Eventide is an LP pressing of rarities and outtakes by
Spirit recorded between 1968 and 1970. Most of these tracks appeared as B-side singles, on the 1991 compilation
Time Circle (1968-1972), and/or on the 1996 CD reissues of the
Spirit albums
Clear and
Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. (The only previously unreleased tracks are "Model Shop Rehearsal Theme 1" and the two radio spots that close the album.) Compiler
Bob Irwin, who runs the reissue label Sundazed Music, also works with Sony Music's Legacy reissue division, and he has been active in handling Legacy's
Spirit reissues since he served as digital producer of
Time Circle (1968-1972). He has licensed this material for vinyl-only release by Sundazed, creating an attractive LP package that includes extensive commentary by the surviving bandmembers,
Mark Andes,
Ed Cassidy,
Jay Ferguson, and
John Locke. (Fifth member
Randy California died in a swimming accident in 1997.) The material for the most part leans toward
Spirit's jazzier side, particularly on side one, which contains material
Spirit recorded as soundtrack music for the 1969 film Model Shop. Side two features more songs, including the two B-sides, "Sweet Stella Baby" and "Red Light Roll On," as well as the excellent
Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus outtake "Rougher Road." Like its companion volume,
Now or Anywhere,
Eventide will be more of an artifact for
Spirit fans than a necessary release, particularly since so much of the material is also available digitally. But it will make a nice complement to those scratchy old LPs for vinyl fans.
–
William Ruhlmann, Rovi