Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Never heard of this group or album so I did a little reading. I don't hate this album but I don't see how there is soooo much love for this album. It isn't bad, but it isn't anything amazing. I also don't really get the connection to the 12 dreams. Some songs on their own were okay, but overall it was slightly disjointed to me, and not in a good way. I liked Animal Zoo, Street Worm. I sort of liked Nature's Way and Mr. Skin, but they were also a little repetitive. I didn't dislike it but it I didn't love it and probably won't make me investigate them move. Just another psychedelic album.
Interesting. I liked Nature's Way, Mr Skin, Street Worm, and Morning Will Come (love the horns in that one). The rest was pretty okay.
Never heard of these guys. This was a cool enough album, it feels very of its time. Street Worm and Morning Will Come were particularly rockin' tunes. I dug it.
Wonderfully eclectic
Nothing I’ve heard before but ok
I feel like I should have enjoyed this more than I did. My favorite was “Animal Zoo”. 3.5/5
Pretty decent.
Never heard of this band, album was okay but a bit disjointed
I can tell that the music itself is objectively very good, but it just doesn't do anything for me. 2.5/5 ⭐️
3.8 if I could
decent folk album for the era.
The origin story of Mr. Skin
They walked so Zepp could run.
Doesn't do much for me.
Another one that didn’t do a lot for me. A bit Led Zeppelin but without the swagger or charisma or Robert Plant’s voice. Want to give it a 2.5
Sounded like a good album in a genre I'm not that interested in. The album was touted as their most radio-friendly songs but this still felt pretty experimental, I wouldn't be surprised if this album was influential in the development of psychedelic rock.
When one expects something to suck, decent feels like a pleasant surprise or outright win. Still, it isn't great, though more interesting (if not actually innovative) than a lot of the overbloated pomp (to which this veers awfully near) that was produced this era and type of act. "Nature's Way" and "Space Child" and "When I Touch You" are best cuts.
Average music (first time)
Wow this surprised me a bit didn't really know what to expect as I had heard of them but never heard them. This is a great album packed with solid to excellent tunes or maybe I'm just a sucker for late 60's early 70's rock.
Un peu dramatique, il y avait un côté attendrissant pour moi, peut-être un aspect nostalgique qui me rappelait des artistes québécois expérimentaux/prog de ces années-là
Great example of what 70s rock had to offer, especially those utterly locked in vocal harmonies. Wikipedia says this album didn't land big but had huge staying power. It made its money over a long stretch rather than the first six weeks and I love that about it. You've got a group of songs that are all solid and memorable so it's a little surprising none of it really hit radio in a big way, but that's ok! It's a reminder that sometimes it takes time to find your audience and for your audience to find you.
3/4
The 'people who also listened to' on Spotify for this is a roll-call of men with beards who I find absolutely no compulsion to discover. Quicksilver Messenger Service, Vanilla Fudge, Moby Grape, Savoy Brown, Humble Pie....having said that this is an easy early seventies listen with lots of variety and usually a decent tune. On the early seventies note I've just rewatatched Almost Famous for the third time and absolutely this band sound like they could be Stillwater.
Another fun ride. 3 stars
I liked the energy and creativity.
Kinda enjoyable but will not return. Album tries to be a bunch of things at once.
Feel like this needed to be either more psychedelic or less psychedelic - felt a bit too psychedelic middle of the road. But then I really don’t get on with anything too psychedelic. So maybe it just doesn’t need to exist? Last 3-4 tracks were the best part of the album. 2.8
I tried to like this but it a bit bland. Not sure if it's a 21st Century sensibility but surely there were more dynamic albums out there in the 70s?
cool
Only very mildly interesting to me. Liked the instrumental track! May relisten.
Pretty interesting and kinda all over the place, I enjoyed it enough altho I agree with the group that it was just fine for the most part
Wow! Never heard of this group and what a trip.
This was kind of a fun, quirky album. The music is good overall. I don't know that I would consider it significant enough to put on this list, but it's a pleasant listen 3/5
This really didn't do too much for me to stand out from the other bands of this era. There's been so much from these couple years that it's hard to get excited about something from this decade if it doesn't immediately grab me. The production is above average, and some songs are a good time, like Live Has Found a Way and Street Worm. Others, like Animal Zoo, were kind of irritating to me.
ok it was..you know
I'm familiar with this album though it's been decades since I've played it through. Thanks for the memories.
Huh?
This was pretty good to begin with, but dragged a little by the end.
It was alright, solid 3.
This is what I imagine an acid trip is like, some parts were good and I was vibing, then other parts were bad and I wanted it to stop. I didn't hate the overall experience. However, I didn't love it enough to come back and listen again
Just kind of middle of the road. Not bad but forgettable
As someone who grew up on classic rock, which included a ton of psychedelia and prog, these guys were never on the radio. i knew the name, but not the music. And after this, yeah, I get it. Both why they are influential, and why they weren't played. There's not a great single here, or even a solid deep cut that stood out, but they are definitely experimenting in the scene, and other, more popular groups took what they had and expanded on it. All in all, good, but I'd rather listen to the works that it inspired than this.
