Spirit

Randy Wolfe is a 14-year-old kid when one day, walking into a record store, he runs into a lanky older Black guy who invites him to play in his band: Jimmy James & the Blue Flames. They're both guitarists, but the Black guy, a certain Jimi Hendrix, already has a musical identity that's starting to blossom, while Randy is just starting out, in every sense, and therefore easily shaped and, above all, influenced. The sheer force and raw energy that the Black guy unleashes onstage will leave a permanent mark on the background of his friend Randy Wolfe, aka "California." Randy "California" Wolfe will become one of the first guitarists/musicians to spread the gospel of the Black guy, while still managing to stamp his own style with a personal stamp, one perhaps more tied to melody and certainly to folk.

After his time in the Hendrix Experience, Randy Wolfe will feel the need to form a band of his own, an outfit where he can show off his psychedelic guitar talent. One of the first musicians to join the project will be Ed Cassidy, a great jazz drummer with past experience under the wing of Thelonious Monk and Gerry Mulligan; Ed Cassidy will not only be "California"'s stepfather in everyday life, but also a valuable percussion partner, whose soft-touch style will help give the band's sound its own personality without ever bashing away: in a world (rock music) full of skin-bashers, Cassidy will show that you can keep time with grace and elegance too, without losing any punch. The other members will carve out a more supporting role, albeit a fundamental one in the overall balance of the band's sound: Mark Andes on vocals and bass, Jay Ferguson on keyboards and vocals, and John Locke also on keyboards. And with this quintet, Spirit will take flight.

Psychedelic music, a steady undercurrent of blues and the metallic roar of solid hard rock combined with an "arpeggiated" melodic streak, with clear echoes of folk. Visually influenced by the flower-power style of the late Sixties, Spirit nonetheless set themselves apart from the utopian pacifism of Jefferson Airplane and the "acid" approach of the 13th Floor Elevator. Spirit were a band steeped in blues, but not to the extent of Quicksilver Messenger Service; they drew on folk, but not with the discipline of Love, nor did they have the crystalline sound of the Electric Flag. Spirit took something from each of these bands, but never tied themselves too closely to any one model or sound. Only Hendrix would remain California's fixation, his true guiding influence. The promising debut with the self-titled 1968 album would be matched by "The Family That Plays Together" the following year, while "Clear" (1969) marked a step backwards.

But perhaps the band was simply catching its breath before delivering its masterpiece, namely "Twelve Dreams Of Dr Sardonicus" (1970).

The album opens with "Prelude – Nothin' To Hide," an acoustic introduction that unfolds into a gorgeous, gentle arpeggio with a whispered vocal; within moments the track sheds its skin thanks to an electric explosion. We're now in full hard-rock territory, but the vocal remains catchy with its beat-pop style, California's guitar bites, and the pick races across the strings tracing electric trails. A minute from the end the song shifts again... the tempo picks up amid drum rolls and a very psychedelic electric solo.

Another essential classic from the band is "Nature's Way": once again the song begins with an acoustic opening, driven by a tribal, rhythmic drumming that evokes African sonorities. The vocals are almost entirely choral, save for a few small solo flourishes, voices and counter-melodies following the same tune while climbing through different keys. There's no real break here: the rhythm stays constant throughout, strolling through pastoral scenes brimming with serenity and troubled romanticism.

The third consecutive knockout blow is "Animal Zoo": another classic, where the romantic streak gives way to a joyous, boisterously urban atmosphere; the pulsing bass pushes through at regular intervals, the vocals are sunny, and here more than in any other song you can hear Cassidy's jazz imprint, and how well that jazz rhythmic sensibility fits into a rock context. The song moves through solid rock territory, between vocals, counter-vocals and falsettos, while a rather disenchanted rhythm seems almost intent on defusing the shadows that surfaced in other tracks.

The following track, "Love Has Found A Way," opens with an intro of recorded sounds played backwards, reminiscent of certain tracks from "Are You Experienced?" in the Hendrix tradition. It's dreamy psychedelia, carried by soft keyboard notes that contrast and blend with certain guitar dissonances lurking in the background. The vocals here show their age, particularly in certain beat-style backing choruses that recall a lot of Swinging London. The final section is a psychedelic hymn amid acid fumes and purple hues.

A bouncing keyboard in odd time signatures then introduces the carefree melody of "Mr Skin," where horns make their appearance, managing to swell the overall sound as they combine with the electricity that quickly starts to take over. The vocals are gritty, and the sax solo in the middle section is remarkable, duelling with a California who masterfully holds himself (barely?) in check. A rhythm 'n' blues laced with jazz, never formulaic and beautifully blended. An unsettling piano introduces "Space Child," before a shadowy keyboard melody stretches out sinister lights, creating an autumnal passage steeped in psychedelia; the entrance of the syncopated drums sets the stage for an interlude between keyboard instruments. It's an instrumental track, with a bass that works through chord progressions. A minimal version of the band and a perfect accompaniment for rainy afternoons. It's the prelude to the album's true masterpiece: "When I Touch You." Assorted noise effects introduce a venomous guitar line, the bass is spectacular and immediately ready to lend power to the song's entire structure. Dark sounds follow one another, with passionate vocals and psychedelic keyboards in the background creating a melody all of their own. Sounds that anticipate, by many years, certain harmonies worthy of the best Cult, the "Love"-era ones. The voice is agonized, the guitar never stops playing the same damned notes, with that hypnotic quality of theirs that wraps the listener in a foggy limbo. The final guitar solo is fragmented and distorted: there's never a logical or melodic thread charting the way.

"Street Worm" eases the tension, with a genuine rock sound built on jazz rhythms and guitar melodies; an easily accessible song in line with the trends of the era, but Wolfe's soloing is exquisite, producing dense feedback first and a melodic line afterward, before letting himself go entirely in the central solo, where his fingers race across the fretboard. What disappoints, if anything, is "Life Has Just Begun": a gentle arpeggio, for vocals that are too emphatic, creating an atmosphere that's excessively "rarefied" for the record's psychedelic mood. It's the album's first "weak" track: too much sugar, poorly dosed, for a song whose only valid idea is that filtered-voice intro halfway through, which would become so fashionable in the '70s.

Rock'n'roll comes roaring back on "Morning Will Come": the shadows vanish and the sun's rays reappear, in this celebration of unrestrained fun, with saxophones singing in chorus and duelling with each other even when attention shifts to other instruments and sounds. The lead vocal is inspired and the backing vocals are just as good, with excellent horn counterpoints in the final section lending the song a vaguely soul-tinged spirit. "Soldier" isn't a worthy closer for such a great record: polished piano sounds timidly push their way in, the mood turns melancholy again in this blues laced with psychedelic reverb, and the bass steps completely out from the amps to become the main protagonist. Two weak tracks out of twelve, however, don't dent the value of a record that was already a classic of its time and one of the finest flashes of genius remembered even more than 30 years on.

In 1997, Randy California would drown in the waters of the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii while saving his son's life. His soul would thus be reunited with Hendrix's in what was surely a heavenly jam session.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

10/11/2006