The Mellotron Group

I just received a copy of Spirit's self-titled first album, the first time I've heard it?since the '70's.? I couldn't help but draw a comparison between their jazz-style improvisations (e.g., at the end of Straight Arrow) and the guitar style of Randy California to that of KC and Robert Fripp, particularly on?21st Century Schizoid Man.? Additionally, I hear a lot of things in the instrumental, Elijah, that bring to mind post-Lizard KC.? Could this American band have served as an "inspiration" to Fripp?? I have never heard Giles, Giles, & Fripp, so I don't know if the similarity is 'coincidental' or if Fripp had heard the Spirit album and perhaps been influenced by it.

Comments?

Frank Samagaio
San Diego CA

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, MAinPsych@... wrote:
>
> I just received a copy of Spirit's self-titled first album, the 
first time I've heard it?since the '70's.? I couldn't help but draw a 
comparison between their jazz-style improvisations (e.g., at the end 
of Straight Arrow) and the guitar style of Randy California to that 
of KC and Robert Fripp, particularly on?21st Century Schizoid Man.? 
Additionally, I hear a lot of things in the instrumental, Elijah, 
that bring to mind post-Lizard KC.? Could this American band have 
served as an "inspiration" to Fripp?? I have never heard Giles, 
Giles, & Fripp, so I don't know if the similarity is 'coincidental' 
or if Fripp had heard the Spirit album and perhaps been influenced by 
it.
> 
> Comments?
> 
> Frank Samagaio
> San Diego CA
>
   

    Hey Frank.  One of my all time favorites is from their follow-
up, "The Family That Plays Together" called Aren't You Glad" and to 
this day would like to know what they used for strings.  In the same 
vein, another group akin to Spirit of that time is a Detroit group 
called SRC, most noted "Black Sheep" and all 3 of their albums
(Capitol) had interesting yet unusual cuts. Along with what you 
mentioned above, the McCoys Smooth Ball was along the same jazz lines 
as the early Giles as were some of the early Van Der Graaf Generator 
cuts, some even oozing Mellotron.  There are a lot more surely from a 
time that innovational music influenced so many others of that era.  
Doug