Reviews (page 2 of 6)
I’m at a 5. I just deeply enjoyed that; I thought the instrumentals were off the charts and the ingenuity in the production for 1970 was super cool. A lot of blended synth work here, in a way that made everything feel super sonically pleasing – “Love Has Found A Way” impressed me in particular. Lyrically, while there was some repetition, that repetition never fully extended to the vocals, and I think they were pretty damn good on this album too. Seriously, I don’t have a complaint about any track; I enjoyed this from top to bottom, and for 1970, it feels a bit ahead of schedule. Super fun album, really good vibes, great variety, and it nails down the “12 dreams” thing it’s going for. Pretty solid 5.
This band is famous for having all the ingredients of a great late 60s rock group but never taking off for some reason….this album is the same. It’s really good but just never breaks into great. Still a really enjoyable listening experience.
Never heard of this before and started playing it with slight concern that it might be "of an age". How wrong could I have been. Love this. Grabbed my attention and kept on shaking me to get more. On my third listen and I still don't know where the next track is going to take me apart from looking up their other releases. Thank you for unearthing another unknown gem
Wow, I loved this one! It was sorta weird folk rock that felt like it was made especially for me!
Man...this is excellent. One of my favorite totally new discoveries so far. The songwriting here is just top, top class. I definitely hear the parallels between this and Neil Young all the way through. If there's anything I love in an album, it's mood shifts and variations in feel, even within the tracks themselves. This album has that in spades. Favorite track: Morning Will Come
I was prepped for something offbeat from the title and cover of this album. It felt very 60’s, although the music was not as weird as I imagined. I liked this after the first listen. Since I had some time I gave it a second listen and my like warmed up to love. A good variety of tunes with some interesting lyrics that I really enjoyed. Terrific!
I have not listened to this album before or heard of the artist so it really shocked me how good it was. I found myself bopping along to pretty much all of the tracks. But my favorites were: Animal zoo, Mr. Skin, When I touch you, and Street worm. It had really catchy instrumentals and addictive vocals; will definitely listen again!
Really enjoyed this one!! The psychedelic sound was amazing.
Inmersivo, rock psicodélico clásico de los 70. Progresivo y con impronta rock and roll. Con partes acústicas muy bellas. Una banda que seguro investigaré más.
This is fun. It feels like prog that is both willing to be wild and experimental, but also doesn't take itself too seriously. Maybe I'm just in a good mood but I'm leaning 5 for the second consecutive day. Fave Tracks: Nature's Way, Animal Zoo, Morning Will Come, Rougher Road, Red Light Roll On 4.6/5
Really like this album - have a cd copy of it but had not listened to it for years - the psychedelic rock from that time is not my genre - but on this album it is beaten by a strong pop feeling.
Excellent. Would listen often. 5 of 5
F'ing loved that. Proper took me on a journey with layered music, what rock should be 5
Psychadelic! They found so cool ways to make big transcendental sound. Love Has Found a Way is an incredible standout!
Brilliant
In the words of the bard, "This is some seriously good shit!" Everyone knows about Page ripping off the intro of Taurus which was somehow thrown out of court. What most of us don't realise is that they released some brilliant music despite never being big. Maybe they received some airplay on the US because I never heard of them in Australia. They are a band I'm going to dive into. Maybe the rest of their albums weren't as good but I'm expecting to hear something good.
There are a lot of fun songs. I love the smooth transitions between a few of them. Never heard them before but I’m really glad I’ve found them now! Some of the vocals are obnoxious, though.
That’s fucking awesome! I absolutely love this and am sorry it took me so long to find it!!!
This really felt like what a perfect album should be. I thought it was pretty incredible. Like really incredible! I shouldn't give it a 5, but I really want to. So I will!
super pretentious, but in the kinda way I like — 10/10
This is a grand album somewhere between psychdelic rock and early progressive rock. I really enjoyed this one, especially the interplay between drums and piano.
It was hard to decide between a 3 or a 4 for this one. I settled on four as, while there wasn’t an outright banger that stood out to me, there was nothing on here that I didn’t enjoy
My taste says a 3, but I was more invested and interested than that. It's an odd thing, so I am a little more generous
Interesting sounds for an album that old. Definitely were making some innovative music without the cookie cutter sounds
Pretty Good
fun!
I liked this a lot more than I initially expected!
going into this with no previous ideas of what to expect or hear, new band! great vibes right off the bat. these types of albums are my favorite. it has amazing guitar melodies and i love the other musical elements like piano and almost an accordion sound. the fun vocals and arrangements make it exciting to listen to. overall wonderful album! suprised it has such a low amount of listens, they're really reminding me of a tamer CCR or a Steely Dan slightly Beatles adjacent too. could see this being a soundtrack to dazed and confused.
The one and only time I'd listened to this album before now was on an unbelievably heavy magic mushrooms trip. At that time it was pretty great and sent me absolutely mental. Revisiting it sober it's also pretty great! I like this psychy folky rocky late-60s/early70s era a lot.
Pretty swell to listen to. Smooth blues with great solos.
70's rock as I came to expect it. Sadly not all of it is this. Some of the songs on the middle take the momentum out. But animal zoo and street worm are great for driving with the windows down and that's essentially my treshold for this score.
Nice cover, a good album...late 60s psych from 1970.
Funky and psychedelic. Strange but interesting. Like the grooves a lot but can easily turn into a bad trip. 4/5
Nice variety of sound. Definitely wasn't what I was expecting - cool 70s rock, psychedelic, jazzy, peaceful, all kinds of moods. Gets a little self-indulgent at some points, but overall pretty nice.
Highly listenable, tight production. Horrible title.
Damn, I am falling for a dad rock lp again.
The cover art seemed really cool, and generally the album rocks
Como me dijo un amigo cuando le hablé de Spirit: fundamentales. Más allá de la polémica de randy por Stairway to heaven, Spirit son uno de los grandes. Yo prefiero a Love, y los tengo mucho más esuchados, pero Spirit están a ese nivel. Prelude/Nothng to hide y Natrure´s way empiezan magistrales. Uno nos abe si está escuchando a los Mama´s, a los Byrds, Love o cualquiera, es una joya. Animal Zoo eleva pulsaciones, sonido más de finales de los 60. Cierra la primera cara Mr. Skin (el apodo del batería del grupo), que fue cara B del sencillo Nature´s way. Más setentera y dura, pero no peor. Abre el lado B Space child, con efectos y buena instrumentación. Es un disco con buen sonido, pero le falta alguna gema como a otros mejores
This was an interesting listen. At first it seemed boring and a bit scattered. As I progressed it got better. I love songs with a live jam feeling to them - really from any genre. This album has plenty such songs especially the second half. I am going to score a 4 to encourage relisten. 4/5
The first half is alright, the second half is phenomenal. See guys it’s easy to make psych rock without being annoying.
This is a good prog rock album, completely forgot about it. Definitely worthy of a spot on the list.
