

It’s is a fine 4 CD package of memorable and often ground breaking rock music. Music of its time perhaps, but still resonating with students of rock’n’roll history.

It comes with detailed liner notes… all the better to appreciate what lies within. ****

Review by Brian McGowan

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