Personality crisis (David Johansen) (LP 2880)

David Johansen  Live It Up (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1982) ****  

Genre: Rock, pop

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Melody

Gear costume: Stranded In The Jungle

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4

Active compensatory factors: I love this album - recorded live at the Paradise Club, Boston in February 1982. It is such fun - great covers and David is on fire throughout!

I heard it while working at Marbecks Records in the early eighties and was immediately floored. Not being a great fan of The New York Dolls, I would have left this one alone if not for playing it in the shop.

The covers are superb - and perfect for David's unhinged delivery. Let's see - The Animals get three in a medley, Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There, The Foundations' classic - Build Me Up Buttercup, the Cadets - Stranded in the Jungle are all highlights.

Side note - Huw Gower from The Records is in the band. I adore that band!

Where do they all belong? A one-off extraordinary event/album.

Morning hymn (Jade Warrior) (LP 2879)

Jade Warrior  Last Autumn's Dream (Vinyl, Vertigo Records, 1972) ****  

Genre: Prog rock

Places I remember: The Record Store (Palmerston North). This is a new store that's just popped up in Palmy. Well worth a repeat look next time we visit.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Morning Hymn

Gear costume: A Winter's Tale

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4

Active compensatory factors: This was the band's third album and their last on Vertigo. I wrote about their first album for Island, Way of the Sun, just a short while ago. That one was released straight after Last Autumn Dream, but it sounds like a different band in many ways.

This earlier album is a lot more experimental and varied. From a guitar wig out on Snake and the funky May Queen to a potential hit single - The Demon Trucker. Along the way are ambient flute tracks! 

This band is never less than interesting!

Where do they all belong? I'll keep an eye out for their first two albums on Vertigo.

Piano man (Billy Joel) (LP 2871 - 2878)

Billy Joel  Piano Man (Vinyl and CD, CBS Records, 1973) ****  

Billy Joel  Turnstiles (CD, CBS Records, 1976) ****  

Billy Joel  The Stranger (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1977) ****  

Billy Joel  52nd Street (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1978) *** 

Billy Joel  River of Dreams (CD, CBS Records, 1993) ***

Billy Joel  Songs in the Attic (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1981) **** 

Billy Joel  12 Gardens Live (CD, Sony, 1977) *****

Billy Joel  Live From Long Island (CD, Immortal, 2008) **** 

Genre: Pop, rock 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, Shona Walding's collection, Hope collection, Graham Purdy collection, Kings Recording (12 Gardens Live), The Warehouse (Live from Long Island)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: You're My Home (Piano Man)

Gear costume: New York State of Mind (12 Gardens Live)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4

Active compensatory factors: My Billy Joel collection is pretty spotty. Of the studio albums I have number 2 (Piano Man), numbers 4, 5, 6 (Turnstiles, The Stranger, 52nd Street), and 12 (River of Dreams). Then a couple of live albums, and two compilations.

I've bought a few, but most were either gifts to my mum (#5 and 6) or were gifted to me from other collections.

I think this reflects my uncertain approach to him. Some of his stuff is very soppy, some too bombastic and there are a few classics in the mix as well. Some of the soppy ones I like for various reasons, and I love the live versions of some of the bombastic ones as well.

Some are vinyl, some are CDs, some are even DVDs. Basically, I'm all over the shop.

Piano Man is an early peak for me. It's his usual mixture of styles but it all hangs together somehow. Travellin' Prayer is a brilliant opener and You're My Home is a song I never get sick of hearing. I loved listening to it in the Middle East when Jacky went home to NZ early for health reasons and missing her while listening to this CD helped.

Captain Jack, Piano Man and The Ballad of Billy The Kid are all career highlights. And they were on his second album!

The CD has a bonus disc of an earlier live gig (1972) but beware - the sound is weird on his voice. It's a speeded up, unsettling sound. Not good!

Turnstiles has three Joel classics of its own: Say Goodbye to Hollywood, New York State of Mind, and Miami 2017 (seen the lights go out on Broadway). The New York mentality unites the album, even though he swings through various styles of music again.

