Review: JEFFERSON STARSHIP REVIEW
A star-stuffed stop by Jefferson Starship at the Roswell UFO Festival offers new insight into the legends of Jefferson Airplane, the Dead and CSN, as well — along with a powerful reminder of that era’s deep sense of musical community.
Founding member Paul Kantner is joined here by longtime contributor David Freiberg and former Starship multi-instrumentalist Pete Sears, as well as special guests Tom Constanten, the Grateful Dead’s original keyboardist; and Barry Sless, a Phil Lesh sideman. (Cathy Richardson sits in for Airplane/Starship co-leader Grace Slick, now long retired.) Of course, this isn’t the first confluence of these legendary San Francisco bands: the first Jefferson Starship release, 1970′s
Blows Against the Empire, featured Kantner, Freiberg (an alum of Quicksilver Messenger Service) and Slick along with the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann; and both David Crosby and Graham Nash from Crosby Stills and Nash. Members of all three bands would make key contributions on one another’s albums for years to come.
More recently, however, each of their legends have grown apart in the public consciousness, to the point where many have likely forgotten these long ago moments of shared music making, of a now-rare creative confederacy. It’s a spirit that runs powerfully through
Tales from the Mothership,
available for purchase here via Gonzo MultiMedia. This expansive new concert recording features two discs from Jefferson Starship’s June 3, 2009 performance at the UFO Festival in Roswell, New Mexico, plus a disc each devoted to rehearsals leading up to the show and the soundcheck.
Highlights of the two-set concert bill include surprisingly effective updates of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love” (Richardson absolutely tears through these Slick-composed gems from 1967′s Surrealistic Pillow); muscular versions of Kantner’s title tracks from 1968′s Crown of Creation and 1969′s Volunteers; as well as “Law Man” (1971′s Bark); and “Have You Seen the Saucers?” (1974′s Early Flight). The subsequent Jefferson Starship era is represented by “Sunrise” and “Starship” from 1970′s Blows Against the Empire, along with “Hyperdrive” (a song co-written by Sears for 1974′s Dragon Fly).
At the same time, there are spirited ruminations on the Grateful Dead favorites like “Dark Star,” “Me and My Uncle” and “Mountains of the Moon”; Garcia also appeared on Kantner’s 1973 release Baron von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun, from which “You Mind has Left Your Body” is culled. CSN-related moments include a soaring take on “Wooden Ships,” a track co-written by Crosby, Kantner and Stills that appeared both on Volunteers and on CSN’s self-titled debut, both in 1969; and “Have You Seen the Stars Tonight?,” a Kantner/Crosby number from Blows Against the Empire.
Elsewhere, the band detours for a series of setting-appropriate selections with an outer-space theme (David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”; “Brain Damage” and “Eclipse” from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon; “The Eggplant That Ate Chicago” from the trippy Norman Greenbaum-led Dr. West’s Medicine Show and Junk Band), while referencing some of the other touchstone musical moments like Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom,” the Youngbloods’ “Get Together,” and Fairport Convention’s “Genesis Hall.”
Read on...
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Review: LINK: Jefferson Starship review
https://www.69facesofrock.com/jefferson_starship_roswell_cd.html
Jefferson Starship - Roswell Ufo Festival 2009 ( Gonzo Multimedia) *****This is absolutely superb!
Jefferson Starship fan's ultimate set. This 4-CD set includes everything from this memorable performance. Starting from the rehearsals, going through both sets the band played, and ending with a soundcheck. If you weren't there, you feel like you were there. Every live album should be that insightful.
This was a very special show, and the band invited many guests. Apart from the regular crew that Paul Kantner plays with, we get Pete Sears, Barry Sless, Jack Taylor, Darby Gould, and Tom Constanten. Gould of course used be the main voice of Jefferson Starship before the job eventually fell to Cathy Richardson. It's a real event indeed, and now forever preserved in this recording.