7/10
A highly underrated band and a highly underrated album. One of the psychedelic masterpieces of the early 70s.
This is very hard to judge. I don’t know if it’s great art or just weird. But somehow I really enjoyed it.
Might have to add this to my list of records to collect I love the early 70s psych. I actually really love this My favs are Animal Zoo,
Excelente
Крепкая протопроговая пластинка.
Like this a lot. Might have to check out more from the band. Best: Prelude - Nothin' To Hide, Nature's Way, When I Touch You, Life Has Just Began, Morning Will Come Worst: Street Worm
Kind of weird and gunky and inconsistent, but I kinda really liked it
Needed to revisit this a few times to try and come up with a rating, and still having a hard time. But I think that’s why I like it more, it makes more of an impact than other albums with surface-level listens.. overall 3.75/5
Had a hard time deciding between 3/5 and 4/5.
Had never heard of these guys, really enjoyed this album!
Absolutely class album. All over the place in terms of genres, influences and rhythm. But it works. Can see why someone would borrow from Spirit :)
This was pretty damn good. No wonder Led Zeppelin stole from them
I definitely liked some songs here: Prelude, Nature's Way, When I Touch You (horrible song title though), Street Worm, Life Has Just Begun, Morning Will Come, Soldier. The Stinkers: Animal Zoo, Love Has Found A Way, Why Can't I Be Free, Space Child, Despite the 70s love vibes/banality/Peace, Love, and Understanding crapola, I liked the album more than I hated it because the good stuff was redeemable. So I landed on 4 solid stars. I will listen to this again....
Mi diagnóstico es: Psicodelia progresiva.
Plus belle découverte jusqu'ici. L'ouverture de l'album est tres cool. Mr Skin est un booster de bonheur. Il y a des changements de styles, de textures, de jeux de voix tout le long donc on reste accroché, par les harmos ou pas les cris par les claves ou les solos déchirants de guitare. C'est quand meme un peu inégal donc 4 Why can't I be free, Life has just Begun, Mr Skin
3/31 Pretty good psychedelic/prog rock album
Possibly in contrast to Aerosmith i enjoyed this a lot! It was fun and sorta interesting while still being pretty easy listening. Good stuff!
Felt like I was getting my bearings a bit in the first half, going in Spirit blind. Then Space Child (Alvin and the chipmunks if you squint your ears) was the album turning point for me. Loooved the sequence of Life Has Just Begun into Morning Will Come into Soldier, and the found the back end of the album a really strong finish!
This was awesome. I want to relisten, shocking how modern and listenable it soundedL it could have been made in the last 20 years but it's from the 60s.
Album No. 0195 on my list. This whole thing was completely, 100 % new to me. I had never ever heard of either the band Spirit or their album “ Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus”. The album title and cover seemed pretty weird to me, so I didn’t expect much to be honest. But I was actually pleasantly surprised. “ Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus” is a pretty cool record! Yes, it has some weaknesses, in particular a low cohesiveness over the whole thing and some songs requiring a little bit more structure and a longer songwriting process. But it also has a lot of cool features: packed with interesting ideas, good-sounding, catchy. Occasionally reminded me of their contemporaries Pink Floyd. This thing is progressive and psychedelic, but nevertheless pretty easy to listen to. Well produced, jazzy, complex but still enjoyable. Good stuff, glad I discovered this through this page. I’ll add “Prelude - Nothin’ To Hide”, “Nature’s Way”, “Animal Zoo”, and “Morning Will Come” to my playlist. 4/5 stars!
Honestly went into this expecting it to be terrible, but it's actually great! Such incredible production, and the playing is fantastic. Lots of varied styles. The only things that let it down a bit are the lyrics, and the fact that it fizzles out a bit toward the end. Could see this becoming a 5 over time.
I dig this. Tight and loose at the same time. Great voices, basslines, grooves and harmonies
Very nice!
4/5 - When I see an album title like "Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus," my finger is already moving towards the "2" on my keyboard. This was surprisingly good for the genre and era. Clear production and solid guitar. I'm not sure I'm gonna return a lot to this, but I think the classic rock station of my youth missed out on this one.
Heard a few songs from this album but never the whole thing. nice album.
When I read that the producer of this album was best known for his work with Neil Young, I braced myself for the worst. Then I was pleasantly surprised. It has a similar folky psychedelic feel as Neil Young, except with more interesting instrumentals and less grating vocals. Very solid especially for 1970.
Surprisingly good
Sort of perplexing. Almost gave this a five, because I feel like there's something just going over my head and maybe this is a truly brilliant record...but after yet another listen, I wonder if it is just a little disjointed and simple. Who knows. It's really cool, and it seems like it should be a concept album but I can't quite tell if it is. Either way, solid, solid rock goin on over here.
Bien
No song really stands out but it works well as an album. 4 stars or B-.
smells like early pink floyd
Zeppelin’s trying so hard to be them Apparently Led Zeppelin opened for them before they got famous and were heavily inspired by Spirit (to the point where a huge lawsuit unraveled over Page’s heavy borrowing of a Spirit song for the opening to Stairway to Heaven). I actually don’t think they’re too bad, there’s some really good music in there. Street Worm in particular was great, just a good ole 60s rock sound. I did like the overall psychedelic sound in some songs, didn’t try to do anything crazy but it sounds nice. I can definitely see the accusations of it being on the generic side, but I can’t hate it too much. Just like every prog rock record not every song hits hard on its own but it’s an album where it’s better than the sum of its parts. It was honestly a bit hard to research this album with the lack of info on it, so honestly not sure how influential it was, but it was fun regardless
Pretty cool
I don’t know what to think. I wasn’t really expecting this, but the album grew on me. There are definitely some bangers on here. It was kind of all over the place, but it had variety. 4 for me.
Some great rock tracks on here. First time I’ve listened to this a for a long time, I’d forgotten how good it was
Not bad, didn't feel like much but I enjoyed it
Really grew on me. Feels more blues-rock than psychedelic. Consistent crop of well produced entertaining songs. RYM: N Saved a song: N
395/1089 - This was cool and it might grow on me. Every track is different and the production is well executed.
A nice album, I would like to give it more listens.
Over the course of this project I’ve become more skeptical towards “classic rock” albums that I hadn’t heard of before. I’ve found many of them to be wanting, boring, or derivative - evidence that I wasn’t missing anything but not hearing these during my rockist formative years. This album is one of the exceptions. It didn’t knock me on my ass or anything, but I really enjoyed it and thought the band was tight and explorative. And it’s not too serious, thankfully.
Surprisingly enjoyable
I had never heard of this band. I like this album and want to listen again. Sounds like (early) Chicago meets Yes. Interesting, but not quite as indulgent as either of those bands. A provisional 4.
I really enjoyed this album. Nature’s Way, Animal Zoo and Mr. Skin were song that really stood out to me.
They've got it! Everything on this album feels just right somehow, and has a bit of a timeless quality to it 4.1
Noch eine 70er Band. Nicht übel, kann man sich merken.