The Stranger was an album I bought for my mother, based on the fact she loved Just The Way You Are (I bought that single for her as well). I heard it a lot, so I guess she liked the record, but I suspect she liked it because I bought it for her, if you know what I mean.

The record certainly holds up. There is a toughness to the sound, thanks to using his touring band rather than session guys, and the songs are some of the best he's written.

I also got 52nd Street for her, but I didn't hear this one as much, so it's not as instantly recognisable as the songs on The Stranger. There were smash hits on it again - the guy can sure write catchy, hit singles. This one has another three: Big Shot, My Life and Honesty.

I lost track of him for the remainder of his career, although I did own Nylon Curtain for a while for Allentown and Goodnight Saigon. I sold it off at some stage, I think because the rest of the material didn't do it for me.

River of Dreams came to me from a donation. I've kept it, but I can't say it gets much airtime. I like the cover (by his then wife - Christie Brinkley) and the title song, but the rest is a bit ho-hum. It's his last studio rock album because it didn't do much at the time.

And so - on to the three live albums. I prefer Billy Joel in a live setting - for me that's where he is his true showman self, and where the songs come alive with the audience becoming like another instrument.

Songs in the Attic came out in 1981. It includes material from his studio albums up to that point - all performed by his 1980 band. There is plenty of muscle added to these songs.  

12 Gardens Live is even better! While Songs in the Attic was a collection from various concerts and wasn't meant to be a definitive live album (his words), 12 Gardens, although taken from his run of gigs at Madison Square Garden, is presented as a definitive concert.

Billy is in a passionate state of mind - as in he delivers these songs with gusto! Songs come from all over his career but mainly from his classic years rather than albums after An Innocent Age. It's a non-stop performance - not much stage chatter here, as on Songs in the Attic. The music is the thing.

Try The Downeaster 'Alexa' for size - he almost bursts out of the song - 'I am trolling Atlantis' indeed!! Or Matter of Trust - superior to the studio version in every way.

Final album on my list is Live from Long Island - recorded live in 1982 at Nassau Coliseum. It's good - a spirited performance again from 1982 with some key tracks not on 12 Gardens like The Stranger. He was touring behind The Nylon Curtain and those songs sound better live to me.

Where do they all belong? Apart from a couple of live DVDs - Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium, and two essential type compilations, that's it for Billy Joel. The compilations or 12 Gardens are probably the best place to start if you are new to his work. Each are chocked full of a surprising number of great songs.

My Sunday feeling (Jethro Tull) (LP 2857 - 2870)

Jethro Tull  This Was (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1968) ***  

Jethro Tull  Stand Up (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1969) ***

Jethro Tull  Live & Sessions 1968 - 1969 (CD, MCPS, 2020) *** 

Jethro Tull  Aqualung (Vinyl/ CD, Chrysalis Records, 1971) ***** 

Jethro Tull  Thick as a Brick (Vinyl/ CD, Chrysalis Records, 1972) ***** 

Jethro Tull  Passion Play (Vinyl, Chrysalis Records, 1973) **** 

Jethro Tull  War Child (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1974) ***

Jethro Tull  Too Old To Rock'n'Roll: Too Young To Die! (Vinyl, Chrysalis Records, 1976) **

Jethro Tull  Songs From The Wood (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1977) ****

Jethro Tull  Heavy Horses (Vinyl/CD, Chrysalis Records, 1978) ****

Jethro Tull  Stormwatch (Vinyl, Chrysalis Records, 1979) ***

Jethro Tull  The Broadsword and the Beast (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1982) **

Jethro Tull  Nightcap - The Unreleased Masters 1973 - 1991 (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1993) **

Jethro Tull  A Little Light Music (CD, Chrysalis Records, 1992) ***

Genre: Blues, prog rock, folk rock 

Places I remember: (In order) 1 Fopp, 2 Fives, 3 and 12 JB Hi Fi; 4 DJ Records, 5 The Warehouse, 6 Keegan's collection, 7 Fives, 8 Chaldon Books and Records, 9 and 10 The Warehouse, 11 and 11 and 13 Real Groovy  

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Locomotive Breath (Aqualung)

Gear costume: The Whistler (Songs from the Wood)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4

Active compensatory factors: My Jethro Tull collection is all over the place - vinyl, CDs, DVDs and I've already written about a few albums (Benefit, Minstrel in the Gallery, Living in the Past, Thick as a Brick 2). 