There's some good stuff happening here n' there but overall not amazing. Dated. Soldier is nice. Deserving enough of a 3.
Yet another unknown band and album thrown up. Can only conclude that there was so much good stuff about and so little spending money in 1970 that this minor gem passed me by. But no worries today was a lovely sunny day so off for a day long hike equipped with AirPods and this album streamed in hi res as I walked. Walking and listening always enhances whatever album I decide to listen and today was no exception. A good example of psychedelic rock with touches of prog made my walk all the happier. The Roon algorithm decided to play Tull’s Aqualung after the album finished. Not sure if the algorithm got it quite right but think I know where it’s coming from as the album is quite difficult to pigeon hole. One to look out for a possible buy. 3/5 17/7/24
Nice composition. Immediately forgettable.
fun rock n roll with a dated feel that’s pretty mellow and was making me kind of sad but I didn’t mind it
That was a different kinda album for the era and style.
This sounded like it had come from the future.
One of these albums I probably don't remember I listened to in a couple of days. It's not bad, it's just crazy average throughout the entire album.
This album genuinely surprised me as not only being good, but also being pretty unique. It definitely fits the bill of "progressive rock" well; it manages to take a lot of the psychedelic and soft/folk rock sounds of the time and give it a little bit of a twist...enough so that as I'm listening to this, I'm thinking "huh! that's interesting!" There's rock, jazz, psychedelic, all intermingling and arranged in unexpected fashions. The guitar work is superb, the additional instrumentation that makes the album sound so progressive shines through clearly, and the vocal harmonies are tight. This album was not super popular when it came out, but looking back on it all these years later, it seems like it straddles the 60s and 70s super well as far as music style goes. I love a good surprise! This is definitely somewhere in the 3+ range for me!
Some good songs, especially liked Animal Zoo, but goes a little awry with some of its songs.
Dieses Album ist wie ein gut gemachter Burger: solide, aber ohne die extra Portion Käse, die es unvergesslich machen würde. Die Songs sind ordentlich und rocken, aber sie haben ungefähr so viel Tiefe wie eine Pfütze nach einem leichten Sommerregen. Kein Track sticht wirklich heraus, um als Highlight zu glänzen – es ist eher wie ein Konzert, bei dem alle Bandmitglieder gleichzeitig ein Solo spielen wollen, aber keiner so richtig den Ton trifft. Für Fans von klassischem Rock der 70er ist es definitiv hörenswert, aber man sollte keine musikalischen Offenbarungen erwarten. Es ist wie ein Besuch bei einem alten Freund: vertraut und angenehm, aber ohne die Überraschungen, die das Herz höher schlagen lassen. Insgesamt ein solides Album dem aber ein einzigartiger „Spirit“ fehlt.
Never heard of the group but knew some wonted ("Nature's Way") and a good listen of those that like CSN&Y since they play some parts in the album.
Very experimental in terms of song structure, I dig it
It was fine. I think I'm starting to understand what "prog" means and kind of like it
Space Child is exactly the kind of music that I love hearing from Frank Zappa. ...wait, this isn't by Zappa? Who the hell are Spirit? Anyways, Space Child is a 6/5 but the rest was pretty okay at best
# Playlist track - Morning will come # Notes - I kind of enjoy some parts of the album, and there is interesting experimentation here and there. But overall, it feels disjointed, and kind of a lackluster experience.
Just another not very good early 70s rock album. Nothing jumped out at me to be honest. 5/10.
B- Prelude - Nothin' To Hide 3 Nature's Way 4 Animal Zoo 3 Love Has Found A Way 3 Why Can't I Be Free 3 Mr. Skin 3 Space Child 3 When I Touch You 3 Street Worm 3 Life Has Just Begun 3 Morning Will Come 3 Soldier 3 It took about 25 listens over a year and a half to finish, but I did it.
Pretty good pretty cool
I'd probably like this more over time.
I kind of like Animal Zoo, Mr Skin, Space Child; I almost like Nature’s Way, Life Has Just Begun, Morning Will Come
Way better than I was expecting
A listenable prog rock album which was experimental enough to push the envelope but not unhinged enough to disturb the listener.
Meh. Sounded ok but got really boring. Low 3.
Nice find.
Look, there's only so many times you can listen to a 60s/70s psychedelic rock album and have it still interest you. This album's good, but I'm probably going to forget about it. Don't get me wrong, I like the album. The sound is nice. The singing is good. There's good variety in the songs, so at least the album isn't repetitive. The pacing works. The writing is decent. This is a pretty good album that just kind of has the unfortunate circumstances of being the 35th psychedelic rock album I've listened to for this project. It's a solid album, but there's certainly better ones I've listened to. High 3/5.
The most notable album from the band most people my age only know for trying to sue Led Zeppelin (and losing). There’s nothing here quite as interesting as those legendary rockers, but it’s still tuneful blues rock.
Estuvo ok
First time hearing these guys. Pretty good, semi progressive, great production
Favourite song - Prelude nothin to hide
Honestly it's nowhere near as strange as I expected from the album cover. Nothing real special and a bit discombobulated but a decent listen for sure.