8.5/10
This is great classic rock! It has all the elements that make it sound like a classic. Great songs and arrangements, all performed and recorded well. What a fun listen this was and it has a feel of lifting one’s “spirit” up!
Had to revisit this one, and I'm glad I did. On first listen it was just another zaney psychedelic rock album from the early 70s. On second listen, I recognized some really incredible musical moments from this work. Mr Skin and Morning Will Come are incredibly fun tracks, the guitar solo in Street Worm is NAILS, and the slower paced songs like Space Child and Soldier are nice additions in the relatively high energy tracklist. The artistic direction of the album gives each track an identity while staying cemented as a psychedelic project, while the eclectic songwriting let me experience some very cool moments. The songwriting does work against some songs by being too weird or eclectic and made me lose interest at times, but when it builds up to a great musical moment, it hits.
Another unknown (to me) early 70s album. Follows the standard 70s recipe...key changes, mixed time signatures and tempo everywhere. Throw in a bit of Hammond organ, great guitar and bass and mix for at least 6 months. I enjoyed this greatly.
I think I liked this?
4.5 stars. This album was so much fun. Never heard of the band or the music before, though I am clearly a fan of this genre. Definitely a re-listenable album
Pleasantly surprised!
Brilliant classic rock
This exceeded my expectations. Really cool, experimental psychedelic rock for the time. Great variety too - from acoustic folk songs to instrumental synth soundscapes. And a satisfactory amount of cowbell too. Faves: Nature's Way, Animal Zoo, Why Can't I Be Free, Mr. Skin, Space Child
I really enjoyed this but can't quite put my finger on why. Probably as i'd never heard of the band and had no expectations. I don't really know how i'd describe their music, maybe psychedelic folk?!?!
Fun album to listen to while you work
Shoutout to the guy in the reviews who mentioned that Led Zeppelin absolutely ripped these guys off with the opening riff of “Stairway to Heaven”. That’s hilarious honestly. Go listen to “Taurus” if you don’t believe me. You’ll pick up on it pretty quickly. This has been a week of many surprises for me already, and this album is another one of those surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this one from top to bottom. It’s weird. Very weird. Some of these songs are just all over the place genre wise. Anyone that knows me knows that I love variety, and this album has that in spades. I’m hearing everything from Psychedelic Rock to Funk to even a bit of Pop here. I can see why Led Zeppelin toured with these guys. They’re surprisingly comparable. My favorites this time around include “Animal Zoo”, “Mr. Skin”, and my personal favorite, “Street Worm”. That little riff is absolutely killer. Also worth mentioning are the catchy vocals and smooth brass in “Mr. Skin”. It was a close second for favorite. This is the type of album I really enjoy checking out. A band I’ve never heard of, a genre I already know I like, and a new collection of songs that I can easily enjoy. Hell yeah. Another unexpected great one here. I’ve been handing out a lot of 4’s lately. Let’s keep that 4 and 5 train rolling. They tend to come in waves. This band may very well mostly be known for suing the estate of Led Zeppelin, but their music is honestly pretty good. I was impressed with this one. It’s another 4 for me.
I really enjoyed it!
It reminds me of listening to my dad's records as a kid. Not listening to it on vinyl feels almost criminal.
first listen good stuff
A decent listen. Not particularly compelling.
I liked it! I was vibing with Life Has Just Begun, Soldier and Animal Zoo. I wish I would’ve payed more attention to the lyrics and storytelling, because naming a 12-song album “Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus” is pretty cool. Bonus points for every time they used trumpets.
Have never heard of this band before, but was pleasantly surprised. First listen - ok interesting, but it's another 60s/70s rock band, whatever....then did more listens and grew to really enjoy this. I like the mix of folksy rock/prog rock in the ominous Natures Way, and the brass and vocals in Mr. Skin. I'm grateful for this list when it introduces albums I would not have otherwise listened to!!
pretty fun rock!
A little bit folky, a little bit psychedelic, a whole lot of good music.
This was great and unexpected. Psychedelic Neil Young.
I’m feeling generous today. Maybe it was the sax solo or the horns, but I thought this was solid rock and roll. Worth another listen when I have time to listen to my music choices again once this project is over.
Good at spacey moments, but not as good in more "ordinary" songs. Overall good, but I expected it to be even better :(
I kind of loved it?
Good album.
jam. rockin. catchy. surprise.
This was really good, I liked it a lot.
Hadn't heard this one before its alright!
Bem interessante
Really good 70s rock vibes from this. Every song is a pleasure to listen to and the guitar is great.
Great album, really enjoyed listening. Didn’t love every song, but overall a great flow to the album.
Pretty cool.
Odd but charming, had a pretty great time on my listen
I like this. It has a good blend of folky country guitars and heavy rock, a common combination in 60s psychedelic rock. Similar vibes to early Led Zeppelin and apparently Stairway to Heaven is a rip off of one of their songs.
It really hit at times
3.7 Pretty decent 60s outing. They're a dime a dozen on this list, so it's refreshing hearing one I both know nothing about and am pleasantly surprised by. Can hear a bit of the heavier, groovier side in this - bands like stooges and qotsa for sure would have had this in mind for a couple of riffs. Happy to have heard it.
Mostly great. I enjoyed this even if there were a couple of duff tracks
A nice vibe-y album. Was a great listen while on the road, would definitely add a track or two to any road trip playlist!
I've never heard of Spirit nor this album before, so I have no idea what I'm in for here. The cover to this album is pretty wild though, and it's giving me some Captain Beefheart vibes, which makes me a bit leery. Hopefully my time with Dr. Sardonicus doesn't make me want to visit Dr. Kevorkian. I’m really shocked that I’ve never heard of Spirit before, because this album was really good. The sound was really consistent across the album, but there was enough variation to keep me interested and entertained. For a psychedelic rock album, I thought Twelve Dreams was really accessible. There were some weird and experimental elements to this album, but the musicianship was really good, and the vocals were excellent as well. Lyrically, this album’s social and political commentary felt more akin to a folk album, but it still worked well with the band’s psychedelic sound. The opening track, “Prelude” really threw me for a loop when its soft opening quickly shifted into a more traditional rock sound. I love it when an album can throw me off balance in the opening track, and Spirit did that in a very satisfying way. Some notes on the individual songs: “Nature's Way” was awesome. I loved that guitar and those vocal harmonies. I liked how it had a folky vibe to it, but the sound was firmly rooted in psychedelic rock. “Animal Zoo” was terrific. I loved how it started off with some great rhythms, and then the sound just opened up, with lots of fun riffs and melodies. “Love Has Found a Way” was so weird and busy, but underneath all of that business, the individual elements sounded great. The vocals at the end are incredible, and the segue into “Why Can't I Be Free” was superb. It shouldn't work to go from that wild of a song to something more traditional, but that shift was perfect. "When I Touch You" was really great. I loved the main guitar melody, and the song just sounded awesome overall. The percussion on "Street Worm" was excellent, and I liked the piano and the call-and-response rhythm of the guitar and vocals on the verses. The percussion on the bridge was particularly awesome. “Morning Will Come” sounded great. I loved those horns, the keyboards were great, and I loved the mini-crescendos that built across the song. Twelve Dreams was a really good album, and for a crowded field of psychedelic rock in the seventies, Spirit crafted something really unique and pleasant on this album. This was another pleasant surprise on this list.