So, this round up of the others in my possession will go back to the start - 1968's debut album - track one (My Sunday Feeling) and end somewhere in the nineties. 

Strap in. Grab another coffee. And away we go...

This Was is still a bit of a shock in that Jethro Tull started out life as a really good blues band thanks to Mick Abrahams' presence (Cat's Squirrel sounds like Cream). Ian Anderson is just another band member (his showcase on this album - Serenade to a Cuckoo is very jazzy). All light years away from the folk rock/ prog rock outfit they would evolve into.

Second album Stand Up sees the introduction of the mighty Martin Lancelot Barre - and the start of the next phase. 

That said, there are still bluesy, jazzy, folky numbers on Stand Up. The band, and Ian Anderson, are trying different styles and not afraid to experiment with their music (Fat Man is one brilliant example). That theme would continue.

Live & Sessions 1968 - 1969 neatly sums up the start of the band with both Mick Abrahams and Martin Barre getting roughly half of the tracks each. The majority of the songs come from BBC radio broadcasts (Top Gear).

Standout moments come from the early shows - the Top Gear 23rd July 1968 material and Living in the Past from 1969. A lovely sea change moment is documented.

The not so good is the drum solo on Dharma For One. They (there are three versions on this album) are long and tedious. Why drum solos became a thing is a mystery to me. I'm with Ringo - drums are always better when combined with other instruments.

Aqualung was my first glimpse of Jethro Tull in 1971. A school friend's brother was a fan and I was intrigued. Then Locomotive Breath happened and that was it, maan!

Each song leaves an indelible impression. I have heard it countless times and I enjoy it every time. That's pretty remarkable. The CD version comes with a bonus CD of extras, but this is one album that doesn't need enhancement.

Thick is a Brick is another album like that. I know it's a kind of pastiche of concept albums, but I've never been too convinced or bothered about that. For me the two sides are genius full stop (I bought the CD so that I could listen to the whole album uninterrupted - just like on my original cassette tape version). 

This was Barrie Barlow's first album on drums and I think he's a great fit - nimble and swinging where Clive Bunker was a great blues drummer.

 

All up - a five-star classic and it's another album I never get tired of hearing.

In my world, Passion Play has gone from meh to 4 stars over the last 50 years. I initially dismissed it and found it boring to listen to, but I've revisited it from time to time and it's grown hugely in stature. Even the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles has charm now. 

It's a real concept album this time and it's more sophisticated musically than TAAB. It definitely rewards repeat hearings and an open mind (age will do that).

War Child was a return to songs with two resulting in hits - Bungle in the Jungle and Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day. Both are excellent songs. The rest of the album isn't very memorable though. Clearly, Ian was struggling for content around this time as both of those songs came from an earlier abandoned project.

Sadly, that trend would continue with the next album on my list - Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young To Die! (which followed the excellent Minstrel in the Gallery). This one wouldn't have any great songs at all, although the title track is catchy enough.

Best thing about it is the comic in the inner sleeve spread which attempts to tell a conceptual story which is followed up on the actual album via the songs. Was this the last attempt at a concept album before his return to Thick as a Brick 2? Probably. I started to lose interest in the band around War Child times.

My ears pricked up again for the trio of folk-rock albums that came later in the decade.

First up was Songs from the Wood in 1977. These are muscular folk rock songs, nothing airy-fairy about them. While the content is inspired by English folklore and country living, the sounds are folk-prog-rock - i.e. combining traditional instruments and melodies with drums, synths and electric guitars. It works a treat!

The similarity with Steeleye Span isn't an accident - Ian Anderson had been involved with the band earlier in the seventies.

The second of the folky trilogy is Heavy Horses - a slightly earthier sound and subject matter prevailed this time. The album is dedicated to indigenous working ponies and horses of Great Britain.