A good, not quite great, psychedelic prog journey with a heartening undercurrent of environmental consciousness and naturalistic wonder.
Solid early 70's rock. Great background music with some interesting sounds. Very par for the course for the time. Would listen to it again but no songs were especially remarkable.
- Entspanntes Album, das bei mir jetzt sehr im Hintergrund lief, dafür war es wirklich gut (vielleicht werde ich dem Album hier nicht gerecht, aber was solls)
I found this album strange. It was difficult to decipher my true feelings about it which was very interesting. It was definitely weird and different but that was what was intriguing about it. I feel like if I had to listen to it many more times I could learn to really like it but for now i’ll stay invested.
3.7 - I waiver between thinking this album is an overlooked gem and thinking it’s pretentious crap. Probably both? To me it sounds like they set out to create an “In the Court of King Crimson” but for whatever reason they came up short. Maybe they lack the mojo? Maybe management advised them to keep their songs at a tight 2.5-3 minutes? There’s lots of strong arrangements on here and their sound is well-honed, especially on songs like “Nature’s Way” and “Life Has Just Begun.” But somehow I’m left feeling like something is lacking — maybe a bit of atmospheric plodding, or a psychedelic a cappella freakout?
A lot of ideas here but not really any memorable tracks.
I’m going to have to listen to this one again at some point I think. I just don’t know what I think about it!
First two songs are okay, but something about them rub me wrong and I can't put a finger directly on it. Animal Zoo is catchy, but it sort of feels like a balls-less CCR song. I actually really like Love Has Found a Way in all of its quirkiness. The vocals are goofy, but the production is really interesting and it all sort of just works together. Some spaciness in the back half between Space Child and When I Touch You. In general, I found this album to be fine, but not something I would go out of my way for. Low 3 for me.
Classic rock vibe album. Never listened to Spirit before. There were a few song that stuck out but overall not an album I would probably seek out again. 3 stars
Happy Bicycle Day! This is a great album for it, super trippy. Space Child put me in another universe and the transition into When I Touch You was great. I couldn’t really get into the rest of it but I was also working during it. My deserve a relisten
I really dug this groovy album.
rounding up from 2.5 cause I'm nice today
Vibes of The Who, ELP, lots of others of the era. Good listen.
It's pretty cool for an American rock album. Enough variation to keep it interesting, but lacking in power.
A bunch of fully developed ideas and a bunch of half baked ones. It’s never bad but it rarely soars high for long.
Never heard of Spirit, but with the album title and cover, I expected it to be tedious psychedelic nonsense. I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. Definitely prog but still pretty loose. I like it! 3.9
A little bit weird but altogether rather pleasant to listen to.
Interesting album. A smattering of everything. The review I read about Spirit's song Taurus was completely ripped off by Jimmy Page for Stairway to Heaven. How the barrister lost that case I'll never understand. Anywho, overall good groove. Favorite Track: Morning Will Come
Natures way is the only song I recognized. It was okay otherwise. Wouldn’t put it on again
Didn't realize this had a few familiar songs until the listening. Was certainly pleasant enough for a get away Friday
It's bit worn, but the standards are there.
Fine 70 rock
I liked a few songs but overall was just meh.
Good not great
I enjoyed it but nothing stood out
This was fine, very much of its period. Not super memorable.
I didn’t get much out of this one. Never heard any of the album before, but nothing sounded particularly unique, I guess. Just kind of there, not all that challenging or striking.
As psychedelic albums go, this one wasn't as bad as the album sleeve suggested.
This was a pleasant surprise. Mr Skin was my favourite, the presence of horns made it feel soulful.
Good time. Lot of good classic rock hooks with knods to prog that don't feel too weighted in pretentiousness.
I listened to all of this but I didn't particularly have a single opinion on it
Don’t really have feelings one way or another about this one. It was fine.
This was cool, kind of generic 70s rock but still pretty good. Far too much panning on the guitar solos on some tracks. You don't need to pan completely from one side to the other multiple times, it's doesn't make it cool. Making my head spin, but not enjoyably.
Good, I just don't have an emotional connection with it.
This was fine, not something that I'll remember.
carino
Pretty good
This didn't do much for me, but it wasn't bad. Kind of proggy.
Pleasant enough but not sufficient for me to listen again. Low 3*
Quite liked this.
Rather jolly although a little dated.
Dated but cordial. It's a ditch weed album. The lead singer of this band had a huge hit years later called, "Thunder Island". Thunder Island is an all-timer, and miles better than anything on this album. The weed must have been better.
Interested mashed up styles for the 70's. More enjoyable than I expected but never broke through
Cool album. Had never heard any of it.
Interesting and weird psychedelic hippie rock. Not really my thing but worth a listen.
Not bad. A few gems like Animal Zoo. Interesting history with Led Zep. Super soft 3.
