Spirit “Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus”
/My worst nightmare, what I’ve been dreading for years, the Arrow of Fate finally pointed at this monstrosity—years of expensive therapy haven’t flushed out the fear it brings back after I was kidnapped, in 1970, by hideous, dripping, clowns and locked in the “funhouse” of horror playing nothing but this record! Not literally, but that’s how the music makes me feel. The collection of full-color, wavy-mirror images of, apparently, band members, reinforce this—but it’s the back cover that really terrifies me—a black and white image in an oval frame that defies explanation—as do the twelve songs listed in the wrong order—WTF. Especially since they’re presented on the inside cover IN order (as in the “12 Dreams,” in a kind of suite). Who is Dr. Sardonicus? No one knows. It’s Spirit’s fourth, also known as “Spirit,” or “Spirit IV,” or “Sozo,” and/or everything but “late for dinner.” Who’s in the band? Anybody’s guess—but there are excellent songs by Randy California, Jay Ferguson, and John Locke—and inspired execution from front to back (or back to front, if you want to hear back-masked revealings). I’ll admit, my room takes on a bit more groovy hue during the Randy C. numbers. And to be completely honest, honestly, there’s some really cool parts, and some fairly lame parts, back and forth, sometimes within the same song—sometimes within the same musical phrase! What’s it all about? Street Worm and Mr. Skin, and how you’ve got nothing to hide because it’s nature’s way when I touch you, and so forth. What kind of psycho calls a zoo an “Animal Zoo?” Some twisted c.1970 hippies, that’s who, freaking out in a variety of styles, including: & roll, pop, folk, acid, country, ballad, jazz, show, blues, circus, medieval, psychedelic, baroque, prog, bubblegum, hippie swing and guitar freakout, all for your absolute pleasure. My favorite record of all time.*
*Also, it invites hyperbole.
7.17.26