This was pretty cool not gonna lie
This album is like a Time Machine as soon as I put it on had like a 70s 80s filter put over my kitchen. Good vibes are around the house. Probably need to listen this one again to to get the intricacies. First time listening to this band I’ll be back.
Shades of the mothers. Weird shit. These guys are pretty horny too. Gotta respect it
I actually quite like this album. It is complex, interesting, and it has some nice melodies. It is experimental in all the right ways without hindering catchiness. It balances that experimentation nicely with accessibility. Highlights include Prelude - Nothin to Hide, Mr. Skin, When I Touch You, Street Worm. This is my first 4 star album, so that's nice too!
Fun, easy listen! Lots of ear-wormy melodies.
Bonkers but interesting.
classic rock
Really good accually, I like a lot. The vibe is nice
Pretty interesting collection of songs that are all pretty decent, but it doesn’t feel like an album. It’s 12 disparate tracks. Still, pretty good stuff here.
# Album Name: Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus # Artist: Spirit # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Interesting album. A wide variance of musical influence and styles. Some songs are very enjoyable, like natures way, when i touch you, mr skin and street worm. Sometimes it goes off on a tangent. Good effort though i reckon. The production, vocal and music ability is solid. I'll come back to this one and give it another listen. # Top Tunes: NW / Touch you / Mr Skin / Street worm / prelude / Animal zoo # Would I listen to it again? Yes
I tell ya - I was ready to roll my eyes at this. I assumed it was a boomer fave, one that someone in their 60's would tell you was the best album from a band that never made it as big as they should've but that, in reality, was a just ok venture from a band that hit their peak early. And you know what, a lot of that may be true. But it's great. They move through genres, adding and subtracting instruments and layers with confidence and skill. They went for a dynamic album - one that is bold and brash at times with loud arrangements and layer after layer, but that could also be soft and tender with just as much thought and precision put into simpler arrangements. They really show off a lot of skill here in that way. I'm surprised this album, in this psychedelic genre, came about when it did. It felt like, by 1970, psychedelic rock was kind of on its way out. But even if its late for its genre and era, it's a hell of a listen. Fun, bold, and bombastic at its best. Four stars. Standout Tracks: Prelude - Nothin' to Hide, Nature's Way, Animal Zoo, Mr. Skin, Space Child, When I Touch You, Street Worm, Morning Will Come, Rougher Road
Fan andra gången ett album överraskar. Trodde det skulle bli samma dussinskiva från 70-talet som vi hört så många av. Men det är tajt och lattjo musik. Najs!
Jaha, det här verkar ju vara en bortglömd liten pärla, åtminstone om man tittar på spelningarna på Spotify. Inte ett band jag hört talas om tidigare, men tyckte det var genomgående bra från start till mål. Det är lite experimentellt och okonventionellt, men endast på ett positivt sätt. Kul!
From the title and cover, I was expecting this to be crusty-hippy-tastic but it was not at all. Actually really good
Honestly, this was a fun record. More on the jazzy side of psychedelic compared to the Doors or Jefferson Airplane, but I’m shocked this is the first time I’ve heard of this band. Definitely one of my favorite finds so far this project.
This is a tough one for me to rate, because my personal enjoyment was a 3 or maybe 3.5. However, I can respect the songwriting and musicianship and what it would have been to those that heard it in 1970. There are no bad songs, in my opinion, and if it hit with someone, I could see it being a very strong, powerful album. Therefore, I'm putting it at a 4 for this scale.
Ez 4.5
Enjoyed. It’s like the Beatles and Air Supply had a kid.
Walked Obe, first proper weather this year. Payed attention to the bees and flowers under Mt Majura. 30/09/25
Everytime I see a psychedelic album from the 60’s/70’s, I brace myself for music that only assessable to people on drugs. Like a cheesy relic that’s only here because the author of this list grew up with them and is now forcing us to listen to it, which seems to be the case with some of the other psych albums. This one, however, was pretty good. I might just saying that because it’s also prog, but this one subverted my expectations. This had some nice melodies and harmonies without going overboard on the acid trip. It could use a little fine tuning for the last few tracks, as I felt it start to fall off a bit. But if I’m forced to hear god knows how many psych albums on this list, I might as well single out the good ones, and this one is one of them. Favorite track: Nature’s Way Other hits: Animal Zoo, Space Child, Mr. Skin, Love Has Found A Way, Prelude- Nothin’ to Hide, Life Has Just Begun
This one was not bad. I enjoyed many of the tracks but wasn't totally taken by the album. Some of them sounded like the grateful dead which was interesting. Between 3 and 4 stars - so a soft 4.
A good recommendation? In this challenge? That’s crazy
Good ol' 70s rock 'n roll! Never get tired of these guys.
A psychedelic rock essential from 1970! Can't believe it's here in the challenge, but I won't complain!
Very good album, varied styles of jazz, folk and rock with some proggy elements. Lead guitar is insanely good. You can hear elements of early Zeppelin. Will definitely check out their other work.
Different. It wasn't bad. I definitely got how well produced it is.
Really like this. Cool guitars, vocal harmonies, variety in the songs. Maybe seemed a little disconnected at times but, considering the title, maybe that's intentional?
Not heard of this band before but was pleasantly surprised. Although I wouldn't say I loved the whole album but quite a few songs. Would listen to again
Really enjoyed this one and it's the first one so far that I've re-listened to in the same day. Nice follow on from Zeppelin yesterday with hints of Rush and The Beatles. Enjoyed the percussion, big harmonies and brass sections.
Nothin’ to Hide // Animal Zoo // When I Touch You //
Soldier on and listen to this Animal Zoo of an album, Space Child.
I have some nostalgia for this one
Really surprised they did not get radio play. Solid sound, good horns, and harmonies are on point.
I’m a big fan of this. Had never heard of it before, but damn. Listening to Mr Skin followed by Space Child through my headphones after smoking some green, I felt like I finally understood the depictions of weed in the 70s. What a moment this album gave me. Thank you!
Really groovy and full of plenty of classic psychedelic rock and progressive rock bonafides and licks. Feels very in line with Led Zeppelin and other contemporary bands, first half of the album was stronger, the middle has some interesting tracks but they kinda blended together on first listen, plenty of fuzz and soulful melodies to boot as well, as my first ever Spirit album (and first album as part of this 1001 albums journey) this was a solid listen and definitely has me more interested in listening to Spirt and other similar bands from the late 60s and 70s whose musical influences are clear in some of the major bands of the time. Highlight tracks: Prelude - Nothin' to Hide, Nature's Way, Space Child, Life Has Just Begun, Morning Will Come
Enjoyed this one a lot. Some great songs. It is admittedly a bit all over the place but still a fun listen.