Combine Bowie, The Grateful Dead and any generic 90s/2000s 'Indie' group and you get what Spirit is. Only they mastered this in 1970! 3/5
Man this list really loves classic rock. I will say I loved the start of the album. The first track gives you that classic Led Zeppelin folky blues inspired at times chromatic acoustic guitar riff part with Led Zeppelin soft harmonized vocals, and then hits you with a huge Led Zeppelin stabby hard rock part. I'm sure both bands inspired eachother, as both Led Zeppelin and Spirit had 3 albums released in this 68-70 time period. Man does that start sound like a Zeppelin song though. The second half of the first track slaps though. Those horns and sliding guitar and drums smacking down are GREAT. One pet peeve that I have that doesn't come up often is when singers/bands highlight the lyric of a song that doesn't feel like the one that should be highlighted. It's totally subjective and I am aware of that, but "It's nature's way of telling you something's wrong" with the harmonized vocal riff runs for the length of a whole track was kind of bleh for me. It's a shame because the song is actually quite beautiful! But that lyric? It's clunky and doesn't feel very poetic or impressive to me. It feels cumbersome and a little awkward. I am left feeling entertained though, so I don't dislike the album. I think moreso It's just a collection of songs that are easy for me to find things that I don't like, but as a whole the record was actually a nice listen. It's a high 3 for me, but not quite enough for a 4/5.
Prescient hippies. 3/5
One thing I love about this project is that it forces me to give things a fuller listen than I ordinarily would, like this. I went through a HUGE Hendrix phase when I worked at the record store and Spirit's guitar player is sort of Jimi's preeminent disciple so my boss Pete Liberante and I tried to get into this album a couple of times and never could. Now I get the chance to hear side two and realize I was missing more than I knew. Do yourself a favor and read all of Randy California's Wikipedia entry. It is very entertaining and after you give a listen to Taurus I want to know if you agree that this was SCOTUS's worst decision (to not take the case) since Bush v Gore - even more egregious than Dobbs, in my view.
Well, based on the album cover alone, I can safely say this is nothing like Slade or MIA or Amy Winehouse (or the Temptations, for that matter). A bit more like Yes, I guess, but not really my kind of thing overall. I like the album title, but I'm not sure exactly how the songs relate to the title, and I certainly can't say I have any impression of who Dr. Sardonicus might be...except he must be some crazy nature-loving, zoo-hating, skin-fetishistic space child who sometimes touches the worm!
Decent Psychedelic blues and funk. ‘They’re selling hippie wigs in Woolworths, man. The greatest decade in the history of mankind is over.’
Du rock psychédélique qui nous fait passer un bon moment sans plus. 6/10
Entertainingly off kilter, slightly psych, slightly trad rock. I'd never heard of this, but I like yesterday's effort, this had promise - I wish they hadn't split, as this feels like the promising album that comes before the true classic.
It's a 70s album. Better than most.
I have never heard of this band. But it was pretty good, and it fit the groove for the era.
Average 70's rock.
Kinda decent, I might revisit it in the future.
I didn't finish it, just wasn't the vibe for my day. I like psych rock and prog rock though, so I'll eventually come back to it.
I feared the worst after the horrible granddadrock intro. To my pleasant surprise the second track had a great chorus with pleasant harmonies. Then it all went downhill again. Anyway, to not be Mr Grouchy, I have to say that the last half of When I Touch You is really good, and Morning Will Come is overall a good song. Soldier isn’t half bad either.
Pretty good mix of psychedelic rock with pop rock.
Spirit was a little too out there for most people. They were a little bit rock, a little bit jazz, a bit psychedelic, and several doses of just plain weird.
Solid. Notable tracks include morning will come (dope), red light roll on, and why can’t I be free.
Seemed like a standard 70s rock album.
Weird but also not that weird. Couple of catchy tunes. A few hilarious tracks the one about zoo creatures. Not sure I’ll ever listen to it again.
I didn’t love my first listen. It wasn’t at all what I expected but I also didn’t care for the songwriting. The lyrics reminded me of phish. It was an interesting listen and maybe additional listens are needed to appreciate it, I just don’t want to give it more listens.
Thought this album was all over the place with their sound. Some, rock, jazz, psychedelic and even Mr. Skin had some funk sound to it. Overall, not a bad listen and having a little trouble rating. Nothing blew me away, but nothing outright annoying either. Street Worm and Mr. Skin stood out as a couple favorites off the album. Thought Animal Zoo riff sounded a lot like Steal My Sunshine riff from LEN and Morning Will Come reminds me of an Aerosmith song I can't put my finger on. Anyway, thought it was a good album and decent listen for the day. No complaints here. 3
3 I kept thinking that the name Spirit sounded really familiar (besides just being the low budget airline I always insist on flying), and then it hit me - these are the guys that sued Led Zeppelin for allegedly ripping them off with Stairway to Heaven. Well, considering how low their Spotify play count is, I feel like they should be thankful for Led Zeppelin bringing them some attention if anything. Anyway, that was all I really knew about these guys going in, and that song (Taurus) isn’t even on this album. Even with a Wikipedia browsing, the only worthwhile information I picked up on the group is that their keyboardist’s name is John Locke (shoutout to Lost) and that their singer apparently would go on to write the theme song for the American version of The Office. Iconic theme song, but as for this album - it’s fine. It’s a pretty standard slice of the era without anything to dislike about it in particular, but there also wasn’t anything I found all that great either. The songs also felt incredibly disconnected from one another, so the album really seemed disjointed and lacked a sense of flow as a whole. Nothin’ to Hide, Animal Zoo, Mr. Skin, and Morning Will Come were probably my favorites of the bunch, but to say that I’m likely to seek them out again feels like a lie. So yeah, just kind of decent. I feel like I can get what I want out of this album from other artists (certain songs gave me The Who vibes in particular), so I'm not sure I see a reason to revisit this one.
