Outlaw blues (The Great Society) (LP 4319)

The Great Society with Grace Slick  Conspicuous Only In Its Absence (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1993) ****  

Genre: Psychedelic rock, Acid rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: White Rabbit

Gear costume: Outlaw Blues 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: Before Grace was drafted into Jefferson Airplane, she was a member of The Great Society. The band was made up of Grace, her then-husband Jerry Slick on drums, his brother Darby Slick on guitar, David Miner on vocals and guitar, Bard DuPont on bass, and Peter van Gelder on flute, bass, and saxophone.

Conspicuous... is a live album - recorded at renowned San Franciscan rock venue, The Matrix, in 1966. It was released in 1968, but then relaunched with additional tracks in 1971 as a double album. My copy is the original single album version.

Grace is already a great presence within the group - her singing is powerful and nuanced (already). The band are good, but not in the same league as the Airplane. That must have been obvious to Grace as The Great Society supported JA at gigs.

Certainly the two best songs on the album are Grace's Somebody To Love and White Rabbit which she'd rerecord with JA, but the rest of the material is strong too - notably their version of Dylan's Outlaw Blues and Sally Go 'Round The Roses.

Where do they all belong? An excellent document of the band in the mid sixties who wanted to combine The Beatles' influence with new rock moves in San Francisco.

It's only music (Grace Slick) (LP 2247 - 2250)

Grace Slick  Manhole (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1973) ****  

Grace Slick  Dreams (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1980) ***  

Grace Slick  Welcome To The Wrecking Ball (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1981) ***  

Grace Slick  Software (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1984) ****  

Genre: pop rock; Grunt Records 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:  Better Lying Down (Manhole)

Gear costume: El Diablo (Dreams); Me and Me (Software)

Active compensatory factors: I love Grace's attitude (Manhole? Really?) and her abilities/skills. She is a force!! Take a listen to Better Lying Down if in doubt.

All four of these albums present a different Slick face and she has many more potentially, but this is it for her solo career (she's now retired so zero chance of anything new these days).

Manhole is her only album on Grunt, made with help from the usual suspects: Freiberg; Kantner; Kaukonen; Crosby; Casady; Barbata, plus new boy - Craig Chaquico who would figure in the reconstituted Jefferson Starship.

Her second solo album came out seven years later. Dreams was more of a mainstream effort, and without the usual suspects! It even had a couple of singles on it: Seasons and Dreams.

Scott Zito makes his first appearance instead, amid the lush new arrangements. Grace carries it all off well with her strong vocals front and centre, but it's not her strongest work. Side two songs all sound too similar to me and not her usual inspired effort.

Scott Zito is allowed to take Grace into arena rock-ville for Welcome To The Wrecking Ball, some of which hasn't aged all that well (unlike Manhole). But in typical Grace style she's in boots and all (check out that cover) and I like a lot of the album.

Grace clearly felt in the mood to rock out and she's always convincing in that mode - she rejoined Jefferson Starship after this album.

Her final solo album came out three years later. Software has Grace modelling a chic new look (great cover to Software too) and aiming to get with the hip new sounds of 1984, such as synths and drum machines. Not an ideal situation in my world you'd think - but this is Grace being brave and she deserves credit for trying something new wave-ish here and, indeed, a new look for each album.

Where do they all belong? One more Grunt record to go - Jack Traylor (who actually co-writes a song on Manhole).

The sky is no limit (Paul Kantner) (LP 949)

Paul Kantner  The Planet Earth Rock And Roll Orchestra (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1983) ***  

Genre: San Francisco rock/ Grunt Records (it's not on Grunt Records exactly but it would be strange to put it anywhere else).

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Lilith's Song (Paul dedicates it to Grace - the model of the witch Lilith, and to the memory of John Lennon - silver Beatle)

Gear costume: The Mountain Song (Kantner/Garcia song, sung brilliantly by Paul and Grace)

Active compensatory factors: A weird one, as again Paul taps into the San Francisco rock aristocracy for musicianship. The cast is large and esteemed.

It's only credited to Paul though, so it makes it his one and only solo album - and a sequel of sorts to Blows Against The Empire. It's also a kind of soundtrack to his science-fiction novel (also called, The Planet Earth Rock And Roll Orchestra).

Got all that? You can see why I didn't include it in Kantner's previous post looking at Blows, Sunfighter and Baron Von Tollbooth. It's just too complicated. Plus, we'll come to Grace's solo albums in due course so it's only fair that I separate this one out.

I love Paul Kantner and I love Grace Slick, so I'm not a very reliable commentator. Everything they do is worth hearing! Still, I wouldn't rate this an unconditional success. The concept Paul's hanging this on is okay as it goes (I haven't read the novel, but I need to) but you don't need to really follow the plot to enjoy the album.

As a sequel to Blows Against The Empire it's also a little un-convincing - it seems more of a stand alone album. This time out it's quite electric based where Blows was performed on a bed of acoustic guitars (which I like more).