On both of these first two albums Ian Anderson allows for a more democratic approach from band members. Martin Barre is an important ingredient to Jethro Tull as a guitarist, and he shines on these albums as a collaborator/composer as well.

The so-called third part of the folk-rock trilogy is Stormwatch. So-called because it sounds rockier than those others and deals more with Scotland and the sea than with English pastures and woodland.

Whatever, it is definitely the last Jethro Tull album of the seventies, and it also marked the end of the 'classic' seventies' lineup.  

Drummer Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow and keyboardists John Evan and Dee Palmer all left or were fired from the band in the months after the album's tour concluded in April 1980, while bassist John Glascock had died from heart complications in November 1979 during the tour.  

The Broadsword and the Beast is their only eighties album I own. That means I didn't bother with A (1981) and anything after Under Wraps (1984 onwards). Thick As A Brick 2 came out under Ian Anderson's name rather than Jethro Tull's, so it technically doesn't count.

The eighties Jethro Tull albums hold little appeal for me. Too many synths. The Broadsword and the Beast is a tough album to love. 

It's not as bad as one critic had it (tuneless drivel), but it's a typical sounding Tull album, okay but uninspiring. It's the place where I decided enough was enough for eighties Jethro Tull. I don't regret that decision.

Curiously, the bonus selections are much better than the actual album (Mayhem Maybe is terrific).

The other two albums listed above are kind of compilations. Nightcap has two CDs worth of unreleased songs - there is often a reason why they are outtakes, so this is an album I find hard going.

The live compilation, A Little Live Music, is more appealing, but this isn't a coherent concert. Instead, it has songs from ten different venues during their 1992 tour. 

It's quite a jolt moving through and among them, even though the band is on form.

The good news is Martin Barre, Dave Pegg and Dave Mattacks joined Ian Anderson as Jethro Tull.

The bad news is the songs range from A New Day Yesterday and Living in the Past to Under Wraps - so from a huge range of years and styles. Cohesion, then, is a problem for this album. Good for the Spotify age, not so good for people like me.

Where do they all belong? I think this is enough. I'm not a Tull completist and, in some ways, Ian Anderson's solo albums are a better prospect these days.

Radio song (Jet) (LP 2856)

Jet  Get Born (CD, EMI Records, 2003) ****  

Genre: Aussie rock 

Places I remember: The Warehouse (Cambridge)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Look What You've Done

Gear costume: Are You Gonna Be My Girl

Active compensatory factors: This is the debut album from these Aussie rockers (they would make another two albums before disbanding in 2012 - they are apparently reuniting for the 4th studio album as we speak). 

It was also their most commercially successful album, thanks to those two singles highlighted above.

I first saw/heard Look What You've Done on video and loved the Beatles/ Wings/ Badfinger vibes. Then Are You Gonna Be My Girl was a big success on rock radio.

The album shows them off well - full of brash youthful strutting confidence. They sound at times like an Aussie Slade, at others like a cross between T. Rex and AC/DC (Cold Hard Bitch). Absolutely fine with that!

Where do they all belong? The CD comes with a bonus 5 song DVD of a gig in London.

Waving memories (Jean-Luc Ponty) (LP 2854 - 2855)

Jean-Luc Ponty  Upon the Wings of Music (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1975) ****  

Choir of the Monks of the Abbey of Saint Pierre De Solesmes  Gregorian Chant Easter (Vinyl, Decca Records, 1975) ****  

Genre: Jazz fusion; Classical

Places I remember: The Little Red Bookshop (Hastings)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Now I Know (Jean-Luc Ponty)

Gear costume: Upon the Wings of Music (Jean-Luc Ponty)

Active compensatory factors: I picked up these two from recent visits to The Little Red Bookshop in Hastings. There was a news clipping inside the Ponty record from '75 when he was touring NZ. The gig cost $7!! A great little addition to the record.

