Mid- to late ’80s didn’t seem to be the best period in the life of SPIRIT. 1984’s “The Thirteenth Dream” saw the reunited ensemble cut afresh a batch of their classics with a few new numbers thrown in for good measure, and then, barren in creative terms, the band disintegrated, with Randy California focusing on a couple of solo albums. It wasn’t before 1989 that they returned with “Rapture In The Chambers” – only the guitarist’s original plan included the appearance of a different opus: “Sea Dream” which he’d been working on for about half a decade. This conceptual undertaking, laid down with the loyal Ed Cassidy and bassist Scott Monahan and built around the titular suite, saw the light of day in 2002, five years after California passed away, and found Randy’s fans relish what would become the collective’s final studio release – unavailable for a long time now but bound to get reissued soon.
What was out as a two-CD set and will go on sale on November 28th as a four-disc package uses recently located masters of the late artist’s demos and other recordings, and though some of the pieces from the earlier version have apparently been discarded, there are 30 previously unreleased live recordings from that era. Inessential, perhaps, if intriguing nevertheless.
Sea Dream
CD 1:
1. Cages
2. Just For You
3. Jack Rabbit
4. He’s No Good
5. Jailhouse
6. Father And Son
7. Mind Frock
8. Each Other
9. Ego Spray
10. Suntronics
11. Centre For Truth
12. Shock Or Confusion
13. Dirty
14. Fallen Hero (Ode To JFK)
15. Girl
16. It Feels Like Love
17. Cool B
18. 12,000 Miles
19. Farther Along
CD 2:
1. Hare Sai
2. Hello Goodbye
3. His Love
The Sea Dream Suite
4. Whale
5. Heaven
6. Take My Sign
7. Sai Baba Aka T4
8. Daylight
9. Dolphin
10. Deep Blue Sea
11. Garden Of Eden
12. Heaven (Reprise)
13. Nature’s Way
14. Bhagavaghita (Lovin’ You Is Singing Your Song)
15. Purr Of The Black Cat
16. Question One
CD 3:
1. Veruska (Philadelphia)
2. Mr Skin (Philadelphia)
3. Body For Sale (Philadelphia)
4. 1984 (Philadelphia)
5. Nature’s Way (The Coach House)
6. Black Satin Nights (The Coach House)
7. Dark Eyed Woman (Detroit)
8. Don’T Call It Love (Detroit)
9. Miss This Train (San Juan Capistrano)
10. Animal Zoo (San Juan Capistrano)
11. Like A Rolling Stone (Philadelphia)
12. Fresh Garbage (Philadelphia)
13. All The Same (Philadelphia)
14. I Got A Line On You (Philadelphia)
CD 4:
1. Prelude Nothing To Hide (Philadelphia)
2. Run To Your Lover (Detroit)
3. Sweet Child (Bloomington)
4. Island Of Roses (Bloomington)
5. Is There Anybody Out There (Bloomington)
6. Sister Tell Me (Detroit 1984)
7. All Along The Watchtower (Detroit 1984)
8. Romance In Time (Kitchener)
9. Working In (Kitchener)
10. Mr Skin (Detroit 1985)
11. Fresh Garbage (Detroit 1985)
12. 1984 (Detroit 1985)
13. Nature’s Way (Detroit 1985)
14. Like A Rolling Stone (Detroit 1985)
15. I Got A Line On You (Detroit 1985)
16. Uncle Jack (Detroit 1985)