It may be that I've heard Blows oodles of times, and Planet Earth only a few times, so Blows has more impact. Time will tell, because I need to come back to it again!

Where do they all belong? Back to Jorma when I return to Grunt Records.

Silver spoon (Kantner/Slick) (LP 870 - 872)

Paul Kantner/ Jefferson Starship  Blows Against The Empire (CD and Vinyl, RCA Records, 1970) ***** 

Paul Kantner/ Grace Slick  Sunfighter (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1971) ***  

Paul Kantner/ Grace Slick/ David Freiberg  Baron Von Tollbooth and The Chrome Nun (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1973) ****  

Genre: Grunt Records/ San Francisco rock

Places I remember: Real Groovy for Blows...; Roger Marbeck gifted Sunfighter; Marbecks Records for Baron... 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Hijack, Have You Seen The Stars Tonite?, Starship

Gear costume: Flowers Of The Night

Active compensatory factors: These albums are the product of an amazingly fertile Bay area rock scene. Like David Crosby's first solo album, they all feature members of Grateful Dead, Crosby Stills Nash, Jefferson Airplane/Starship and others.

The Kantner 1970 concept album emerged while the original Jefferson Airplane was falling apart. 

The name of the album is tricky as four years later Jefferson Airplane became Jefferson Starship as a band. In the meantime Kantner helmed these three 'solo' albums with that large collection of Bay area musicians - including principally Grace and David Freiberg.

It all gets a bit confusing but the albums, the songs, the playing - they all hold up!

Blows Against The Empire is superb from start to spectacular finish. Those voices! Paul and Grace were just magic together. Starship is a great example. The acoustic guitars and Grace's piano playing are standouts. The science fiction storyline holds things together. It's a classic!

Sunfighter came out straight after Jefferson Airplane's Bark - for a bunch of hippies these people had a great work ethic! It's another terrific album for JA fans to listen to, what with Grace's distinctive piano and the awesome vocal interplay between Slick and Kantner who were now parents of China Wing Kantner and the Bay musical family again coming to the party. It gets three stars because it's a fine album but it doesn't have the memorable songs needed to get to 4 or 5 stars.

Baron Von Tollbooth and The Chrome Nun is the third Kantner offshoot album from Jefferson Airplane and the songs are back to top quality again. It features all the usual Kantner/Slick strengths plus the vocals of David Freiberg - filling the Marty Balin harmony role, and the inspired choice of Craig Chaquico on three tracks. Then there's also the cameo by Jack Traylor who recorded for Grunt Records fleetingly (coming up later in the countdown). He contributes the song and vocals for Flowers of the Night.

Where do they all belong? It's back to the CD collection next. First up - Traveling Wilburys Vol 1.

Playing my music (Papa John Creach) (LP 639 - 641)

Papa John Creach Papa John Creach (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1971) ***

Papa John Creach Filthy! (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1972) ***

Papa John Creach & Zulu Playing My Fiddle For You (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1974) ***

Genre: Grunt Records

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records, Amoeba Records (San Francisco)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The Janitor Drives A Cadillac (PJC) 

Gear costume: String Jet Rock (PJC),  Walking The Tou Tou (Filthy)

Active compensatory factors: Papa John Creach recorded three solo albums for Grunt Records and here they are! 

The first one includes the contributions of various famous friends from Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Santana.

Filthy includes fellow Grunt Records artist Jack Bonus and the band Zulu, who are credited on the third album - Playing My Fiddle For you. 

Both are more funky and cohesive than the first one with all the famous west coast players, but that was has more high spots.

Filthy also includes a fabulous cameo from Big Joe Turner!

Heavy friends for a fiddle player!

Where do they all belong? Next up in Grunt Records is Hot Tuna and Papa John Creach will make a telling contribution to their sound as well. But well before then, it's back to the CD collection for a spell.

All nite long (Jefferson Starship) (LP 270)

Jefferson Starship Earth (Vinyl - Grunt, 1978) ****

Genre: American pop/ rock 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records (Auckland, NZ)  

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: All Nite Long




Gear costume:  Count On Me




Active compensatory factors: Oh No, Not Marty too!! That was my first reaction when learning of his death this week.

Remember him as above in Count On Me - that voice and the cool melancholy of those lyrics. And the beautiful young face.

I love the whole album - Marty Balin's last with JS; it's been a firm favourite of mine since 1978. Mainly because it feels of a piece - there's a confident, laid back, casual swagger to the album. Encapsulated in All Nite Long's languid approach.

That video to Count On Me with David Freiberg and Grace Slick smiling on the couch and with a lovely ballad unfolding on a bed of acoustic guitars and harmony (real and sound wise) sums things up.

Now that Marty and Paul are no longer here, there is an added poignancy to the song.

Although it gets criticism for its pleasant songs and slickness, those are the things I love about this album. It sounds simple and effortless to my ears and so, it's an album I return to often.

Where do they all belong? Marty's joined Paul Kantner on board the hyperdriven starship. Look at them go!

