I first heard this in 1986 when a mate stuck a tape in the machine and said we gots tae here Potatoland. So cheers Mick, because it was one of those nights when you need to hear something good and this was it. So anyways, I bought the LP a week later complete with comic and time passed. Thing is I could never find the CD until a couple of years ago when I tracked down an original on ebay. So yeah, I’ve been listening to this for a while now and if you don’t know its a minor classic. Its also one of those record company get heavy stories. It was recorded in 1973, but deemed too weird to be released until some German record company got hold of it. I’m not sure you can call it a true Spirit album either as its mainly Randy California and Ed Cassidy rather than the full original line-up.

But its still brilliant. Well except for the first side. You see every time I hear Dr Sardonicus I think Randy California just manages to stay the right side of twee whereas track 1 here “We’ve got a lot to learn” is as preachy as you’d imagine. Then the “potatoland theme” hits you with some of the worst flange and disco strings going. “Open up your heart” manages a blissed out vibe before falling into the syrupy “Morning light”. So that was side one and it ain’t good.

So why the fuss? Because as the ostentatious synths of potatoland prelude make clear we’re about to hear a near perfect slice of CONCEPT album. Forget about Topographic oceans even if it was recorded the
same year because theres no overblown fish on here, just humour, thought and perfect tunes as Kaptain Kopter and Commander Cassidy head to Potatoland, a somewhere linspired by George Orwell’s 1984. As the double think introduction soon makes clear “war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength” and just like potatoes we’re all being kept in the dark baby.

So lets go and “Turn to the Right” to follow a jangling, addicitive riff. Next as the superb solos fade out we head to the “Donut House”, a quiet, shambling groove with Randy’s gentle whisper explaining that “everything talks to me”. Maybe it did, but now its sound effects time, because this is a concept album after all. Then after telling us about some good chocolate eclairs Randy and Cass check out whats really going on here and rock out along “Fish Fry Road”. So yeah Randy would rather sing the blues, its just next up is the spoken word “information”, which explains theres still more to find out as the phone tone rings on and on in the background. So theres some knowledge just in time because now its time to end with “My friend”, the best song the Byrds, the Buffalo Springfield, hell even Spirit didn’t record in the 60s and maybe only Big Star could have managed in the 70s and thats that (well it is on my copy though theres some extended versions of this with extra tracks kicking around out there).
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So forget about side 1, just jump to side 2 for about 14 minutes of soft rockin’ power pop written and sung by guys who knew the score, knew how to make you laugh and knew that sometimes, late at night what you really, really need is a good chocolate eclair.