Ultimate Rock: 72 of the biggest rock anthems and harder to find rarities across 4 CDs, all housed in a fold out cardboard digi-pack sleeve. Alice Cooper, Argent, Blue Oyster Cult, Kansas, Judas Priest, Mott The Hoople, David Bowie, Primal Scream, Meat Loaf, The Stranglers, Santana, Manic Street Preachers, Jeff Buckley, Ted Nugent, Joe Satriani, Al Stewart, Cheap Trick, Spirit, Johnny Winter, The Guess Who, Fleetwood Mac and more, and more…

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a new 5CD remastered clamshell box set by the legendary American band Spirit. Formed in Los Angeles in 1967 from the remnants of The Red Roosters, Spirit was one of the great bands to emerge on the US West Coast in the Psychedelic era. Featuring the talents of 16 year old guitarist Randy California (who had played guitar with Jimi Hendrix in New York the previous year), his step-father drummer Ed Cassidy along with Jay Ferguson (vocals, percussion), John Locke (keyboards) and Mark Andes (bass), Spirit signed to producer Lou Adler’s newly established Ode Records label in late 1967. Their self-titled debut album appeared some months later and demonstrated the breadth and diversity of the band covering psychedelic, rock and jazz influences and featuring such legendary cuts as Fresh Garbage, Uncle Jack, Topanga Windows…

Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of a 4 CD clamshell boxed set that gathers together all the recordings made for the classic “Potatoland” album by Spirit. The album was born in 1973 following the release of guitarist Randy California’s “Kaptain Kopter and the Fabulous Twirlybirds” album (made shortly after his departure from Spirit). To promote his solo album California assembled a band to tour featuring original Spirit drummer Ed Cassidy and bass guitarist Larry “Fuzzy” Knight. Initially playing concerts in the Los Angeles area, the trio recorded two live performances at the studios of KPFK-FM in September 1972. Soon after the trio reverted to the name Spirit to undertake live work in Europe. Following these concerts Randy California and Ed Cassidy began work on the album “The Adventures of Kapt. Kopter and Commander Cody in Potatoland”…

On this, the second Spirit album, the group put all of the elements together that made them the legendary (and underrated) band that they were. Jazz, rock & roll, and even classical elements combined to create one of the cleanest, most tasteful syntheses of its day. The group had also improved measurably from their fine debut album, especially in the area of vocals. The album's hit single, "I Got a Line on You," boasts especially strong harmonies as well as one of the greatest rock riffs of the period. The first side of this record is a wonderful and seamless suite, and taken in its entirety, one of the greatest sides on Los Angeles rock. The CD reissue also boasts some excellent bonus tracks. "So Little to Say" is one of Jay Ferguson's finest compositions ever, and the jazz-inspired instrumentals such as "Fog" and "Space Chile" showcase pianist John Locke as one of the most inspired and lyrical players in the rock idiom to date. All in all, a classic album and a true landmark.

Spirit's 1968 debut album spent more than six months on the Billboard album charts and received heavy airplay on underground FM radio. Their music was part of the core, essence, and heartbeat of the the hippie, psychedelic, counter culture movement. The album is timeless, as fresh today as when it first appeared. The band could play more styles than almost any other group. On Spirit they unveiled a mélange of rock, jazz, blues, folk-rock, and even a bit of classical and Indian music. The music is experimental. The vocals flow as easily as the instrumentals. Spirit struck a careful balance between disciplined studio chops, jazz improvisation, and driving rock and roll. Guitar prodigy Randy California is a clear standout, but the other band members are superb as well; John Locke's shimmering keyboards, Mark Andes' subsonic wall of bass, and Ed Cassidy's precision drumming. Big credit has to go to lead singer Jay Fergusson, whose phrasing is always just right with a wonderful spontaneous feel. The Marty Paich string arrangements are sublime.

This eight CD clamshell boxed set, compiled and annotated by Spirit archivist Mick Skidmore, gathers together the albums ‘Spirit of ‘76’, ‘Son Of Spirit’, ‘Farther Along’, ‘Future Games’ and ‘The Thirteenth Dream’ – all newly remastered from the original master tapes. Additionally the collection features an incredible 102 bonus tracks drawn from previously unreleased live concerts from 1974 and 1975, along with rare demos, including the entire early demo version of ‘Future Games’. It also includes an illustrated booklet with a new essay.

Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition includes 11 bonus tracks and a bonus live CD recorded at the Fillmore West, San Francisco in May 1970 and the Boston Tea Party in October 1970. Released in November 1970, Twelve Dreams of Dr Sardonicus was the fourth by the Spirit line-up of Randy California (guitar, vocals), Ed Cassidy (drums), Jay Ferguson (vocals, percussion), John Locke (keyboards) and Mark Andes (bass) and was produced by David Briggs (best known for his work with Neil Young). Although not the highest charting Sprit album, Twelve Dreams of Dr Sardonicus is now regarded as one of the band's finest works. The album spawned the single 'Animal Zoo' and included excellent material such as 'Nature's Way', 'Mr. Skin', 'Space Child', 'Morning Will Come' and 'Soldier'. Now remastered, the custodian of the Spirit archive has curated this release which has been expanded to include 11 bonus tracks, six previously unreleased, and an additional CD of previously unreleased live recordings from The Fillmore West in San Francisco in May 1970 and The Boston Tea Party in October 1970. This release also features an illustrated booklet with a new essay by Mick Skidmore and is the ultimate tribute to a classic album.

Limited five CD set containing a quintet of albums from the rock legends packaged in mini LP sleeves and housed in deluxe packaging. Includes the albums Spirit, The Family That Plays Together, Clear, Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus and Feedback.

This is the third in a series of posthumous albums of previously unreleased recordings by Randy California and Spirit, drawn from California's archives and assembled by Mick Skidmore. As Skidmore explains in his detailed liner notes, California put together an album called Blues From the Soul around 1995, and even copyrighted its contents; but later opted to use some of the material on the final album he released with Spirit, California Blues, prior to his accidental death by drowning in January 1997. Other tracks from the proposed album were culled for the first posthumous release, Cosmic Smile. Skidmore has included all 13 of the songs California had intended to use on his version of Blues From the Soul, though he has substituted alternate takes or live recordings of tracks already issued. Of course, the album also has been vastly expanded to include 35 selections for a running time of two-and-a-half hours. But the basic concept remains the same, and that is to present a collection of folk and blues recordings.

This 1975 release on Mercury has Randy California and Ed Cassidy's names imprinted boldly on the cover as Spirit, and the 26 songs - starting with "America the Beautiful/The Times They Are a Changin'" and concluding with "The Star Spangled Banner" - are more than just a sly tribute to the bicentennial. They are the most fluid and satisfying statement by the California/Cassidy version of the band, who would be together for another 20 years before California's untimely passing. As ethereal and icy as Feedback, the album Cassidy recorded with the Stahely brothers, there are all sorts of hidden meanings projected throughout this LP. Randy California gives more than a few nods to his work with Jimi Hendrix - covers of "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Hey Joe" are two of Hendrix's more notable and triumphant revisions…

Although Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus has the reputation of being Spirit's most far-out album, it actually contains the most disciplined songwriting and playing of the original lineup, cutting back on some of the drifting and offering some of their more melodic tunes. The lilting "Nature's Way" was the most endearing FM standard on the album, which also included some of Spirit's best songs in "Animal Zoo" and "Mr. Skin."
Spirit was a highly regarded rock band that achieved modest commercial success, charting 11 albums in the U.S. between 1968 and 1977. Founded in Los Angeles in 1967 by musicians who had a mixture of rock, pop, folk, blues, classical, and jazz backgrounds, and who ranged in age from 16 to 44, the group had an eclectic musical style in keeping with the early days of progressive rock…

2018 five CD clamshell box set by the legendary American band Spirit. Formed in Los Angeles in 1967 from the remnants of The Red Roosters, Spirit was one of the great bands to emerge on the US West Coast in the psychedelic era…

Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of a 4 CD clamshell boxed set that gathers together all the recordings made for the classic “Potatoland” album by SPIRIT. The album was born in 1973 following the release of guitarist Randy California’s “Kaptain Kopter and the Fabulous Twirlybirds” album (made shortly after his departure from Spirit)…

Released in November 1970, Twelve Dreams of Dr Sardonicus was the fourth by the Spirit line-up of Randy California (guitar, vocals), Ed Cassidy (drums), Jay Ferguson (vocals, percussion), John Locke (keyboards) and Mark Andes (bass) and was produced by David Briggs (best known for his work with Neil Young). Although not the highest charting Sprit album, Twelve Dreams of Dr Sardonicus is now regarded as one of the band’s finest works. The album spawned the single ‘Animal Zoo’ and included excellent material such as ‘Nature’s Way’, ‘Mr Skin’, ‘Space Child’, ‘Morning Will Come’ and ‘Soldier’.
Now remastered, the custodian of the Spirit archive has curated this release which has been expanded to include 11 bonus tracks, six previously unreleased, and an additional CD of previously unreleased live recordings from The Fillmore West in San Francisco in May 1970 and The Boston Tea Party in October 1970.
This release also features an illustrated booklet with a new essay by Mick Skidmore and is the ultimate tribute to a classic album.

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a re-mastered and expanded 3CD digipack edition of the archive release SON OF AMERICA by SPIRIT.First issued in 2005, the set originally featured a collection of previously unreleased songs, demos and instrumentals recorded between 1983 and Randy California’s final recording session in late 1996, along with unreleased and alternative takes from the California Blues and Cosmic Smile albums.