Whatcha tryin' a do to my heart? (Pat Benatar) # 71

Pat Benatar You Better Run/ Out-A-Touch (Chrysalis K 8018,  1980)

Déjà vu coming around again - ar...it's the eighties, again.

Pat Benatar is/was a rocker and a roller with a great rock chick name (Patricia Mae Andrzejewski doesn't quite have the same ring so no wonder she ditched it) with a nifty rock 'n' roll attitude. 'Was' because you can't carry all of those things into middle age (she's four years older than me so she's over 60 now). I'm sorry but you can't have the same rock attitude in black leather pants at age 60 that you had as a teenager. The men don't know but Grace Slick understands.

You Better Run is a classic slice of early eighties rock and does feature the wonderful guitarist Neil Giraldo who has appeared on all of Pat's albums.  It's a cover of The Young Rascals song but Pat makes it her own. It was the second song ever on MTV and was perfectly suited to MTV's raison d'être.

Hidden gem: The B side is another great rock song. Pat sounds a little like a rock version of Blondie's Deborah Harry on this song and that can't be a bad thing.

I believe in magic and I believe in dreams (Grace Slick)

I love the magic of the Hard Rock Cafe. It's not only the dreamy rock music ambiance but that's a big part.

The noise is great (it's always loud and you can always guarantee great music during your visit), the burgers are great, and the walls are always festooned with great rock music memorabilia.

So far I've been to H.R.C.'s in Edinburgh, London, Paris, Rome and now San Francisco.

Of course there is a fantastic Grateful Dead section, Jacky Casady's bass guitar, and a George Harrison guitar in the Beatle corner, but the highlight for me was a portrait of Jerry Garcia by Grace Slick.

Although Grace was born in Chicago and now lives in Malibu she and San Francisco are synonymous for me. Her previous home overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge was pointed out to me during my stay and I loved feeling some connection to her, even as tenuous as that.

Hope you're healthy Grace. Thanks for everything and that is one great great portrait.

Art for art's sake, money for God's sake (10CC)

My recent post on record albums remade as books has made me think about some of my favourite record covers. Sadly, the art of designing a fantastic image for a record has gone the way of record shops with the advent of, first the CD, and now the download, where no image at all is required. This is not only sad but a criminal waste of talent and imagination. Album cover art deserves to be celebrated (and a quick google search will reveal that the blogosphere hasn't forgotten it as an art form).

So I have compiled my personal favourites and blown them up as big as I can get away with. Size does matter when it comes to album cover art. But the choice is subjective so keep that in mind as you view my choices.

Rather than put them all on one post, I have gone through them all and put them into loosely themed groups. Here's the first batch called The Musician Takes Centre Stage. First installment: top ten close ups of the artist. I've attached a caption only where it's not really clear who the artist is.

Lene Marlin as a Norwegian blue.





Sssshhhh - it's Alvin Lee in fractured mood. 



Grace Slick's Manhole

Bow down to the San Francisco ladies

20 Jefferson Airplane, ‘Crown Of Creation’

Fiercely intelligent, extremely perceptive, powerfully talented, politically astute, brazenly anti-establishment, gorgeous women scare the hell out of me. I’m like George Costanza (Seinfeld) who forgets his own name when confronted by one of these Amazonian super women.

Grace Slick has always been one of those women for me. Someone to worship from afar but I know I’d be swatted away like a fly if I ever had a chance to meet her and tell her how great she is. Plus she was with Paul Kantner. The male version of all those things above. Except she wasn’t really with Kantner – they were sexually liberated superbeings who could have it all, without any bourgeoisie hang-ups about possessions and pesky human relationships. Wooo – what a woman!! And what a voice.

Grace’s voice and delivery matches what I’ve built up in my mind about Grace the woman. It’s lusty, fully committed and beautiful. It’s no easy choices for Grace either – she’ll have a go at it all. She can sing solo rock stuff like Silver Spoon from Sunfighter with no problem. She can do the heavy metal/hard rock guitar moll stuff (the Wreaking Ball album) and she takes on the sensitive singer/songwriter schtick, on the album Dreams, like a west coast natural. Whether prog noodling on Manhole or eighties computer vamp on Software; you hum it she can sing it. Apart from all that, she sings divine soaring harmony time and again for Jefferson Airplane/Starship, with any combination of Marty Balin, Kantner, or David Freiberg.

It’s probably in the latter guise that I love her most. The live versions of Have You Seen The Saucers and Crown Of Creation on the Thirty Seconds Over Winterland album are some of the best examples. The three singers of the Airplane at this time – Kantner/Freiberg and Slick intertwine their voices with crystal clear precision. Grace soars and swoons around the melody lines and the music from Papa John Creach (violin), Jack Cassidy (bass), Jorma Kaukonen (lead guitar) and John Barbata (drums) is fittingly superb. But it’s Grace that steals the show, every time.

Two versions to choose from - 1989 or 1968