by Spirit
1973, Epic Records

the sound: In the sleeve of Spirit’s self-titled debut album, the playing time for “Mechanical World” is listed simply as “very long.” Actually, it’s five minutes and 19 seconds, which, by modern standards, isn’t that long at all. But, when it was released as a single in 1968, songs that lasted more than five minutes were exceptionally rare. “Mechanical World,” which appears as the second track on “The Best of Spirit,” has a bizarre stop-and-go sound, with distant lyrics that seem to drift surreally in the background. “Death falls so heavy on my soul,” Randy California sings. Later, the song builds to a climactic guitar solo that echoes the peak years of psychedelia. The greatest hits disc also includes some peppier rock songs that reflect the band members’ California roots, but all the songs are lyrically loaded with literary references and social messages. Both are exemplified in “1984,” the ominous homage to George Orwell’s masterpiece that warns of a bleak future. Songs like “Morning Will Come” and “Aminal Zoo” have a more light-hearted hippie sound, while “Nature’s Way” is striking in its soft, almost mournful eloquence. Throughout, the disc showcases a tripped-out, experimental sound that, at first listen, might now sound like standard ’60s psychedelic rock. But, Spirit songs are different—more intellectual, perhaps, than those of the band’s contemporaries. Although none of the members stand out as instrumentalists, their collective vision served as fertilizer for the hippie age. The songs on “The Best of Spirit” almost sound like more imaginative Jefferson Airplane tunes. Even the band members’ appearance was unusual at the time—the last track on “The Best Of” is “Mr. Skin,” which pays homage to the band’s bald-headed drummer, who looked like an alien among his afro-sporting band mates.

the background: Formed in Los Angeles in 1967, Spirit was one of many psychedelic bands to come out of California in the late ’60s. The group’s centerpiece was guitarist and vocalist Randy California, who had previously played with one of Jimi Hendrix’s early bands. The original lineup, which also included Ed “Mr. Skin” Cassidy on drums, John Locke on keyboard, Mark Andes on bass and Jay Ferguson on vocals and percussion, released four studio albums before “The Best Of” record came out in 1973. “Mechanical World” became an underground hit and stayed on the charts for several months, earning the band an almost cultish following. (Spirit also made some early mistakes: Supposedly, the band was offered a slot right before Hendrix at Woodstock, but the group declined, opting instead to go on a promotional tour for its 1969 album, “Clear.”) Late in 1970, Spirit released “Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus,” which is widely considered the group’s finest album, featuring minor hits like “Nature’s Way,” “Aminal Zoo” and “Mr. Skin.” The original lineup fell apart shortly after the release of “Sardonicus.” Epic Records, clinging to the album’s considerable success, released “The Best of Spirit” in 1973, along with a number of reissues. Various reincarnations of the original group continued to tour and record into the 1990s, and some members—most notably California—enjoyed semi-successful solo careers. California drowned while surfing off the coast of Hawaii in 1997, effectively ending the band’s long run. Since then, however, a number of compilations and previously unreleased studio recordings have emerged, including 2005’s “Son of America.” Last year saw the release of a four-CD box set, “Randy California: The Euro-American Years 1979-1983.”

the significance: Although Spirit became respectably popular in the early years of its existence, other rock bands of the same era achieved much greater endurance with subsequent generations of fans. Spirit’s influence on other bands of the ’60s and ’70s, however, is undeniable. The band members’ use of uncommon instruments like theremin and Moog synthesizer rubbed off on several other bands of the time, and more successful groups like Led Zeppelin and Steely Dan have been accused of borrowing sound samples from Spirit songs. (Spirit toured with Zeppelin in 1968, and Jimmy Page supposedly pilfered the first several chords of “Stairway to Heaven” from the Spirit song “Taurus.”) But, the group is worthy of attention for its own truly unique art-rock sound, and “The Best of Spirit” provides a comprehensive sampling of an oft overlooked but significant band of the late ’60s and early ’70s.