My Top 20 Albums for 1976 No 18

AllMusic Review by Joe Viglione [-]

This 1976 reunion of Spirit without Jay Ferguson, but with the inclusion of Matt Andes, brother of original bassist Mark Andes, who is also here, has some very special moments. The title track is a little R&B-folk number by Randy California, Andes, and Cassidy, while the second song, "Atomic Boogie," is California indulging himself again in musical excess. The entire band is listed as co-writers on this tune only, so they can all shoulder the blame for the weakest track on an otherwise excellent album that features many collaborations by the various musicians. "World Eat World Dog" is a nice slice of the old-style Spirit by John Locke, California, and Ed Cassidy, setting a mood and featuring conducting and arrangements by David Blumberg. "Stoney Night" continues in this vein, horns battling the bubbling guitars and providing proof that the collective forces of Spirit were truly a unique and important rock group. The John Locke instrumental "Pineapple" doesn't need words to convey the Hawaiian theme which runs through much of California's music. He doesn't have to write the song to influence it heavily. The percussion and vibes are magical, while John Locke's keyboards more than hint at what was missing when the band crafted recordings or played live without him. Al Schmitt's production shines on "Colossus"; the award-winning engineer for so many artists and Jefferson Airplane producer is in his element here. Note the Don Henderson-orchestrated instrumental version of the group's FM nugget "Nature's Way," which ends the set. This third Mercury release in the mid-'70s takes a couple of songs to get going, but the collaboration with the Andes brothers and John Locke puts Cassidy and California back into a true band setting, and the package becomes a very musical and cohesive unit. "Phoebe" is another luscious instrumental (three of the dozen titles are music with no words), while a Beatles-style "Once With You" and "Diamond Spirit," with its inclusion of the title track melody at the end, allow California to front a full Spirit without battling the strong personality of a Jay Ferguson. The Andes brothers, who backed up Ferguson with his Jo Jo Gunne band, are more interesting in this setting as well, and give support to California's music. Had the Staehely Brothers from the Feedback album combined here rather than the Andes boys, the direction would have totally changed, and it is an interesting thought to ponder. The five discs that make up the four Mercury 1970s releases from Spirit have great merit, and the best of this music could be combined with Epic/Legacy's Time Circle double CD to make for a nice four- or five-disc overview of this important set of sounds from an underrated band.

Farther Along was the third album that Spirit released through Mercury Records, and their eighth album overall. Though Jay Ferguson was missing from the lineup, it is generally considered to be their first "reunion" album.

Out of the four albums that Spirit recorded for Mercury in the mid-70s, this one is the least influenced by Randy California's time in Hawaii. However, it isn't too dissimilar from the previous two albums in that regard, though the song structures are very tight throughout. Consequently, it also bears more than a passing resemblance to Clear at times, probably because of John Locke's presence in the group. It is particularly cherished by fans of that album. The album also includes a notable version of Nature's Way, which is arranged for a chamber orchestra.

Though most of the album was issued on the Mercury Years compilation, much of the material included overdubs which were not part of the original recordings. The 2004 CD reissue of this album (as a two-fer with Son of Spirit) contains the original mixes.
Track listing

All songs written by Randy California except noted.
1. "Farther Along" Andes, California, Cassidy 3:21
2. "Atomic Boogie" Andes, Andes, California, Cassidy, Locke 2:40
3. "World Eat World Dog" California, Cassidy, Locke 2:45
4. "Stoney Night" 2:31
5. "Pineapple" Locke 2:12
6. "Colossus" 2:57
7. "Mega Star" California, Locke 3:27
8. "Phoebe" Andes 2:10
9. "Don't Lock Up Your Door" Andes, California, Cassidy 3:10
10. "Once With You" California, Locke 1:33
11. "Diamond Spirit" Andes, California 2:25
12. "Nature's Way" 2:04
Personnel
Spirit
Mark Andes - bass, vocals
Randy California - bass, guitar, vocals
Ed Cassidy - percussion, drums
John Locke - keyboards
Matt Andes - guitar, vocals

Additional musicians
Ian Underwood - synthesizer
Ernie Watts - saxophone
Robert Lee - keyboards, vocals
Michael Temple - mandolin
Steve Larrence - percussion
David Blumberg - horn
Nick DeCaro - horn

Production
Al Schmitt - producer
Bob Hughes - engineer
Jay Kauffman - engineer
Marc Piscitelli - engineer
Allen Sides - engineer