3.5 Weird and funky in the exact ways I like it. Quite a few bizarre choices and the whole album didn’t flow together as much as I would have hoped but I feel like this one will grow on me over time.
Alright, pretty decent but nothing jumping out.
I had not ever heard of this band, but they sound instantly familiar as a product of their time. Definitely decent early psych rock. Totally fine record.
Ok
Spirit is an early progenitor of rock and roll. Overall, not a bad listen, but not special or groundbreaking. This album has no songs which have stayed relevant in popular culture and even the critical reception was less than that of Spirit's other albums.
Interesting Rock tones. Some decent songs.
This was OK but nothing jumped out at me
Morning will come is pretty decent. Some other songs are just a little long in the tooth. Struggling between a two and a three. It's under 45 mins... so it's got that going for it.
As much as I can appreciate the craft of this project, I just don't vibe with spirit as much as the other 70s and 80s rock n roll projects I've heard on here. I may change my mind on a later listen... but who knows
I don't know if I enjoyed this or not? I guess in a "this is alright to listen to" way, I enjoyed it. But I was constantly feeling some sort of musical whiplash. I think I need to listen to this one again.
This was pretty good for being early 70's rock. It was more proggy than psychedelic, so kind of the opposite of what I was expecting. Wouldn't be opposed to listening to this again.
I thought this was fine, but I can't really differentiate it much from its peers. Nothing really stood out. That being said, it was good enough. 2.5/5
Solid psych-ish, prog-ish album. I don’t think this is game-changing, but it’s a good time. C
Don’t remember this?But I did listen to it.I think?
A good early art album and an enjoyable listen, but it failed to reach the emotional peaks and variations that other of its' contemporaries (Dark Side or Tommy) hit that make those albums so impactful. It places the themes behind the music as opposed to integrating them. Worth another listen to hear what they have to say
Very much like a ton of music from this Era.
6/10. Glad they clarified it was the animal zoo, not just any old zoo.
I kinda liked this so I listened to it twice and liked it way less on the second listen. 6/10
Neutral imo
All these 70s bands sound the same. It was okay without any memorable songs. 6/10
Solid. Nothing crazy tho
The point of this record is not entirely clear to me, but ok there are some appealing melodies.
I dunno man
There's definitely something to this - it gets close to being something really interesting, but just falls short. It's not aged as well as some of the better prog/psychedelic stuff coming out around that time, so it's a low 3.
Nice transitions. Definitely the sum is better than the parts. 3.5/5
Good
Solid rock album form the 70's. But in no rush for a second listen.
Just generic listenable rock from the past. Not unpleasant but not standout either
Certainly not bad. But, I didn't find it that exciting either
Bit experimental
Quite a fun album with some filler songs
3.5
Yeah this is the band Zeppelin allegedly ripped off. I prefer Zeppelin. It was fine last 60s early 70s prog rock.
Ok
3.5
I liked this. Psychedelic rock is kinda my jam, but more in a Pink Floyd way than this.
Osa oli jees, osa ei
Mieluummin kuuntelen ko otan turpaani
Yeah, I'm really questioning my need to hear all of these albums. It's fine, but I just don't know why I "need" to hear it.
Not a bad album but not very memorable. I’m guessing it’s here because of it influencing other bands but I just heard it and I don’t remember anything about it.
-never listened to this album or spirit in general -oh yeah its rock WE ARE SO BACK -grooving and moving to these songs so far -THE COW BELL? obsessed -these songs are cool, i’m not super into any of them in particular yet -but they’re catchy and nice -life has just begun is a bit repetitive -rougher road is a fun song actually -the secone half of this album is a little boring -overall its a 3. very average to me, only one or two songs stand out
I definitely recognized Nature's Way. I never minded that song, though I wouldn't say I loved it either. I definitely did not recognize why this album needed to be on the 1,001 list. Put this in the category of plain vanilla albums that neither offend nor excite. It's a 3 for me, though some of the better songs for me were Animal Zoo, Mr. Skin, Street Worm, and Morning Will Come.
Couple good songs but the rest was mostly forgettable
Groovy please
Bog standard 70s rock. Enjoyable! Good, even. Not sure it belongs here? The music itself is pretty basic, and a peek at wikipedia tells me that the album was not a huge hit, and still remains not a huge hit. The band members are not big names (it's not like this was Bruce Springsteen's first band or something). The most remarkable thing I can figure about this album is that the producer eventually also was a producer for Neil Young? Is that enough to place it on the "albums you must hear" list?