Jefferson Starship delivers all of its hits, and has no problems playing selections from Jefferson Airplane's rich catalog and even digs into Pink Floyd and David Bowie, whose recordings are covered in the set. Considering the spacey nature of the event, it's easy to guess which tunes were covered, and if you didn't guess, well, buy the record!
"Roswell Ufo Festival 2009" is a swell affair. Great show from a band that largely contributed to rock's history. They're still in a fantastic shape, and play their heart out, as documented on the 4 CDs. The release is another slice of a great legacy!
Mark Kadzielawa
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Review: JEFFERSON STARSHIP REVIEW
https://www.soundpress.net/files-feature-articles/fa-2012-09-05-jefferson-starship.php
Jefferson Starship Lands Safely In Roswell
and Emerge with Tales From The Mothership
A SoundPress.net Feature Article by Rich and Laura Lynch
London, UK - "Roswell UFO Parade & Festival Hosts Jefferson Starship Sci-Fi Extravaganza" read the headlines for the annual July 3rd event that took place in Roswell, New Mexico in 2009. Jefferson Airplane founder Paul Kantner and his legendary band Jefferson Starship and special guests, which included original Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten, performed a one-of-a-kind sci-fi concert at Pearson Auditorium in Roswell in honor of the town's famed annual parade. The group was also bestowed the honor of being the parade's 'Grand Martians' that year and rode atop a special float especially built for them.
The entire concert was filmed and recorded, and in addition to such iconic hits as "White Rabbit", "Somebody To Love", "Volunteers", "Wooden Ships" recorded by its forebear Jefferson Airplane (the last two penned by Kantner), a special programme of science fiction themed compositions and select recordings were performed, some for the first time ever! Now, much to the excitement of Jefferson Starship fans across the globe UK's Gonzo MultiMedia is releasing the entire concert in an extravagant 4-CD box set.
In 1971 the band's first album (Paul Kantner's first solo album actually), 'Blows Against The Empire' was also the first rock music recording ever nominated for literary science fiction's prestigious Hugo Award. In addition to Kantner, 'Blows' featured a 'Who's Who' of Bay Area musicians including David Freiberg from Quicksilver Messenger Service. Freiberg and Kantner, later launched the ongoing Jefferson Starship, eventually writing the hit "Jane." David rejoined the band full time in 2005.
In 1991 the late great rock impresario Bill Graham signed on to produce 'Blows' from a 'scripted stage play concept' co-written bu Paul Kantner and his (then) new manager Michael Gaiman, a lifelong fan. Sadly, Bill was killed in a helicopter crash and the idea was shelved until Sony Pictures pitched an 'option' for a 'Blows' motion picture in 1996. "That was a big year for sci-fi," recalls Gaiman. Stemming from a shared interest in 1950s science fiction film and literature, Paul and Michael have worked together for nearly 25 years. In 2008 they co-produced (along with David Freiberg), 'Jefferson's Tree of Liberty,' Jefferson Starship's first studio recording in a decade. The album garnered stellar reviews worldwide. In 2009 Jefferson Starship headlined 'The Heroes of Woodstock', the authorized touring commemorative of the 1969 Woodstock Music & Arts Festival.
"On July 3rd, 2009, thanks to the Roswell UFO Festival Committee and Cool 94.9 Radio, we got to scratch that itch and assuage a long time desire to stage a mosh of rock music and science fiction," says Gaiman.
Along with Paul Kantner and David Frieberg, Jefferson Starship also features lead singer Cathy Richardson (who played Janis Joplin on Broadway in 'Love, Janis') and longtime band members Slick Aguilar, Chris Smith and Donny Baldwin. In addition to Grateful Dead's Tom Constanten, special guests include Pete Sears (the band's former bass & keyboard player on all their hits), Barry Sless (guitar & pedal steel with Phil Lesh & Friends), former lead vocalist Darby Gould and legendary folk artist Jack Taylor, one of Paul Kantner's early musical influences.
