It has come to our attention that "I Got a Line On You," by the vastly underrated Spirit, figures prominently in the new Coen Brothers film Burn After Reading.
To which we can only say -- good. Those guys (that's the original 1968 promo film, and if it doesn't sum up fin du decade L.A. I don't know what does) were an absolutely phenomenal live band, the song in question is one of the most perfect hard rock singles ever made, and both they and it deserve the exposure, after the fact as it may be.
For some reason, I'm hoping this is the music they use in the scene where John Malkovich pops Brad Pitt in the nose, but that's just me.
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10 comments:
Zoom on, Spirit! Zoom on!
This is a killer tune! Great band! "Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus" is one of my all time fave records.
Me too K.C. It's nature's way.
Whoa, I know I posted something about how old Ed Cassady looks in this video. He was born in 1923, same year as my dad who was also bald but never a rock n roll drummer.
Trey
A great, great song for sure, & a great way to start the morning. And I love the video's classically cheesy "special effects." (Could do a whole Listomania on the rise and fall of the zoomin’ in and zoomin’ out “special effects” on display in so many 60s music videos. One irony is that, although all that zoomin’ was supposed to invoke the psychedelic experience, it more realistically evokes that about-ready-to-start-seeing-double and start-puking tipping point in one's occasional bout of too-serious drinking ...) (But still ...)
I actually saw these guys in 1969. Headlining a triple bill at the Fillmore East.
The openers?
The Kinks (sloppy but interesting) and the Bonzo Dog Band (still the most astounding live rock act I've ever seen. Certainly the funniest).
I think a ticket was like three dollars...
:-)
Three bands, three bucks ... that was the Fillmore!
I was a the same triple bill (Sat. night early show) and saw them headline a second time at the Fillmore East a year later. A great live and a great studio band.
ROT(Plumber)
I didn't get to see them until the Staehely brothers period - they were on a triple bill with Dr. Hook and the Guess Who. I think I won the tickets so it was free!
Hell of a song - wonder what it's like to peak so early in your career?
Hi Guys--
Hell yeah, "12 dreams of Dr Sardonicus" is one of the great undersung albums; one of the first good records I ever bought (a garage sale in Olivia MN when I was 17, and still thought Iron Butterfly was the shit.). The original lineup broke up during the Sardonicus sessions and David Briggs (later Neil Young's producer) actually finished the record with (so I hear) not much input from the band. Who cares, it's a masterpiece.
Cassidy was old; he was dating Randy California's mom and heard the kid playing (California was 17), and either recruited him or recruited himself (hey, need a drummer?).
I used to have a say-hi-and-wave acquaintance with California's sister. He drowned tragically about eight or nine years ago, I think. Damn shame, but it always is. The first four records really hold up (am I wrong, or was "I got a Line" off their second or third -- "The Family that Plays Together"?).
--Nosmo King
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