Spirit of '76, released in May 1975, was the first of four albums that Spirit would (initially) release for Mercury Records. Though all four albums were greatly influenced by the time that Randy California spent living in Hawaii, this album bears that influence more than any of the others (aside from maybe Future Games). Though it was largely ignored upon its first release, many fans consider it to be one of Spirit's best albums. Most of this double album was compiled as part of the Mercury Years compilation in 1997. It was properly reissued on CD by Beat Goes On in 2003.