Spirit

Fresh Garbage and Mechanical World are 2 of my favorite songs. Spirit had a unique sound sometimes bordering on jazz. I still listen to them. Classic.

Excellent summary by Robbo 59 below. All I'll add is that I regard Spirit, who were really never more than somewhat popular, as arguably the most underrated U.S. group of their time: top notch instrumentation, fine tunes, effective vocals...really an outstanding group in every way, with little to no filler in their catalog, at least on the 4 albums the original band made from 68 to 70.

I actully met Randy California about a dozen years ago at the Coach House in San Jaun Capistrano (California.) He seemed like a real down to Earth guy and was a lot of fun to talk to. As a fifteen year old, California (nee: Randy Wolfe) missed an early chance at notoriety while playing at the Cafe Wha? (Greenwich Village) with a band called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames. Former Animals bassist had "discovered" the Flames and wanted to take their leader (who later gained mega fame as the one and only Jimi Hendrix) back to England to make him a star. Hendrix wanted the youngster to accompany him on the trip to fame but the deal fell through when California's mother (who, at the time, was dating jazz drummer and future Spirit percussionist Ed Cassidy) failed to give it her blessing. California and Cassidy moved west and joined up with keyboard player John Locke, bassist Mark Andes (formerly of Canned Heat and later of Heart), and singer Jay Ferguson (who had a hit single with Jo Jo Gun... Read more