While with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jean-Luc was working on this fabulous solo record. He surrounds himself with some brilliant musicians for his first album on Atlantic - namely: keyboardist Patrice Rushen, Dan Sawyer or Ray Parker on guitars, bassist Ralph Armstrong and drummer Ndugu (Leon Chandler).

It's a terrific set of jazz fusion/ prog rock songs in various guises and tempos with Ponty the star. His playing is exceptional.

The Gregorian Chant album was really bought with Jacky in mind as she loves this stuff. So do I, actually. It's meditative and relaxing. Side one in particular (the use of bells starting off side two is a bit jarring). It's on a lovely mid-fifties album with a great period Decca label. Fully worth $15! Even if that is twice the cost of a 1975 concert ticket!

Where do they all belong? Still looking for other Ponty records, most notably Individual Choice.

All I want is everything (Jellyfish) (LP 2851 - 2853)

Jellyfish  Bellybutton (CD, Charisma Records, 1990) ***** 

Jellyfish  Spilt Milk (CD, Charisma Records, 1993) *****  

Jellyfish  Live at Bogarts (CD, Ominvore Records, 2012) ****  

Genre: Power pop, rock 

Places I remember: HMV (Edinburgh); Real Groovy Records; Fopp

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Ghost at Number One (Spilt Milk)

Gear costume: New Mistake (Spilt Milk)

Active compensatory factors: There are an embarrassment of riches on this pair of studio albums and a live album from powerpoppers Jellyfish.

I have written about them before on this blog, but they haven't featured in this countdown till now.

The band contain three key figures: Andy Sturmer (vocals, drums, guitar); Roger Manning (vocals, keyboards, guitar); and Jason Falkner (bass, guitars) with Andy and Roger writing the songs between them.

Bellybutton was their debut and it is superb! No dud tracks anywhere but it didn't fit the trends of the time (hair metal) so was tragically ignored to an extent. I struggled to find a copy for years but finally found one on holiday in Scotland. 

The guys are super talented, musically, vocally, and in their songwriting. They are Beatles/ Queen/ Badfinger fans, so this is manna from heaven for me. My copy has bonus live tracks (Badfinger/ Macca) that are brilliant as well. They come from the live at Bogarts' gig.

Spilt Milk, their second album, may be even better. The Queen obsession is present from the first song Hush. From there on it's one inspired song after another. They throw the kitchen sink at these arrangements and the technique works like crazy.

It's hard to highlight individual songs because they all have their strengths. I've plumped for a couple from Spilt Milk. Ghost at Number One because it's the first song of theirs I heard on a compilation and fell in love with (those Beach Boy echoes at the end sealed the deal). How does it feel? Brilliant!

The live album is from a 1991 gig, so features material from Bellybutton and some fantastic covers. It kicks off with Argent's Hold Your Head Up and segues into their own song - Hello. More terrific songs follow; the flow and pace is perfectly judged throughout the gig. Gush gush. I love Jellyfish!

Where do they all belong? A trio of power pop gems!

Love rusts (Starship) (LP 2848 - 2850)

Starship  Knee Deep in the Hoopla (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1985) **

Starship  No Protection (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1987) ***

Starship  Love Among the Cannibals (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1989) ***

Genre: Pop, rock, Grunt Records 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: We Built This City

Gear costume: We Dream In Color

Active compensatory factors: At the time (mid to late eighties), I didn't mind these albums because they had a few tracks with Grace doing her thing (let's ignore the embarrassing Rock Myself To Sleep).

Now, it's hard to listen to them. All the synths and, worst of all, the drum sounds, combine to make it a slog. Mickey Thomas' voice works well against Paul and David in Jefferson Starship, but with Grace in Starship it's a similar higher register that doesn't particularly do it for me.

Mostly I think it's the weaker material that affects Knee Deep in the Hoopla the most. Sara and We Built This City were good commercial singles but then the album enters areas not really in keeping with the back catalogue.

No Protection holds up better as an album and Peter Wolf dials back the smoke and mirrors a bit (a bit). It was Grace's final album for Starship and also the final album on Grunt Records, so I've awarded an extra star to celebrate that great label.