What a fun album! Doesn’t feel like a ton of deep substance on first listen so 4 stars for me, would relisten.
Groovy. 4
Spirit -Twelve Dreams of Dr Sardonicus When I saw this was the album name, I just thought it was going to be one of those albums from the late 60s early 70s, that tries to be wacky and weird and just ends up being cringey and dated However, this album is great. Really enjoyed it. Easy listen, lots of catchy bits, really enjoyable 4/5
This sounds exactly like the sort of 70s psychedelic prog rock album that you would expect to hear from someone called “Randy California” (stop sniggering at the back!). It’s a varied mix of different styles and it feels like it influenced other bands - the track Space Child wouldn’t sound out of place on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis which came out four years after this. It’s also instructive to compare this with the 1990’s album Lazer Guided Melodies from Spiritualized that came up on my list yesterday - this is very much the sort of space rock that the latter album was trying (and failing) to emulate. Probably not the sort of thing I’d listen to regularly but a solid album nonetheless.
Groovy prog rock, not much else to say. Though it may be just another 70s rock album I must say this one was quite good. Can’t hate on it just because of what it is.
I have really enjoyed the Spirit album. Sounds like four bands in one, but that's okay. So much music packed in.
Odd listening experience, about 6 of the songs make a beautiful cohesive psych folk record that i love, but the 6 blusier rocky tracks really disrupt the flow and overall affect for me, still just about levels out as a v low 4
Some above average psychedelic rock. I'd throw this on anytime of day. Looking forward to more Spirit of it's on the list!
Liked it a lot. Surprisingly for the year it came out.
A little too complicated as background music, but very fun
Solid 4 star. Wasn't absolutely in love with it but I greatly enjoyed listening
An alright album, I liked Love Has Found A Way the most.
For the fact that I generally don't like psych rock, this was a really good album. It was really fun the whole way through and I like the more funky tracks like Mr. Skin.
Really groovy and spacey. I feel like the horns section (or that setting on the keyboard) was underutilized.
Gostei do álbum, Animal Zoo foi minha música favorita
There's not a lot of albums that I would say this about, but it feels really disjointed or disconnected. There's not really any cohesiveness from song to song on the album. And maybe that's intentional? Because the songs do have a vibe of actually being someone's dreams. They don't really make perfect sense and have some psychedelic elements to them. The production is the highlight of this album. I don't really know how to articulate it well, but everything just sounds really great. Nothing ever feels like it's competing to be heard, and everything feels intentional. Favorite Song(s): Nature's Way, Soldier
The Good: We get Spirit! The Bad: It did not include alcohol… The Ugly: Trying to explain to our shrink all about the 12 dreams of Dr. Sardonicus without the shrink writing us up for being nutcases… As hard as I try, I do not recall having listened to any Spirit albums before in life, and potentially singles neither. However, I do recall having heard about the band, or even read about them… all very odd, and very much in line with having 12 dreams. What is interesting is that I listened to the album a couple of times in my office, with great speakers, and once in the car as background filler due to the co-passengers not being open for a sonic journey. They are totally different…. In my office the album comes over as much heavier, while in the car, at times, I was reminded of Jethro Tull, which really has little to do with Spirit, except that they both are labelled as prog rock… For this album, knowing that I will want to be reminded about it in the future, and give it at least 1 more spin, I will grant the 4* as the experience was, surprisingly, positive.
This is a pretty cool prog/psych record. I'm surprised this band isn't more popular. I hadn't ever heard of them but they sound like they could have inspired other 70s psych/prog bands.
Loved the first half, liked the second - decent flow, nice to have prog elements that are in a tightly written shorter song
Better kind of 70s psychedelic rock
groovy shit
4/5
It was surprisingly good. I didnt figure that an album from a band i had never heard from could be that good. I feel this album should be more well known with how much it sounds like other bands from that time.
Very pleased with this one. I only know of their biggest hit but have never bothered to listen to them otherwise. Very much what I came to this project to find - something that I REALLY enjoy but have never heard. Consider me a fan.
This was an awesome surprise! The one-two punch of When I Touch You and Street Worm are alone worth the price of admission. Shame these guys were overlooked amongst the other psychedelic rockers of the late 60's/early 70's. Not ready to go full marks but def see this album as one that will get better with time/additional listens. Good stuff. 4/5
3.5
4.5
Surprisingly good. Didnt expect much when I started it, but this was pretty good.
Total surprise. I like what is going on here. It definitely feels like an important bridge between folk of the 60s and the rock of the 70's. I would definitely add it to my collection.
not suuuper interesting but i liked it
Never heard of this band in my life and quite enjoyed the album. This is probably just the right amount of weird for me - some infuence of prog and psychadelica but it's quite absorbing and not too pretentious. There's a nice variety in these songs, a bit of heavier rock, some is a bit spaced out and dreamy, there's horns, and all sorts going on. I wonder if I just have a short attention span sometimes but I like this in an album and you never get bored of this
I had actually never heard of these guys before, which is kind of weird considering how influential they seem to be. This album was definitely a fun one. It starts off as more of a classic ’70s rock record with some jazz influences, but as it goes on, the progressive and psychedelic elements start to come through more strongly. By the time you’re deeper into the album, it really leans into a space rock vibe. It was produced by David Briggs, and that definitely helped bring out the more experimental side of the album, with tape manipulation, layered multitracking, and all kinds of effects that give it a distinct texture. This feels like one of those albums that a lot of casual listeners might overlook, but the bands they love were absolutely influenced by this one, or by Spirit in general.
Hm… a band I never heard of, from the 70s, that plays psychedelic rock and it was actually good! My god, that doesn’t happen often. There were plenty of songs with different feel, like the rocky “Mr Skin” or the ballad “Nature’s Way”. Felt a bit like listening to a mix of Rainbow and Led zeppelin at times. Especially during the track “When I touch you”. The general feel of the album is great and the vocals are really good. I thought I had my fill of 70s psychedelia but I need to listen more to Spirit apparently. A really good find!
Rating: 8/10 Best described as spacey sexy prog rock, great production and songwriting throughout.
A solid album of psychedelic rock that flows by like a cool breeze. Consistent from beginning to end with no song that really stands out but the consistency from one song to the next makes it a highly listenable album. 4 stars
An album I’ve never heard of from a band that I have never heard of. This was a pleasant surprise. Upon further research I now know this is the group Jimmy Page stole stairway from. This album was really great. Reminded me of The Kinks and XTC. Favorite songs were Nature’s Way, Animal Zoo, Mr. Skin, and Street Worm.
Haven't listened to this since high school. This one really aged well.