Renegade Productions, the band's frequent collaborator ('Jefferson's Tree of Liberty' was the first album ever recorded in their new studio at the time) staged the production and provided custom sound, lighting and image projection. Karl Anderson of Global Recording Artists filmed the event dubbed 'Tales From The Mothership,' a joint production of The Roswell UFO Festival Committee and Jefferson Starship. "It's not a documentary, not a 'rockumentary', not a 'mockumentary'...it's a 'Spockumentary," Gaiman quips.
Along with the entire concert from July 3, 2009, the 4-CD set also includes rehearsals from 6/27/2009 and the band's soundcheck before the show.
Review: LINK: Jefferson Starship review
https://www.soundpress.net/files-feature-articles/fa-2012-09-05-jefferson-starship.php
Jefferson Starship Lands Safely In Roswell
and Emerge with Tales From The Mothership
A SoundPress.net Feature Article by Rich and Laura Lynch
London, UK - "Roswell UFO Parade & Festival Hosts Jefferson Starship Sci-Fi Extravaganza" read the headlines for the annual July 3rd event that took place in Roswell, New Mexico in 2009. Jefferson Airplane founder Paul Kantner and his legendary band Jefferson Starship and special guests, which included original Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten, performed a one-of-a-kind sci-fi concert at Pearson Auditorium in Roswell in honor of the town's famed annual parade. The group was also bestowed the honor of being the parade's 'Grand Martians' that year and rode atop a special float especially built for them.
The entire concert was filmed and recorded, and in addition to such iconic hits as "White Rabbit", "Somebody To Love", "Volunteers", "Wooden Ships" recorded by its forebear Jefferson Airplane (the last two penned by Kantner), a special programme of science fiction themed compositions and select recordings were performed, some for the first time ever! Now, much to the excitement of Jefferson Starship fans across the globe UK's Gonzo MultiMedia is releasing the entire concert in an extravagant 4-CD box set.
In 1971 the band's first album (Paul Kantner's first solo album actually), 'Blows Against The Empire' was also the first rock music recording ever nominated for literary science fiction's prestigious Hugo Award. In addition to Kantner, 'Blows' featured a 'Who's Who' of Bay Area musicians including David Freiberg from Quicksilver Messenger Service. Freiberg and Kantner, later launched the ongoing Jefferson Starship, eventually writing the hit "Jane." David rejoined the band full time in 2005.
In 1991 the late great rock impresario Bill Graham signed on to produce 'Blows' from a 'scripted stage play concept' co-written bu Paul Kantner and his (then) new manager Michael Gaiman, a lifelong fan. Sadly, Bill was killed in a helicopter crash and the idea was shelved until Sony Pictures pitched an 'option' for a 'Blows' motion picture in 1996. "That was a big year for sci-fi," recalls Gaiman. Stemming from a shared interest in 1950s science fiction film and literature, Paul and Michael have worked together for nearly 25 years. In 2008 they co-produced (along with David Freiberg), 'Jefferson's Tree of Liberty,' Jefferson Starship's first studio recording in a decade. The album garnered stellar reviews worldwide. In 2009 Jefferson Starship headlined 'The Heroes of Woodstock', the authorized touring commemorative of the 1969 Woodstock Music & Arts Festival.
"On July 3rd, 2009, thanks to the Roswell UFO Festival Committee and Cool 94.9 Radio, we got to scratch that itch and assuage a long time desire to stage a mosh of rock music and science fiction," says Gaiman.
Along with Paul Kantner and David Frieberg, Jefferson Starship also features lead singer Cathy Richardson (who played Janis Joplin on Broadway in 'Love, Janis') and longtime band members Slick Aguilar, Chris Smith and Donny Baldwin. In addition to Grateful Dead's Tom Constanten, special guests include Pete Sears (the band's former bass & keyboard player on all their hits), Barry Sless (guitar & pedal steel with Phil Lesh & Friends), former lead vocalist Darby Gould and legendary folk artist Jack Taylor, one of Paul Kantner's early musical influences.