My final Starship album was from the Mickey Thomas led outfit from 1989 (I don't own the band's final album - 2013's Loveless Fascination). Thankfully the synth pop of the first two albums had been abandoned for a more AOR (Adult Oriented Rock) sound for Love Among the Cannibals. It's a marginal improvement and without Grace it becomes almost like a Bryan Adams album.

Where do they all belong? That's it for the marathon Jefferson Airplane/ Jefferson Starship/ Starship/ Grunt Records series of posts. No time for a lie down though. Jellyfish is up next!

Ride the tiger (Jefferson Starship) (LP 2835 -2847)

Grace Slick & Paul Kantner/Jefferson Starship  Dragonfly  (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1974) *** 

Jefferson Starship   Red Octopus (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1975) **** 

Jefferson Starship   Spitfire (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1976) **** 

Jefferson Starship   Freedom at Point Zero (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1979) **** 

Jefferson Starship   Modern Times (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1981) **** 

Jefferson Starship   Winds of Change (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1982) ***

Jefferson Starship   Nuclear Furniture (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1984) ** 

KBC Band   KBC Band (CD, Arista Records, 1985) ****

Paul Kantner's Wooden Ships!   Sailing at the Wetlands, 1992 (CD, Bear Records, 2011) ***

Jefferson Starship   Deep Space/ Virgin Sky (CD, Intersound Inc, 1995) ***

Jefferson Starship   Timeless Classics Live (CD, Rainman, 2008) ***

Jefferson Starship   Windows of Heaven (CD, CMC International, 1998) ***

Jefferson Starship   Jefferson Starship Presents Jefferson's Tree of Liberty (CD, The Lab, 2008) ****

Genre: Rock, Grunt Records

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records, Marbecks Records; HMV; Fopp

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Ride The Tiger (Dragonfly); St Charles (Spitfire)

Gear costume: Hyperdrive (Dragonfly); Miracles (Red Octopus)

Active compensatory factors: Dragonfly was the debut album of the newly rebranded Jefferson Starship, even though it was officially by Grace & Paul and JS. Mary Balin appears on one track (the excellent Caroline) - but, it's as a guest (he's not yet a member of the band).

At this stage those members were: Grace and Paul get top billing, followed by the recently deceased John Barbata (drums), Craig Chaquico (replacing Jorma on guitar), Papa John Creach, Pete Sears (replacing Jack on bass) and David Freiberg.

As an album it's a bit uneven with a few great tracks (Tiger, Caroline, Hyperdrive), some good (like Devil's Den) and a few so so songs (like That's For You, Be Young You).

Red Octopus saw Marty Balin back for good and the album is all the better for it. He wrote or co-wrote 5 of the 10 tracks. Miracles was the big hit single and deservedly so - it's one of the highlights of his career. Grace's Play On Love is also a cracker! In fact, the whole album is a peak for the band as they embrace rock mainstream sounds.

It would be the last album for Papa John Creach. His violin is there, but maybe down in the mix and used for texture, whereas it had had a prominent place in the music before. The octopus was about to lose a tentacle as he left to continue his solo career on Grunt.

Spitfire was their third album in three years and the band was on a creative roll by 1976. It kicks off with Cruisin' and the more polished laid back rock style is set for this album - one of my favourites along with their next album Earth (which I have written about previously).

Of course, Spitfire also contains St Charles - the glorious peak of these reconstituted Jeffersons. The combined soaring vocals from Grace, Paul and Marty are breathtaking. The promo video for it was fantastic too.

After Earth's release (to very mixed reviews) the band toured with disastrous results. By the end of the European league, Grace, who had ended the relationship with Paul, had been dispatched back home (to help with her alcoholism); Marty left again; and John Barbata had a serious car accident and also left.

Out of all of this chaos rose a fresh new rockier Jefferson Starship. Mickey Thomas came in for an absent Grace, no one replaced Marty, and drums were by Aynsley Dunbar of all people. 

Against the odds, Freedom at Point Zero was a triumph, thanks to the leadership of Paul Kantner. He writes four excellent songs and in Jane the band had a hit single to kick start this new iteration of the band.