Much better than I remember, but still not great. There are some excellent tracks, but too many above average but still run-of-the-mill songs. If the album clocked in at a little of 30 minutes instead of 45 it would be excellent.
Eh, it was ok
I think I like it
Some good but forgettable hippie folk. If you’re into the genre I think these seem to be a less appreciated one but still hold their own alongside the Byrds and Jefferson Airplane and the likes.
Den var cool nok, ryger nok ikke lige til toppen af mine yndlings-70er psychrock plader, det var det lige lovlig rodet til.
This was an interesting album for sure. I've never heard of these guys before. Definitely a talent group. They sound like a bunch of different bands throughout the album. Sometimes Big Star, sometimes Traffic, sometimes like a Kansas or Chicago type thing. Because they change up so much, it was a little hard to grasp. Overall the drumming was tight. Vocal harmonies were good. The pieces of a good album were there, but it didn't really come together.
Some fun tunes
it's perfectly fine. Can't find anything bad to say about it but I also can't find a lot to praise about it either? The whole listening experience did not move me in any meaningful way. Feels bad.
interesting
Intróið lét mig halda að þetta væri eitthvað spectacular, en svo var víst ekki. Þetta er allt í lagi samt.
Very 1970s rock n roll. Even if you havnt heard this band or any songs on this album. They'll sound very familiar as early rock n roll bands hardly had any differentiating features. Decent album. But not for me.
3.5
I was initially turned off by some of the lyrics sounding rally lazy and cliche, but things improved as the album wore on. The composition got more interesting, the lyrics less cringy, and by the end I was more or less won over.
It's fine psych-rock, but doesn't do much that separates it from the others.
Désolé Robert mais étant en plein déménagement, j'ai écouté cet album sur une enceinte à très faible volume alors que je multipliais les va-et-vient dans mon futur ancien appartement. Autant te dire que je n'en ai eu que foutre.
J'ai écouté cet album il y a moins d'une heure, et bien malin sera celui capable de me dire de quoi il en retournait.
This is album is really inconsistent. Throw away half of it and it will be 4,5
Never heard of the band, but this was ok. It didnt reach out and grab me, but these guys could obviously play, and theres some decent tracks on here.
A fun, out of the ordinary LP that offered a welcome deviation from the norm. Wish that as a whole the album could’ve been a bit more grounded in the often stellar guitar and rhythm section rather than the synthy interludes, but for what I expected this was still a great listen.
Good 70’s rock. Nothing special, though.
I am still amazed that Sometimes even after 50 years spinning round this planet I can come across some music this well recorded and produced. And have never even heard a whisper about it. Not saying I loved it. But it’s certainly got its moments. And as mentioned. Is produced really well. The balances and sound levels are really well done.
Probably warrants a second play through. Has the feel of an album that grows on you over time. Animal Zoo & Morning Will Come were the standout tracks IMO.
Enjoyed
Has a heavy blues vibe in the vein of Deep Purple or Led Zepplin. Also has some nods to the prog-ishness of likes of Yes. It's cool at certain points, but I find the lyrics to be pretty repetitive and mostly chorus. Favorite tracks: "Nothin' To Hide", "Mr. Skin"
I'm interested by the title but very much put off by the album art. In the end I kind of liked it, more than I thought I would anyway.
weird and wild and wooly. 3 stars.
Pretty solid psychedelic rock
I only went to the Sunbury Rock Festival once - in January 1973. It kicked off on the Friday night, leading into the Australia Day long weekend. I drove from Sydney with Dave Kelly. We met up with his brother John at the festival & when it was all over, you could say I drove the Kelly Gang home. Unfortunately Dave & I did not leave Sydney early enough to catch the Friday night performers. By the time we arrived in the middle of the night, the music was over. And that’s how I missed seeing Spirit, who were the first international band to ever appear at Sunbury, & had headlined on Friday night. What a bummer. I have never heard this album before. I really enjoyed it. There’s a diversity about the music It’s poppy, then folky, then psychedelic. David Briggs’s production is terrific. I’m still not sure how Randy California’s estate didn’t win their case against Led Zeppelin stealing one of his riffs to use in Stairway To Heaven. And listen here to the keyboard opening to Space Child & tell me it’s not the same keyboard intro to Steely Dan’s FM.
Oh goody, yet another late 60s/early 70s cult-favourite. Sigh. Psychedelic influences? Tick! Band broke up on initial release? Pretentious lyrics? Tick and tick! Multiple re-releases on hip reissue labels? Slathered in studio trickery? Progressive leanings? Critical darling with underwhelming commercial appeal? Tick, tick, tick, tick and tick! We just won White-boy Rock Critic Bingo! (I've listened to the album twice through now, and there are some mildly catchy tunes. It's not bad, but I'm not in love with it.)