Renegade Productions, the band's frequent collaborator ('Jefferson's Tree of Liberty' was the first album ever recorded in their new studio at the time) staged the production and provided custom sound, lighting and image projection. Karl Anderson of Global Recording Artists filmed the event dubbed 'Tales From The Mothership,' a joint production of The Roswell UFO Festival Committee and Jefferson Starship. "It's not a documentary, not a 'rockumentary', not a 'mockumentary'...it's a 'Spockumentary," Gaiman quips.
Along with the entire concert from July 3, 2009, the 4-CD set also includes rehearsals from 6/27/2009 and the band's soundcheck before the show.
Review: LINK: Album Review - Jefferson Starship – Tales From the Mothership
Where to start with this one? There’s so much I could say about the sprawling 4CD set
Tales From the Mothership. But let’s start with a bit of history to contextualize things.
Tales From the Mothership is credited to Jefferson Starship. Note that’s notJefferson Airplane, the group that gave us the hit versions of “White Rabbit” and “Sombody to Love” as well as “Volunteers” and “Wooden Ships.” But all four of those songs do appear in one form or another on this set. No, this is the Starship, the group that grew out of the ashes of the Airplane upon its early 70s demise. But it doesn’t sound a bit like – nor does it feature most of the musicians from the era – the 70s pop group that scored hits with “Play on Love,” Miracles” and other AOR tunes.
Review: LINK: Jefferson Starship reviewed
https://vianocturna2000.blogspot.pt/2012/09/review-tales-from-mothership-roswell.html
Review: Tales From The Mothership - Roswell UFO Festival (Jefferson Starship)
Tales From The Mothership - Roswell UFO Festival (Jefferson Starship)
(2010, Bear/2012, Gonzo Multimedia)
There is an annual event that takes place in New Mexico called Roswell UFO Festival. So far nothing new. Is important to note that in 2009 one of these names were the true living legends who are the Jefferson Starship. And the band that took its stake to record a live album. Also nothing new here. Interestingly follows. When traditional line-up joined former members and some guests, like the Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten vocalist Cathy Richardson or (the same who played the role of Janis Joplin in the Broadway play Love, Janis) presented a concert for mixed music and science fiction not to clash with the environment lived in the city for those days. The entire concert was recorded and beyond the emblematic themes like White Rabbit, Somebody To Love, Volunteers and Wooden Ships, even the time of Jefferson Airplane, was created a special set with issues related to science fiction some of whom played for the first time. Now, to the delight of fans of the band is available in a box with 4 cd's that depict the passage of Jefferson Starship at that festival. Two of the cd's have the concert in its entirety, each with their set. The box is then enriched with two cd's that result from recordings of rehearsals and soundcheck before the show. A true delight for fans with a feeling bootleg rockumentario sharp and a real must.
Tracklist:
CD 1:
One. Space Oddity
2nd. All Fly Away
3rd. Your Mind Has Left Your Body
4th. Brain Damage / Eclipse
5th. Your Mind Has Left Your Body (Reprise)
6th. Hyperdrive
7th. Genesis Hall
Eight. Genesis Hall
9th. White Rabbit
10. Somebody To Love
11. Science Fiction Movie
12. Of Galaxy And Jam
CD 2:
One. Urban Space
2nd. The Eggplant That Ate Chicago
3rd. Mountains Of The Moon
4th. This Land Is Your Land
5th. Me & My Uncle
6th. Billy The Kid
7th. Crown Of Creation
Eight. Was not That A Time
9th. Get Together
10. Chimes Of Freedom
11. Cowboy On The Run
12. I Can not Forgive You
13. Genesis Hall
14. Mother Earth
15. Flowers Of The Night
16. Lawman
17. Wooden Ships
CD 3:
One. Sunrise
2nd. Have You Seen The Saucers?
3rd. Have You Seen The Stars Tonight?