The sound of this and follow up Modern Times is hard edged, almost punkish in approach (Stairway to Cleveland is exhibit A; Out Of Control is exhibit B). Craig Chaquico's guitar and Dunbar's drums are to the fore brilliantly. These albums also benefit from having Kantner's singular approach. He's the man!

Grace is back on board in a limited way for Modern Times. She contributes some background vocals and duets on Stranger with Mickey very effectively!

She was back as a full member for next album, Winds of Change in 1982. It's the last good album from Jefferson Starship, with some classic Grace vocals - most notably on Black Widow and Out of Control.

By the Nuclear Furniture stage, the band were retreading ideas and the songs lack the inspired version of the band who did Freedom at Point Zero and Modern Times. Donny Baldwin was now on drums and Peter Wolf was producing and contributing synths and linn-drum programming. Eek.

So, that dreaded mid-eighties synth and drum sound has now reared its ugly head. All up, it's a hard slog. Paul Kantner wasn't happy with how things were going, so he left them to it. Who can blame him?

The result of that change will be the subject of the next post. For now, we will trace what happened next with Paul on towards the Jefferson Starship reunion in the nineties. Starship will get its own separate post.

Next for him was the KBC Band. K was Kantner, B was Balin and C was Cassidy - yes - three of the original Airplane made it for this one-off in 1985.

The songs were good to really good. Unfortunately, those eighties production values were still there but with Paul and Marty singing and the songs holding up, this is far superior to eighties Jefferson Starship. 

Their only album is not on Spotify which is crazy. It is on YouTube though and well worth your time.

Highlights are plenty but Sayonara - last song on side 2, is superb! Marty sings it beautifully - he was such a talented guy.

Next up was a KBC Band tour that led to the reunion of Jefferson Airplane (their 1989 album was featured in my previous post). 

Kantner remained busy and toured as the acoustic Paul Kantner's Wooden Ships! Slick Aguilar and Tim Gorman from the KBC Band joined him in this endeavour. 

A live CD was issued in 2011 from the 1992 tour, called Sailing at the Wetlands. It's an oddity. Paul talks...a lot! And it sounds like it's been sped up a bit! 

I get that this is the entire performance, and Paul is no longer with us, but the album needs some judicious editing (and Paul needs the brilliance of Grace and Marty for their variety of approach) but the music is terrific for the most part. 

It's also fun to hear Paul in relaxed, conversational mood in parts. The Mountain Song is a highlight, as is the piano driven version of Crown of Creation.

In 1992, Jefferson Starship were reignited by Kantner/ Balin/ Cassidy with a special appearance by Grace on five songs. Deep Space/ Virgin Sky and Timeless Classics Live are a record of their live gig at the House of Blues in Hollywood to honour Papa John Creach who had passed away in 1994. 

In 1998 a new studio album emerged, Windows of Heaven, with another new line up, although Paul, Marty and Jack Cassidy were still there at the core. This was pretty much Paul's band though.

Grace appears on one song (I'm On Fire) but for the rest Diana Mangano handles her part. There is only one Grace Slick. It's tough on Diana, of course, but there it is. I miss Grace. I'm pretty sure Marty did too.

I prefer Marty's vocals to Paul's and so the songs which feature his lead vocals, like See The Light, are my favourites on this addition to the catalogue.

The final* Jefferson Starship album that I own is 2008's Jefferson's Tree of Liberty. Cathy Richardson has replaced Diana by this album but the same problem persists.

There is only one Grace Slick (she does appear on a hidden song but it's an old vocal track). Marty had also withdrawn (he appears on only one track - Maybe For You which also includes Jack Cassidy on bass), which left Paul and David Freiberg from the original Jefferson Starship.

I like this one - much of it is acoustic and folky. A suitable return to this style of song for Paul. He shines!

* Mother of the Sun was the band's final album in 2020 but it's the only version of the band that doesn't include Paul Kantner who had passed away in 2016. If I see it, I'll grab it, but I'm not desperate.

Where do they all belong? Next up - the much-maligned Starship (Grace wasn't a fan and she was in Starship!)