"Spirit in the Sky"
was a classic one-shot hit: an unforgettable fuzz guitar riff, those eerie descending glissando
psychedelic
guitar effects, a soulful female backup chorus, and a rare
gospel
-
rock
song that explored a religious theme without sounding dogmatic or sappy.
Greenbaum
had more depth than the usual one-shot artist, but the fact is that he never came up with anything else remotely on the level of
"Spirit in the Sky,"
as this 15-song anthology demonstrates. He was a witty, droll songwriter with slightly absurd tunes that didn't quite descend into
novelty
, as on
"Canned Ham"
and
"The Day the Well Went Dry."
Selections from his early-'70s
Reprise
albums comprise most of half of this disc, and they're amiable, mildly humorous good-time
that isn't even as penetrating as the rawer and goofier stuff he did before his solo career as the leader of
Dr. West's Medicine Show & Junk Band
. Four
Dr. West
songs are on this CD, including the minor 1966 hit
"The Eggplant That Ate Chicago,"
as well as a previously unreleased 1977 recording,
"The Day They Sold Beer in Church."
~ Richie Unterberger