I enjoy listening to this album but can’t really retain any of it afterwards. Strong 3
Ok
A few tracks I enjoyed, decent album but that's about it. Too many like this, middle of the roaders. I've never heard of this group, though the name Sardonicus sounds familiar, apparently there's a horror movie with that name but I haven't seen that either. This isn't horror-themed at all, it's just loosely psych-y rock. A drop in the bucket at this point. I would sincerely trim down the psych rock field on this list, including with this one, even though it's decent. Decent doesn't cut the mustard. Favorite tracks: Mr. Skin, Life Has Just Begun, Rougher Road. Album art: Some freaky deaky stuff going on here, or really just a funhouse mirror shot of the band? Better than most band photos, but nothing too special. I do like the font. 3/5
I listened to the album twice. I liked "Nature's Way" and "Animal Zoo", generally. But I couldn't find a song that stands out, or has a memorable hook.
I had a re-listen to the album when I read the effulgent praise from the group. I don't quite understand where it is coming from. Was going to give it a 2, but I'm easily led, and I did like Nature's Way. I've not been this conflicted for a while - middle ground time.
weird
Surprise, new band to me. 3 stars which is an awful lot for me for music of this kind. Nice guitar rhythms, nice voice, not overly psychedelic (hate that) but still that early seventies atmosphere with some Beatle influences like in Street Worm, think When I Touch You is my favorite song.
I don't hate it, but i'm not the biggest fan. Spirit are not the only band to drop acid, then record a concept album, but this one often feels lost in a turn of the decade classic rock haze; it doesn't feel very experimental. However, Mr Skin is a banger, and im a fan of street worm too.
I never connected with this album, which is a bit of a surprise. 60's/70's rock and alt rock is my groove. I recognize the style and the beats, but it does nothing for me.
Very nice
Czy sardynki marzą o 12 elektrycznych owcach?
I prefer Zeppelin.
3/5 Seems ok, Never heard of them or any of the songs before.
It's a very end-of-the-sixties progressive sound, not afraid to experiment with different styles. In the end, I'm not in love with the final result, though "Street Worm" is the kind of song I would Shazam promptly if I heard it playing somewhere - but where? I also like the song that all the other Spotify listeners like, "Nature's Way".
Ironically I think the singles on this album are just ok but their more Proggy numbers are interesting. Some folks here talk about Side 2 being better than a Side 1 and since I’m assuming that the majority listened to this online, how do they know when side 1 ends and when 2 begins? Their influence on Led Zep is also unmistakable.
Prog rock album that suffered a bit from its long runtime and lack of lyrics in many songs. The songs that had lyrics were actually quite good so a bit potential wasted here
Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
While Spirit appears to be doing what they intended to do on this album, a lot of the ideas fell ever so slightly too short to make it a great cohesive project. Sardonicus sounds like it’s in a strange spot in psychedelic music, being released between the late 60s and the progressive 70s.
Pretentious but isn't bad at all
3/5. A pretty neat collection of songs, nothing too crazy but nothing bad. I like their earlier self titled album more but as this one stands, it is a safe one.
Rating: 6/10
It was surprisingly good. I did a massive eye roll at the prospect of listening to another 70s psychedelic rock album but it was far more entertaining than I imagined.
Much better than the title led me to believe.
Fun album. Great classic rock. Could definitely listen to this happily, and can 100% feel David Briggs influence on the sound here.
Odd but pretty decent
Ik hoorde hier nog wel aardige dingetjes. In een goede bui, dus 3 sterren.
Not bad but nothing standing out for me.
This was a bewildering album. The first half was slow, instrumental, weird and not much of an older rock album. The second half of the album was much more typical classic rock that was enjoyable. The range of instrumentals on some songs were very cool. But it took so long to get to the enjoyable part of the album. Very curious the thinking behind the A and B sides. Overall the latter half of the album redeemed it and made it okay. 6.1/10
Mi pareva partito bene, ma sembra un po' una lagna.
If its time.
Pretty interesting sound
Rock suave y tranquilo. Relajado. Un poco del estilo de la época. Buena instrumentación.
I know I've heard the song 'Nature's Way' before, and liked it, but I don't think I had heard anything else by Spirit (well, other than 'Taurus' for obvious reasons). Although this album definitely sounds very much of its era, the band is quite good. Moments of this album are excellent, and it has moments that, to my ears, fall back into the psychedelic tropes of the time, which I state only as a matter of personal aesthetic. (I never view a style, genre, etc., as inherently better or worse than any other. It's art, after all.) My listening preferences these days tend toward styles and genres that differ from this work, but I can appreciate it.
There is some cool stuff here, but I can’t see myself wanting to revisit this album. It’s a little proggy for my taste.
This seems like something I would like more on a re-listen.
Wasn’t really playing too close attention but it was fine
Quite melodic rock. Less guitar noodling than Led Zep and more middle of the road singing (a favourable comparison to Robert Plant). Ok.
Some okay prog rocky stuff
Nice stuff
Kind of good, kind of original, psychedelic rock. Not impressed, but I am entertained. 3/5
Some good tunes.
Stylistically a hodgepodge and tonally kind of weird. Not sure whether Spirit wants to be earthy or proggy or psychedelic, so they threw a little of everything against the wall. An odd but ultimately unmemorable album, with a few bright moments and buoyed by one exceptional track in "Nature's Way." Fave Songs: Nature's Way, Street Worm, When I Touch You, Animal Zoo, Life Has Just Begun
Nothing blew me away. Natures way was decent.
