!
!
Spirit of the West
!

Spirit of the West Open Heart Symphony

very rare

CD in like new condition

(broken center on inside tray)

A live performance with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, captured at the Orpheum Theatre by Greg Reely and Don Harder. Project so complex to organise that crew and management suffered night terrors for months leading up to it. Band oblivious to concerns. Arrangements by George Blondheim -- raconteur, bon vivant & repository of jokes which should only be told in the loo.

Spirit of the West
Weights and Measures

CD (April 17, 1998)
Label: Wea
Recorded in Britain in April/May of 1997, this album cost a small fortune. The band shall therefore use this space to cajole you to buy it, in order that they may recoup their horrifying losses.

Spirit of the West
Faithlift

CD (May 10, 1994)
Original Release Date: 1994
Label: Elektra/Asylum

Recorded in 1993, Faithlift has made DJs sound as if they're lisping ever since. Tracked at Mushroom Studios, produced and engineered by Michael Phillip Wojewoda.

Includes "Five Free Minutes," "...And if Venice is Sinking..." & "Sadness Grows" (which for some bizarre reason is referred to as "Saunders Grows" by German radio).

Faithlift project holds all-time record for hours spent trying to get an accordion in-tune.

Spirit of the West
Go Figure

CD (August 26, 1996)
Label: Bmg

1991 effort, recorded at Vancouver Studios by the charming and effervescent Joe Chiccarelli.

Vince Ditrich's first album with SOTW. Mann moved to electric guitar, and Kelly began playing acoustic. Guitar string manufacturers rejoiced.

Not to be mistaken for "Faithlift" which won a Juno award for its artwork. Features "Goodbye Grace," "D for Democracy" & "Far Too Canadian."

Spirit of the West
Save This House

CD (December 12, 2001)
Label: Wea
also released: Oct 20, 1992
Label: Elektra Entertainment
The first major label release for SOTW. Recorded in 1989 at Mushroom Studios by Danny Greenspoon. Linda McRae's first appearance. Includes such favourites as "The Old Sod", "Home For a Rest", and "Save This House". Also includes a guest appearance by Rob Menzies on bagpipes. As pipers get even less session work than trombonists, this is worth mentioning.

Spirit of the West
Old Material 1984-1986

CD (September 22, 1995)
Original Release Date: 1987
Label: Stony Plain Music
This album comprises songs culled from the band's first independent release, "Spirit of the West" (1984), for half the record, and material pulled from a live concert at the Vancouver Cultural Centre (1986) for the other half. The studio album material was produced by Barney Bentall in his old studio in a plywood mill, featuring special guest Dougie McLean (Scotland) on one track, and the live material was mixed by the careful and exacting Ron Obvious. The original studio album is no longer available, and is considered by some to be a collector's item.

Spirit of the West Tripping Up the Stairs

CD (June 30, 1998)
Original Release Date: April 1988
Label: Stony Plain Music

Recorded at Crevice Tool Clean Sound by Ron Obvious and produced by Paul Hyde in the spring of 1986, "Tripping Up The Stairs" is a further exploration of the band's melding of seminal issues with celtic-folk-rock fusion music, and was their first release on Stoney Plain Records. Also features some guest artists.

Spirit of the West
Labour Day

CD (September 29, 1992)
Original Release Date: August 1988
Label: Flying Fish Records
This album was recorded after the departure of co-founding member J. Knutson, and was the first album with new member Hugh McMillan. It was recorded at Blue Wave Studios in Vancouver, the band self-producing the basic tracks with the help of Steve Smith, engineer. Veteran Danny Greenspoon came in to produce the final touches and mix the album, much to everyone's relief and ultimate satisfaction. Jazz and funk flavours began to infuse the sound on this disk, and features Alan Prosser (e. guit.) and John Jones (melodion) of the Oyster Band (Britain) on one cut.

Spirit of the West
Two Headed

CD (June 4, 1996)
Original Release Date: April 1996
Label:Discovery/Wea

sold used in new condition

Released in 1995.