Clear
Studio album by
Spirit
ReleasedAugust 1969
RecordedFebruary 9, 1968 – August 27, 1969
GenreRock[1]
Length42:25
LabelOde
ProducerLou Adler
Spirit chronology
The Family That Plays Together
(1968)		 Clear
(1969)		 Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus
(1970)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Village VoiceC+[1]

Clear is the third studio album by American rock band Spirit. It was released in August 1969 by Ode Records.[3]

The album was written largely in the wake of Spirit's work on the soundtrack to the 1968 film Model Shop. Several of the band members have said that they felt there wasn't enough time for developing the album after releasing two albums in 1968, recording a soundtrack and constantly touring. The album contains "So Little Time To Fly", "Dark Eyed Woman" and "New Dope In Town", as well as three instrumentals.

Critical reception

Reviewing for The Village Voice in 1969, Robert Christgau called Spirit "a talented group with guts of cellophane" and lead vocalist/guitarist Randy California "the rock equivalent of the cool, progressive jazzman of the '50s". He commended the album for focusing the better songs on side one of the LP, saying its "mostly excellent rock" shows Spirit "can be very good", but found songs like "Ice" on side two indicative of how "incredibly empty" the band can be as well.[1]

1996 re-release

The original Ode Records recording of Clear would be later restored by Sony in 1996. The second edition includes both sides of the "1984" single, the song "Fuller Brush Man" (which hasn't appeared elsewhere), and a piece entitled "Coral", which is also available on the Model Shop soundtrack but is present here in an elaborately produced version. "Coral" is a dedication to groupie Coral Shields, the 11-year-old sister of Sable Starr whom Randy California was dating at the time.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dark Eyed Woman"
3:07
2."Apple Orchard"
4:07
3."So Little Time to Fly"
  • California
  • Locke
2:49
4."Ground Hog"Ferguson3:04
5."Cold Wind"Ferguson3:24
6."Policeman's Ball"Ferguson2:21
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Ice" (instrumental)Locke5:52
8."Give a Life, Take a Life"
3:23
9."I'm Truckin'"Ferguson2:25
10."Clear" (instrumental)
  • California
  • Ferguson
4:09
11."Caught" (instrumental)Locke3:10
12."New Dope in Town"
  • Andes
  • California
  • Cassidy
  • Ferguson
  • Locke
4:24
Total length:42:15
1996 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."1984" (A-side of Ode single ZS7 128)California3:37
14."Sweet Stella Baby" (B-side of Ode single ZS7 128)Ferguson2:55
15."Fuller Brush Man"Ferguson3:19
16."Coral" (instrumental/includes a commercial for the album during the last minute of the track)
  • Locke
  • Cassidy
3:05
Total length:55:11

Personnel

Spirit

Production

  • Lou Adler – Producer
  • Vic Anesini – Mastering, Mixing
  • Stachowaik – Engineer
  • Steiner – Engineer
  • Weinbang – Engineer
  • Adam Block – Project Director
  • Jeff Smith – Design
  • Tom Wilkes – Design
  • Guy Webster – Photography

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1969 Billboard 200 55

References

  1. 1 2 3 Christgau, Robert (August 14, 1969). "Consumer Guide (3)". The Village Voice. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  2. ↑ Greenwald, Matthew. "Clear - Spirit". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
  3. ↑ Anon. (1971). "S". Schwann Record & Tape Guide. Vol. 23, no. 10–12. p. 235.
  4. ↑ "Spirit – Clear (2013, CD)". Discogs.
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