Live Spirit has a great cover photo of Ed Cassidy and his drumsticks frozen in time. These recordings appear to be from 1977 -- the album jacket claiming some were taped in London, England, and others in Tampa and Miami, FL. This version is the power trio, with bassist Larry "Fuzzy" Knight from Ike & Tina Turner and Delaney & Bonnie performing the duties handled by various other bassists over the years, from Barry Keene and Mike Nile to Matt Andes. The band is pretty heavy here, much heavier than the Spirit of '76 album -- that is until you get to "These Are Words," which sounds like a studio recording that has audience applause overdubbed. This recording is pristine compared to some of the others, and features piano, conga drums, additional guitars, backing vocals, and annoying applause tracks that really don't sound like they are part of the goings on. The applause comes in fast and furious, as if Randy California's ex-roommate, Dr. Demento, pulled it from a Doobie Brothers Westwood One concert or something. "Hollywood Dream" is an original by Randy California, not the Thunderclap Newman song. This sounds like it was recorded in a small club -- the drums have less presence and it is heavier than the previous track. This material was also released on Illegal Records in 1977, and again under the name Live Made in Germany. "Rockpalast" opens that disc and is not on the Potato/First American Records release from Seattle, WA. The order on the Live Made in Germany is also different: "Rockpalast," "Hollywood Dream," "Nature's Way," "These Are Words," and "Looking Down From a Mountain" are on side one while this Potato version has "Rock & Roll Planet," "Nature's Way," "Animal Zoo," "1984," and "Looking Down" on side one. Ed Cassidy's drum solo on "All the Same" at least documents an important percussion player, though there are better versions of "I've Got a Line on You," which follows that. "Nature's Way" is bluesy and more up-tempo, but there's that canned applause ending it and beginning California's version of Jay Ferguson's "1984." There is something unsettling about the disc -- and it wouldn't be surprising to hear it was all done in a studio or is a mixture of tracks recorded live with studio overdubs. Potato Records' vice president, Michael Lee, in his liner notes makes much of the storied careers of the three musicians, including California's time with Jimi James & the Blue Flames (aka Jimi Hendrix). A few years before Live Spirit, there was a plethora of bogus Jimi Hendrix products flooding the market. Michael Lee's liner notes claim this is the first live album from Spirit, but the canned applause at the end of "1984" and the new song, "Looking Down," makes the claim appear as legit as the alleged Jimi Hendrix/Little Richard disc Friends From the Beginning -- a disc that had nothing legitimate about it whatsoever. The irony that Hendrix's ex-guitarist would release a disc that appears borderline Milli Vanilli while others were doing the same to Hendrix's legend is just too weird. The original Spirit band reunited in 1984 to record a live album called The Spirit. Although this is highly listenable and documents further adventures of Kaptain Kopter and Commander Cassidy, it displays the difference between California and Cassidy apart from the rest of the original group. Euclid's axiom about the whole being greater comes into play here; it was released after Mercury put out four Spirit albums in a span of two-and-a-half-to-three years. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
Randy California (Vocals), Ed Cassidy (Percussion), Bob Lee (Engineer), Randy California (Bass), Randy California (Guitar), Bob Burnham (Engineer), Larry Knight (Bass), Randy California (Producer), Michael K. Lee (Liner Notes), Paul Watkins (Producer), Larry Knight (Vocals), Ed Cassidy (Drums), Paul Watkins (Engineer)