8/10 Well, ok then. Never knowingly heard Spirit before, but I thought this was rather awesome. They sound like they're having fun and have a sense of humour. They know how to rock and how to write a song. Thank you 1001 STHBYD
I quite liked this. Good variety. My favourites were Space Child and Life Has Just Begun.
I'd never really listened to Spirit, and with the cover art and the year it was made I was expecting more self indulgent white boomer blues and hippie noodling, but I really liked this album. It's well produced, interestingly arranged, and the compositions are solid if not overwhelmingly brilliant.
I don’t usually do this, but something grabbed me on the first listen, so I went back and gave it a couple more plays. And yeah—this album’s seriously good. I’ve heard the first two Spirit albums before, but never got around to this one. Awesome choice for the list.
Never listened to this band before, but didn't dislike it. Actually, I kind of think I liked a lot of it. I'll need to listen to this one again to be sure.
This is better than many of its contemporaries, but still lacks enough distinctiveness for anything above a 4.
I have never heard of/noticed this band before but I really enjoyed this album. It is very of its time, which is to its merit and its detriment. They have the deft use of harmonic composition of The Beatles, the progressive inclinations of Focus, and the vocal effects and melodies of Led Zeppelin amongst others. But a lot of it just sounds like 70s "stuff" and its hard to separate it from a lot of the mainstream stuff of the era.
Honestly this seems more like a collection of tracks, than a cohesive album. That means a lack of direction, but it also means that there's a ton of variety, and no stretch of tracks really outstay their welcome. I think this list has more psychedelic rock than could be called essential, but this is one of the better offerings.
Jakoś sprawiła mi dużą przyjemność. Dawno nie słuchałam niczego z początków lat 70. i oh, jak dobrze było wrócić w te czasy. I chyba trzeba zostać na dłużej.
Lots of fun. 60’s zeitgeist. Psychedelic love.
Thought this was class 😂
Solid :)
An almost progressive approach to bluesy/psych rock yields a lot a variety and very few, if any, dull moments. 4.0/5.0: Great
Where have these guys been hiding? I felt a bit dispirited (no pun intended) to see another psychedelic rock album after a disappointing one yesterday, but this is a genuinely great album and goes very far beyond the simple confines of that genre. Maybe because it was released a bit later, with the scene having had its heyday in the 60s, Spirit sound both a little too late but also way ahead of the game. It's deceptively complex and layered. On my first listen, I didn't really hear much aside from a few standout tracks like "Mr Skin" and "Street Worm", but the variety and complexity of the entire album really starts to come alive the more I hear it. It seems to touch on funk, soul, and what would be later known as classic rock. Another great find in this challenge!
I was ready to hate this just based on my history with albums like this on this list. Actually found it pretty compelling although I'm having a hard time articulating why. It's kind of all over the map, and peters out towards the end, but I enjoyed the ride.
Tyckte detta var kul lyssning. Hade inga förväntningar men det var en väldigt blandad skiva. Mycket som jag gillar men jag sugs inte riktigt in, kanske på grund av de tvära kasten mellan låtarna. Får en del Chicago-vibbar men också typ lite Gentle giant och andra. Vill definitivt återbesöka skivan och utforska mer av bandets diskografi. Blir en 4 av 5 just nu.
It took me forever to this album; it's very fun, but there's something about it that makes me stop in the middle. Plus, I wish it had a bit more of a cohesive vision, but I don't think it was a very common idea in the 1970
I appreciated a lot about this album but it got repetitive.
I think I had vaguely heard of these guys before and I quite enjoyed this despite it not being a genre or style of music that I’m typically into.
I can definitely hear Briggs's influence on this album. It sounds very similar to a lot of my other favorite albums from this time. ...also Led Zeppelin
i thought it was pretty good.
Never heard of this before but really liked it
I was fully prepared to cringe through this one. But this is actually pretty good. It’s kinda like, what The Who thinks they sound like. But this is much better. Groovy psychadelia, that remembers that listeners have to enjoy the music, too. Clean production, catchy toe tappers, peaks and valleys, real music craft. Genuinely good quality.
3.5
Great album. Some catchy songs and some ethereal stuff. Best Song: Street Worm
What an interesting album title. The songs are really cool after 54 years. They're very innovative for a 70s album. "Mr. Skin" and "Nature's Way" are my favourites. I hope I get more musicians like Spirit. 4 stars for "Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus".
I liked it! Softer rock, good solid low 4.
It's been a rough week, and I hadn't heard of this, and I was ready to brush it off. But then it stood out to me! It showcases a simultaneous mellowness and passion that I needed right now. I thought all the songs were distinctive, with simple but effective messages. What a hidden gem. 4 stars. Favorite tracks: Nature's Way, Mr. Skin, Street Worm, Soldier, Red Light Rolls On
I liked it more than I expected. Animal Zoo is catchy
if it isn't psychedelic i don't wanna hear it. really impressed by this album
no l terminé todavia pero creo que puedo pnerle 4 sin terminarlo (es un crimen esto, que no me lea nadie mas)
Für 1970 echt nice
Never heard of this band. Very pleasantly surprised...great musicianship and interesting psychedelic arrangements.
Honestly, one of the great discoveries of this project so far! I had never heard of this band, never heard of this album, and for the first couple seconds I thought I knew what this was gonna be - ponderous 70s rock, easy 2-star album, but I was quickly proven wrong. This album is FUN! Adventurous, experimental, without ever losing sight of catchy choruses and melodies. I never knew what was coming next, but enjoyed what did. I listened to this twice, and looked up Discog prices for a vinyl copy (not too expensive at all). Loved this!
Very Good! A true rock n roll album from the 70s! I never heard about Spirit before, but they sound amazing! I'll leave 4 stars today!
Quite good. Very of its time, but it was a pretty good time. Did the Grateful Dead cover "Animal Zoo"? If not, a missed opportunity.
Some great tunes and interesting ideas. I can see how they influenced so many others.
quite the album i must say
Got this in a thrift store in the '90s. It's a great little undiscovered gem for those who are into classic rock. Certainly it's not for everybody... But, I've listened to a TON of '60s music and I can say this: the majority of bands were trying to be like somebody else more successful than them... and Spirit was just being themselves. It meanders a bit, but even the less strong songs here are clearly labors of love, with care given to the production flourishes. and it's such an LP in the true sense... Side 1 ending with the jammy fadeout of "Mr. Skin", Side 2 fading in with the weird lounge of "Space Child"... interstitial music or fx used to join tracks together so that each side is its own listening experience. "Nature's Way" is a lost classic track of the period. Headphone stoners should appreciate "When I Touch You".
This had a much more soulful sound than I expected, and was lighter on its feet than I assumed. The album art and pretentious title didn't excite me, but the instrumentation is often creative and the songs have a sweetness to them. Unfortunately, the lyrics are frequently wanting, and overall there is something unrealized, which other LA groups at the time, like The Doors and Love, didn't suffer from. I'll give it a 4, tho, considering their influence on subsequent artists - again, Americans got there first (sorry Zeppelin...).
