Clear

VINYL FORMAT. By 1969, Spirit guitarist Randy California, his stepfather Ed Cassidy on drums, vocalist Jay Ferguson, keyboard man John Locke and bassist Mark Andes -- had become one of the hottest young bands in Los Angeles and was one of the first to prove that albums were becoming more important to an act's success than singles. All the elements that made Spirit a unique listening experience -- high-voltage rock, jazz, moody soundtrack-like instrumentals and avant garde electronica -- are present in spades in 1969's album Clear, whose FM radio smashes, 'Dark Eyed Woman' and 'I'm Truckin,' vaulted the Topanga Canyon quintet to the forefront of L.A.'s 'second wave' of essential rock bands. Available now on Sundazed's high-definition vinyl is an exact replica of Clear, with Spirit at the absolute top of its game, slowly exploding like a supernova from some distant galaxy.