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!)

Rock and roll island (Jefferson Airplane) (LP 2829 - 2834)

Jefferson Airplane  Up Against The Wall (Vinyl, Bootleg, no date) ***  

Jefferson Airplane  Bark (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1971) ****  

Jefferson Airplane  Long John Silver (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1972) ***  

Jefferson Airplane  Thirty Seconds Over Winterland (Vinyl, Grunt Records, 1973) *****  

Jefferson Airplane  Last Flight (CD, Charly Records, 1973 gig, released 2007) **** 

Jefferson Airplane  Jefferson Airplane (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1989) ***  

Genre: Pop rock, Grunt Records

Places I remember: Amoeba Records, Real Groovy Records, JB Hi Fi, Marbecks Records.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Have You Seen The Saucers (30 Seconds Over Winterland), Common Market Madrigal (JA)

Gear costume: War Movie (Bark), Summer of Love (JA)

Active compensatory factors: It's a bit of a moot point where Jefferson Airplane ends and Jefferson Starship starts. Plus, there's Starship.

I'm going to split this part of my collection into seventies Jefferson Airplane, then Jefferson Starship, and finally Starship. Buckle up, settle in, grab a coffee! Gonna be a long haul flight.

It does get complicated - Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship had a murky start with some overlap.

It didn't help that Paul Kantner's 1970 'solo' album Blows Against The Empire is credited to Paul Kantner/ Jefferson Starship.

Jefferson Airplane continued to tour and record into the seventies. Bark came in 1971, and Long John Silver and Thirty Seconds Over Winterland are from 1972 and both are credited to Jefferson Airplane.

So, I'm kicking off with a bootleg featuring the 1970 version of JA - Up Against The Wall..., as I ended the last sixties Jefferson Airplane post with a bootleg - Almost Starshipshape (a 1970 concert).

It covers similar material to Almost Starshipshape, and is in good shape soundwise and performance wise. Grace still sings Eskimo Blue Day with passion!

The seventies JA studio albums (and their sixth studio album) start with 1971's Bark. I've included the brown paper cover that then exposes the fish head record cover. 

Marty Balin has gone since those bootlegged concerts and new members Papa John Creach and drummer Joey Covington are now on board the airplane (so - to recap - no Balin or Spencer Dryden from the original JA).

Grunt Record's first album (Bark) is a mixed stylistic bag: Kantner provides three Sci-Fi gems - When the Earth Moves Again, Rock and Roll Island and War Movie; Grace has three weird songs; Jorma has a country/bluesy few and Joey Covington also contributes. 

Sidebar: Concurrent with the emergence of the seventies JA and Jorma and Jack's growth would be the formation of Hot Tuna - their first album Hot Tuna came out in 1970.

Call me perverse but I love Bark's eclectic nature. It kicks off with Papa John announcing his presence with his singular fiddle sound on When the Earth Moves Again. Paul and Grace harmonise perfectly and we're off and running!

This was probably their last album where they pushed the envelope with experimentation. It rewards their efforts too.

Long John Silver was their last album as Jefferson Airplane before they reunited briefly in 1989 for an album. It was a messy time for the band. Joey Covington is on some tracks but he's replaced by John Barbata for others.

The positive is that Grace gets the lion's share of the vocals and Milk Train is a standout song with a driving fiddle riff from Papa John. However, it's easy to see in hindsight that the band had run out of ideas and needed the break. The material is comparatively weak with the worst song being The Son of Jesus.

The live version of the band at this time (with David Freiberg now in the band) was absolutely on fire!  Thirty Seconds Over Winterland is epic with the band in peak form. Highlights abound and this is one of my JA go-to albums.

Jorma's songs (Feel So Good and Trial By Fire) are particularly impressive, much better than the Long John Silver versions, and point toward how exciting Hot Tuna would be. 

The Last Flight double CD chronicles their complete Winterland gig from late September 1972 - some of which appeared on Thirty Seconds Over Winterland.

The band definitely went out on peak form as a live band. This is a continuation of the superb sound from Thirty Seconds. Why the terrible cover though? Very shoddy!

The comeback album of 1989 gets a bad press but I really like a lot of it. I mean the album contains the combined voices of Marty, Grace and Paul Kantner! What's not to love! Two of those voices have passed away and Grace has been retired for a long time, so I eagerly embrace this album for that reason.

The songs are pretty solid and some are even great Jefferson Airplane songs - particularly Marty's Summer of Love and Grace's Common Market Madrigal.

Where do they all belong? Next up - the airplane becomes the Jefferson Starship.

Lights out San Francisco (Craig Chaquico) (LP 669)

Craig Chaquico  Once In A Blue Universe (CD, Higher Octave Music, 1997) *** 

Genre: San Francisco music

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Dreamcatcher

Gear costume: Oceans Apart

Active compensatory factors: Craig Chaquico is best known for his lead guitar prowess with Jefferson Starship and Starship, but since 1993 he's been a solo artist employing a very different style.

This one is probably classified more as jazz than rock (and it's not jazz rock) given the acoustic instrumentals and co-players like John Klemmer on sax.

It's okay for what it is but, honestly, without the Starship connection I wouldn't have bothered. That sounds harsh but I would guess that there are plenty of musicians playing this kind of music on Spotify.

Having said that, Dreamcatcher hits a gnarly bass driven groove and builds nicely through to the sax solo.

 
Where do they all belong? If I came across other CDs by Craig in the CD sale bin I'd certainly pick them up but I won't be chasing them down necessarily.

The little boy who flew away (Jack Bonus) (LP 538)

Jack Bonus Jack Bonus (Vinyl, Grunt, 1972) ** 

Genre: Grunt Records (I've now grouped all my non Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship Grunt albums into a section à la Apple Records). Hence this album that I wouldn't know about (or buy) if it wasn't for the fact that it was on the Grunt label!

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Pecan Pie (Extract) (sadly, it's not available as a single track on YouTube but you can find it at the 15.37 mark as you listen to the whole album here)

Gear costume: The Little Boy Who Flew Away; St Louis Missouri Boy

Active compensatory factors: San Franciscan musician Jack Bonus is a weird one - he sings in a kind of folk/country style (his vocals are an acquired taste), plays sax and flute really well (see Pecan Pie above), writes some interesting songs on this album, and obviously interested someone within Jefferson Starship.

Where do they all belong? This is the only solo album that I'm aware of. It's best described as quirky - with shades of Dan Hicks on some songs. Pecan Pie is my standout track but it's not representative of the album.

That's it for the vinyl section for a while - time to return to the CD collection.

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!