I have never heard of this band and I don't think I've ever heard their songs. They've got a really great range of styles that captures a lot of the sounds of the psychadelic movement without being completely lost clowns like some of their contemporaries. The opener is a straight up classic (well, obviously not called that at the time) rock song. Good vocal harmonies, good playing, etc. Things do get weirder as the album progresses, and it goes from the goofy (Animal Zoo), the pure lounge (Love Has Found a Way, complete with tape reversals), to the real psychadelic shit in Space Child and When I Touch You (my personal fave), with the latter even incorporating a bit of early early metal with the tempo and riff. In fact, really everything between Space Child and Soldier is more like a long suite than necessarily individual songs. A band more up it's own ass would've labeled them PART I-VII or something. Out of context, because I really don't have any for this band, this is a good to great classic rock album. I can never remember what decade the bands of this type were from, but this album slots right in the Cream, Zeppelin, even King Crimson records of the day. I liked it quite a bit.
I will not be factoring in the bonus tracks included with the 1996 reissue for this review. I've heard of the band Spirit for their biggest single, "I Got a Line on You," though that came from their second album. Instead, we have their fourth album, Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. Based on my prior experience, I figured we were getting a straightforward 70s hard rock record, and it started in that manner from "Prelude—Nothin' to Hide" through "Animal Zoo." Then the album got weird. The backmasked instrumentation transitioning into a xylophone piece on "Love Has Found a Way" marked this album's ventures into psychedelia and I was here for it. The experimentation continued with the funky horn arrangements on "Mr. Skin" and "Morning Will Come", the ethereal instrumental "Space Child" with the guitar delay effects, sprawling synthesizers, and commanding piano lines, and the buildup into "When I Touch You" with that reverbed guitar hook. When this album cooks in its progressive compositions and songwriting, it cooks. What connects these tracks are Randy California's excellent guitar work, Jay Ferguson's jazz-influenced vocal lead with occasional harmonized vocals, and John Locke's superb piano play. Call me genuinely surprised by Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. It might not be the most mind-blowing experience given that it's still indebted to 70's progressive rock styling and limitations, but it showcased a lot more to this band than a simple hard rock love song ever could. Give it a shot.
This rocks
really cool, feels quite timeless, I think there are quite a lot of singers, which means that it doesn't get too boring. Some nice guitar solos as well. Only complaints are really that some songs feel like nothing. Favorite songs (that I remember (probably more) ): Street worm, rougher road. Overall around 7/10
Certainly an album that grows on you with more listens. Reading other reviews it seems like this was an album out of time, not well received but quite a magical psychedlic rock album nonetheless. Faves: When I Touch You, Morning will Come
Classic early 70s rock / psych rock combo with some sweet sound stages and killer jams. Not as sophistocated as some other albums, but that is okay. Does its job and does it well. 7/10
I’d listen to it again
I haven't heard this album before and it was a good suprise - a great mix of psychedelic and progressive rock, with amazing production work. The songs are unique and they kept me interested throughout the whole record. I'll come back to this album later, it might grow on me if I listen to it a couple of more times - at my first listen it is a solid 4.
This was a great listen. I love when an album uses stereo properly. It can add so much depth to the listening experience. Enjoyed it a lot. I'll listen it it again. Good to be on the list.
Really good, production, compositions and writing. On my listens, I enjoyed it, but specific songs didn't stick with me. As an album though, overall I have no complaints
Not quite dreamy, nor sardonic, but a solid 1970s style Rock 'N Roll album. No wonder Led Zeppelin plagiarised off of them. Favorite Song: "Prelude-Nothing To Hide"
UBER cool. has that 1960s rock sound while leaning into psychedelia without fully committing to it. a great blend that i hadn’t really heard before
Not sure what I expected, but I loved what I got. Proggy but leaning more in the rock direction of things, which is right up my street
Too much to say, and I'm lazy. This is underrated, even today. Equally OF and BEFORE it's time.
Special and compelling.
"Animal Zoo" kuulostaa vähän Butthole Surfers - Dracula From Houstonilta. "Space Child" kuulostaa siltä, että se loi pohjan Jamiroquaille - Seven Days in Sunny June. Se saa sen kuulostamaan melko nopeasti, vaikka en tiedä sitä. Laulaja kuulostaa toisinaan Kurt Cobainilta ja bändi Led Zeppeliniltä. Upea kitarasoundi, hyvin kerrostettu tuotanto, kokoelma erilaisia (joskus yllättäviä) instrumentteja tavalla, joka ei kuulosta pakotetulta. Edes vaskisoittimet eivät ärsytä minua. Kokeellinen muuttumatta liian abstraktiksi: Se on minulle ihana paikka. Kappale, kuten 'Morning Will Come', on melkein poppimainen, mikä auttaa pitämään sen hallittavissa. Kun yhdistät kaikki yllä olevat kohdat, saat albumin, joka todella yllättää minut. Maukas!This is really bad. Hippie nonsense. They be getting $0.00000000000000002 royalties on Spotify this year when i touch you
8/10
Dude this album kicks so much ass. Huge yacht/classic rock vibes.
A solidly enjoyable listen. Fits this era nicely. Great for an artist I don't think I know anything by. 4.5
Always enjoyed this one since I found it, a lot of variety from song to song but that's part of what makes it fun to listen to.
Strange imaginative psychedelia that leaves a lasting image.
Enjoyable album
This is fantastic.
Listen #1: My first Spirit album and I’m definitely impressed. Strong vocals and nice musical diversity. Will definitely be returning to this one. Listen #2: On second listen, it didn't hit quite as hard; I'm not sure if I'm totally sold on the songwriting overall, and it struck me as just a bit style over substance, although I really like the general sounds and styles. I'm still landing at a pretty high 3.5 stars, mainly on the strength of Jay Ferguson's vocals and solid production. Perhaps I'll come even more back around on it on my next listen. 3.5/5
This way exceeded my expectations, very raw and full sounding bluesy psychedelic rock that tickled my ear bone just right.
Easy listening
Spirit is always great!
This is a great album that I forget about. Obviously with album artwork like that it’s hard to forget it. This is perfect mix of Psychedelic Rock, hint of Progressive and fun Songwriting (I’m looking at you Animal Zoo) This makes me want to come back to this one way more than I have in the past. This is just substantial PSYCHEDELIA. With this genre there comes a territory where a band gets forgotten about amongst the other heavy hitters. SPIRIT deserved better Stand Out tracks Prelude - Nothing to Hide NATURES WAY (beautiful ) Animal Zoo (Sounds kind of like Traffic) Love Has Found Away Space Child (spookyish instrumental but one to get lost in) Life Has Just Begun The First side of the album is definitely the stronger side with the “Songs” but the second half still keeps the flow going and has some interesting ideas 4/5 1* - Not Good 2* - Has Merit 3* - Would Listen Again (Good) 4* - Like It/Love It 5* - LOVE IT AND IT IS A CLASSIC ALBUM
Great surprise for someone who loves any music from the 70s. Never heard of this band, but great rock, pop, folk and soul all in one package.
