Search - Spirit :: Spirit

Great album

B. E Jackson | Pennsylvania | 05/07/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I feel the need to set the record straight about something- that being "Taurus" and all the people believing Led Zeppelin stole the main acoustic riff directly from this song and used it for the introduction to "Stairway to Heaven".



I *strongly* believe that's not true. Why?



Because the very moment the acoustic guitar is heard in "Taurus", I only hear -and I sincerely mean this- FOUR NOTES in a row that sound like the intro to "Stairway to Heaven" and then guess what happens?



After those four notes are over, the rest of the note sequence (and the song itself for that matter) morphs into something completely different from the Zeppelin classic. These comparisons are outrageous to me!



There's another spot that *almost* sounds like the "Stairway to Heaven" acoustic intro (right when the guitar stops playing momentarily before switching to another string) and this tiny little break sort of reminds me of "Stairway to Heaven", but it's NOT playing the same notes as the Zeppelin classic so a comparison right here is pointless.



If anything, the way "Taurus" begins reminds me of the Zeppelin song "In the Light" from their Physical Graffiti album. Just like in the previous case, there's no actual ripoff taking place here or anything- it's just a coincidence.



Talk about a greatly exaggerated reason to put down a classic Zeppelin song. Seriously.



Besides that, the song itself is great, but definitely stuck in that typical late 60's vibe (which is never a bad thing, of course) and the rest of the album flows with creativity that I recommend owning this album."

WHAT THE 60'S SOUND WAS ALL ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

David A. Wilson | 01/21/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this is what the sixties where about and we need more groups like this today.anybody looking for that true phycadelic sound and lyrics,this is it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Other Voices

Michael D. Williams | Southern California | 07/14/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In partial response to B.E. Jackson's comments on the Spirit song "Taurus". I had not heard Spirit's album Spirit in many years until I bought my own LP (and later CD). This listen was well into the Nineteen Eighties and upon then first hearing "Taurus" from around its 1 minute point onward I immediately thought "Stairway To Heaven". I agree that only about four notes in a row appear to be the same. The point is the beginning part of "Stairway To Heaven" and most of "Taurus" share a very similar mood. Both have a muted orchestral or mellotron running through many parts of the piece. And have a stylistically similar folk-like guitar picked melody. Not the typical blues scale used in so many Led Zeppelin songs. It is the overall moods and structures that are similar. I would not accuse Jimmy Page of actually stealing these four notes or so. But I know it is not just it a coincidence either. I am sure that Mr. Page had heard this Spirit song and was influenced by it. Jackson either has a different version of this CD or has not read the liner notes. Randy addresses this issue. Like I thought, Led Zeppelin were fans of Spirit. Led Zeppelin used to play the Spirit song "Fresh-Garbage" in their live sets. Also Led Zeppelin opened for Spirit during Led Zeppelin's first American tour. I wonder if that was before or after Led Zeppelin blew Vanilla Fudge off the stage also during LZ's first visit to the US. I know Page liked American Folk music as well as (obviously) American Blues and Gaelic and British Folk music. Led Zeppelin "borrowed" from many sources. Noteably and in some cases it might be stealing from blues masters Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, and Howlin' Wolf. Borrowing melodies is common in the blues so no one usually got too upset about that. Though, Dixon did sue Led Zeppelin over a few lines in "Whole Lotta Love" that are identical to words in his "You Need Love". It was only a few words but Dixon did win a judgment. Savoy Brown recorded a full cover of "You Need Love" giving proper credit. Don't get me wrong, Led Zeppelin is one of my favorite bands. No hard feelings toward Jackson -- that careful listening critique was none-the-less interesting.



I don't think that it is a coincidence either that on a few Buddy Guy albums from the mid-sixties I hear "Jimi Hendrix sounds" just before Jimi played that way. Buddy Guy has been angry about this for decades! Jimi Hendrix's brother-in-law who also is a guitarist named Guitar Shorty says Jimi took notes at his performances of ideas he liked, especially Shorty's stage antics. Does not bother Guitar Shorty. People build on others ideas all the time. One just has to be careful. Clapton borrows from Albert King and many others but is careful to give credit and see to it that the originators get paid.



I know Randy's Uncles Bernie and Edwin. And have talked to Spirit's drummer Ed Cassidy (once Step-Dad to Randy as well), but we did not discuss Spirit's catalogue or the "taurus" issue, but talked more about his early Jazz experiences and what he is doing today. Cass is very old. As many people know, Jimi Hendrix gave Randy Wolfe the name California when they both were in a band together before both Spirit and Experience.



Also I gave "In The Light" a listen to hear Jackson's point. I don't really hear the similarity to "Taurus" there. Both "In The Light" and "Kashmir" seem to be in a Middle Eastern Scale or Mode, not in a Western Major or Minor Scale. Give "Spirit" and their other first several albums a listen. They are all over the place, rock, jazz, classical, pop. Just great! And for other hyper-vidulent individuals, I realize my title "Other Voices" is the title of a post-Morrison Doors album. It was intentional. Peace."