I'm guessing this is gonna be some kind of psychedelic nonsense? The name isn't exactly subtle. Yep, although thankfully far more 1970s than 1960s. Crazy how music just shifted instantly on the turn of a decade, at least to me in 2023. Didn't piss me off but I'll never listen to it again. 3/5.
Vond er weinig speciaals aan, maar niet slecht
i had absolutely no idea what this was going to sound like so i was pretty crestfallen when the unmistakable sounds of the 70s started falsetto singing its way in to my life. some ok tracks but on the whole its more 70s crap from a band with one of the weakest band names i've ever heard.
Fuck
HL: “Life Has Just Begun”, “Nature’s Way”, "Love Has Found a Way/Why Can't I Be Free" Likeable-enough folky prog
OKish odd music.
No Taurus, No Got A Line On You, no reason to listen to this. Stick to the greatest hits.
It was okay I guess. Didn't really enjoy it much. I think there was one song that was good, but lots of bad ones.
The space guitar sounds are a clear warning. And now some engine idling noise...the intro song isn't terrible, but there are warning signs. This is generally not so bad. It's also not really that exciting or different. Morning Will Come is the best song on the album.
I like psychedelic rock but it’s so over represented on this list. This isn’t one of the better ones either.
Dr. Sardonicus could've had four fewer dreams and this record would still be too meandering for me. There's just something about this hippie-folk-rock that I don't have the Spirit for. I know they periodically go through a bit of a revival and re-appreciation but that's never happened for me personally. Shame though, given my POP was a fan of this band and I listened to them second-hand for years. I guess Nature just hasn't found a way yet.
2/4
not impressed on this prog approach
I don’t even know what to say other than this album felt like a really bad unenjoyable acid trip.
4.5/10 - Just didn’t do much for me.
There were some interesting parts but not something that I'll likely revisit. 5/10
Too goddamn much
It turns out that not all bands can convert massive amounts of LSD and cocaine into good music
4/10
Very dated to my ears. The first 2 songs while at the time might have been good, and message is good, come off as a parody of liberal political songs. Animal Zoo isn’t bad. First time I enjoyed the mono version more than the original.
It was challenging to get through this album. The songs were just so bizarrely structured, but also really boring at the same time. I have no idea what they were trying to do with this or trying to say. Truly not a must listen.
meee
Second time for this one. Can’t say I am particularly excited… Yeah. The 60’s weren’t necessarily left behind when the ball dropped to the next decade. This is how I tell you that something is wrong -with the vocals in the mix. God. Really don’t want to hear earnest harmonizations anymore. You’re going to find a better way to make love? Yeah? Better than your monkey ancestors described in the previous song? This is trash. Self indulgent trash. No patience for this today. Why can’t you be free indeed. Why can’t I be free? Because I’m subjecting myself to this, that’s why. When the vocals depart and they just jam, when I am left to appreciate the production, the interesting use of both channels, the horns, it’s not bad. But bring back the vocals, try to make a “song” and you lose me. I am lost. This gets a 2. I don’t feel like this actually does anything new, having spent the last week STEEPED in the 60’s. This should be left for the crate diggers. 2 Boolean: FALSE
Twelve dreams is a bit rich, and there are 16 songs. Not in the mood for it to be honest.
2.5/5 had some interesting switch ups that I enjoyed but overall quality was nothing crazy.
2,5
I never heard of 'em. Now I know why. Pointless noodling. Dull. Inoffensive.
I don't understand what makes this album stand out. It's decent, but not high on my list of albums I would listen to again.
Some good progy psych here and there, but this never gets heavy enough for me to really love it. When I Touch You was probably the standout track here. The rest is sort of forgettable. These guys are great players, and the production is fantastic. I’m just not feeling the songs.
It was ok
Some good, some much less so. I find it hard to rate, maybe I don't get it, but I wasn't a fan. 2/5.
Not my thing, but good musicianship.
Just straight up worse than its contemporaries. Just give me another Led Zeppelin or King Crimson album instead
meh
No private session used for Spotify. Based on the cover of the album, the name of the band and the title of the album I expected some pretty mystical rock opera, but instead I got some bland rock that I didn't need in my life and could have died without hearing(I hope that was sardonic enough).
happy to have listened - it's a great example of why i'm doing this project. but unlikely to revisit.
No está mal, aunque probablemente sobrevalorado.
I can not stand the music and sound of the '70s. Typical album from that era.
Twelve Songs All Sound The Same-icus
🤔
Certainly some quality playing, especially the guitar. Weren't many songs that stuck with me, although there were a few riffs that sounded really familiar and I checked to see if they'd been sampled and that's how I remembered these guy wrote Taurus and I laughed and laughed.
Good
They are your favorite bands favorite band or influenced them. I don't know why else it would be on the list. It's kinda disjointed. It's not a song flows to the other and is a cohesive album. Musically not bad, I've heard worse. I wonder if they are weird for weird sake or trying something new. Since this is my first listen to Spirt I'm not sure. It's alright, I will never listen to it again, I'm not mad I listened to it, it's just just there.