Shit slaps ngl Worst song: animal zoo Best song: Mr skin? idk the entire album is a jammer--too busy at work to identify specific songs, but this album was grooving the whole way through 4/5
While I don't typically listen to Psychedelic Rock, I found this album to be quite interesting and cool.
eig ganz cool
yo this good
Well, that was better than I expected. Enjoyable couple of listen throughs. I reckon they will be on my occasion listen to list when I feel like a dose of obscure nostalgic 60's folk rock Americana. So, once every 4 months, maybe? 4 stars.
Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus by Spirit is a captivating fusion of psychedelic rock, folk, and jazz that remains fresh and innovative. The album's eclectic sound and adventurous spirit are reminiscent of the Super Furry Animals, with a similar playfulness and genre-blending approach. Each track offers something unique, creating a varied listening experience that keeps the listener engaged from start to finish. The intricate musicianship and rich production give the album a depth that rewards multiple listens. It's a timeless record, filled with creativity and unexpected twists, making it a standout in the psychedelic rock era and still enjoyable today. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 7 STAND OUT TRACK - Animal Zoo
The more late 60s rock I listen to, the more I think that rock peaked as a genre then and anything after was watered down. I surprisingly liked this album a lot
Dug this. All over the place but not in an off putting way.
4+
I may revisit this as I enjoyed some songs on it
I don't know why I groove with this album so much more than In The Court Of The Crimson King, but I do. Have to give it 4 stars and need to keep wondering why the other album only wants 3 from me. Just do not understand...
A little rough around the edges, but I like their style and a lot of songs were just swell
Wow, this took me off-guard. Had never heard any of this before, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
the most unfamiliar album (and band) i have yet rolled in this, and its a rousing success for me...somehow incredibly precise and disciplined while still being as vibrant and non-uptight as ud expect from a late 60s california band. tons of rly effortlessly appreciable melodies, and GREAT production from a david briggs, fresh off the beginnings of a very fruitful collaboration with neil young. not too much jumps to mind to specifically say, just cozy and good!
Rock progresivo psicodélico. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
LOVE this, never listened in entirety before, gonna spin this in repeat for a few days. 4 stars
actually really good, mostly great songs. will revisit
There is nothing I love more than a little known band and album that are truly good. In fact, I only know of Spirit because Alice Cooper covered their hit "I Got A Line On You," which isn't even on this album! There's a lot to enjoy with uniquely named Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. This is in the rock genre but there are touches of psychedelia, electronic, and progressive. The electronic notes are particularly interesting, like in the instrumental "Space Child" or "Love Has Found A Way," and seem to be early in terms of when electronic music became a thing. Spirit included horns in "Morning Will Come" and "Mr. Skin" so it isn't over the top but just delightful. "When I Touch You" is emblematic of Spirit's progressive inclusion with that long instrumental. "Nature's Way" is a somber, simple second song that nearly warned me this album would be something akin to a Nick Drake album (affectionate) but remains a strong song and possible environmental protest number. I thoroughly enjoyed this surprise of an album!
I’ll go out and say it right now. Stuff like this is why I love progressive rock so much, and why I have for the longest time. And this is one of the rare times where I see that label thrown around, and actually agree with it. It’s such a broad term. And sometimes it’s hard to tell what really counts as progressive. But when I heard this album, I couldn’t help but feel that same joy and curiosity that occupied my brain when I first discovered how powerful this genre really was. I have no idea who this band is. But they made one awesome and totally kick-ass album. It really blows me away what some bands were capable of creating in 1970. This isn’t too far off from the King Crimson debut. Which I think most people would agree created the foundations of everything we now know this genre to be. But this feels just as formative and essential to that history and evolution. The production might be a little bit muddier than my tastes in a few places, but I can excuse it as a characteristic of the time period. But musically, we are working with some serious heat here. Fat bass lines, solid drumming, and great vocals/vocal harmonies. Plus, it seems like I’ve had a very bluesy week. Because this album flawlessly fuses prog and art rock with psychedelic blues and folk music. Some of the musical stunts they pull here are full on genius. It’s like they were doing backflips over the rest of the music industry, and landing every single one without a hitch. If someone is at all interested in seeing the way this genre has progressed (no pun intended), they need to give this album a shot. A certified hidden gem for sure. Rating: 8/10
I didn't dig the vocal songs so much, but the instrumental ones were really sweet to listen to. I'd love to see them paired with some visual media
I'unno if I've said this in an earlier review or not, but I really needa stop seeing albums from artists I don't recognize and going, "Who the f**k is this guy?" 'Cuz I've really enjoyed all the ones my group's gotten so far where I've had that reaction, and this is no exception. It's really fun late-60's psych rock released in 1970. And it's twelve whole dreams! What more could you want?
Some pretty damn good psych rock. They could've done the stereo a bit better, but it doesn't bother me that much.
Pleasant surprise! Really enjoyed the lyrics and what felt like spirituality of some of the songs. Super mellow, breezy listening with a couple of gems.
Very surprised about this Album…8/10 👍
when i opened this album and saw 70s psych rock i dreaded what id be listening to. coming out of it though, 12 Dream is way fresher than I thought it would sound going in. the electric guitar heavy songs are solid, melodic psych rock but what is really interesting is the less guitar-focused tracks. they are honestly edging pretty close to prog/psych pop in ways i never would've expected. the trumpets on morning will come are rapturous. randy california (great name) has a perfect voice for this kind of music and both his performance and his ear for melody stand out. fresh really is the word i kept coming back to, this is such a unique sounding record and other than maybe some guitar tones it truly sounds timeless to me. these are the best kinds of boomer tunes. im not factoring in the two bonus tracks Rougher Road and Red Light Roll On but they are worth listening to if available. a bit paint by the numbers but both have some fun ideas that, while done better elsewhere on the album, were still entertaining.
Solid 70s rock - I probably wouldn't buy the album but would listen to it again
Didn't expect I'd like this as much as I did. Even listened to the reissue with extra tracks.
oh man that was great
Enjoyed this one. Don't know much about them although I've heard the "nature's Way" before. Good psychodelic, slightly heavy rock. Not sure why they aren't better known.
Ive never heard of this band before so thats fun! Feels kind of like a more psychedelic version of the Who with added harmonies.
I think I really like this? I had to listen to it twice, which is the first time I've done that for this list, and I'm 1/4 of the way through now. It teeters on the edge of being a too hippyish, but never goes too far over to the other side. I didn't expect the production to be as good as it is, but it apparently was produced by David Briggs, who produced all of my favorite Neil Young records, as well as a few other records I like, so it's no surprise. I hear hints of Big Star in this as well. I don't know what to chalk that up to other than being relatively underground rock groups from the early 70s...
This was actually really fun and made me not regret any of my charity shop purchases