4th. Starship
5th. Follow The Drinking Gourd
6th. Dark Star
7th. Space Oddity
Eight. All Fly Away
9th. Hyperdrive
10. Science Fiction Movie
11. Your Mind Has Left Your Body
12. Brain Damage
13. Your Mind Has Left Your Body (reprise)
14. Somebody To Love
15. White Rabbit
16. Volunteers
CD 4:
One. Space Oddity
2nd. Space Oddity
3rd. This Land Is Your Land
4th. Science Fiction Movie
5th. Me & My Uncle
6th. Cathy's medley soudcheck
Line-up:
Paul Kantner - guitar and vocals
David Freiberg - guitars and percussion
Slick Aguilar - guitar solo
Donny Baldwin - drums
Chris Smith - keyboards
Cathy Richardson - acoustic guitar and vocals
Internet:
Review: JEFFERSON STARSHIP BELGIAN REVIEW
Online translation services can have strange, surreal and oddly beautiful results. Today's very positive review of the new Jefferson Starship 4CD set, takes us into some strange and - as I said - oddly beautiful - linguistic caverns. Grace Slick changes gender, and how can anybody agrgue with a statement like this: "Many albums, but also overstaffed who went and came into the ranks of Jefferson Starship over time". Enjoy. I certainly have.
https://www.musicinbelgium.net/pl/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=5877
When Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady leave the Jefferson Airplane to go form Hot Tuna in 1972, the remaining members of the Airplane convert their airplane spaceship and thus was born the Jefferson
Starship in 1974. This change of name can mean many things : technical development with music that will be more gradual, will rise higher in the air due to space rock, or just new chapter in the saga started in 1965 by Marty Balin , Paul Kantner and Grace Slick.
This is also when the latter released his solo album "Manhole" in 1973 that his comrades chose the name Jefferson Starship to accompany it. The Jefferson Starship will be a central figure in progressive rock and AOR U.S. during the 70s and 80, telling a series of albums wandered between west coast, experimental space rock or return to the values and country folk. Albums "Dragon Fly" (1974), "Red Octopus" (1975),"Spitfire" (1976), "Earth" (1978), "Freedom at Point Zero" (1979), "Modern Times"(1981), "Winds of Change" (1983) "Nuclear furniture" (1984) are there to witness provided a discography, most often rewarded by beautiful rankings in the U.S. charts. Many albums, but also overstaffed who went and came into the ranks of Jefferson Starship over time.
The most significant change is the departure in 1978 of Marty Balin and Grace Slick, pillars training. The last founder Paul Kantner goes also in 1984 and the rest of the group renamed simply Starship for other albums until 1990, when the final separation of the group. Shortly after, Paul Kantner revived the Jefferson Starship which coexists with another reformation Starship singer Mickey refounded by Thomas. The historic Jefferson Starship releases new albums, the latest, "Jefferson's tree of liberty" (2008) is followed by an extensive concert festival in 2009 in Roswell, object of this album. So balance races : that t find one in this Jefferson Starship after so many years ? course Patriarch Paul Kantner, 70, who is on his shoulders not only the history of Jefferson Starship but also of Jefferson Airplane. At his side, David Freiberg , another legend, the founder of Quicksilver Messenger Service and accompanied Paul Kantner and Grace Slick on their various solo albums. There are also Cathy Richardson (vocals, charged with the difficult succession of Grace Slick), Chris Smith (keyboards),Donny Baldwin (drums) and Slick Aguilar (guitar).
During the recording of the concert Roswell in 2009, the group presented on stage a series of guests : Pete Sears (bass who officiated on many albums of Rod Stewart), Barry Sless (guitarist wanted for his expertise the pedal steel), Tom Constanten (piano, ex-
Grateful Dead), Darby Gould (vocals, an alumnus of
Jefferson Starship) and Jack Traylor(guitar and vocals, an old companion of Paul Kantner solo albums).
This is very dense and full of meaning and becomes even more against the CD that traces show that given July 3, 2009 in Roswell, place remained famous for being the location of a supposed flying saucer crash in 1947, a mystery still jealously guarded by the U.S. Army would have found the bodies of little green men. This"Roswell UFO Festival 2009" is not a simple but a quadruple CD CD which contains, brace yourselves, a first rehearsal CD a few days before the festival, two CD sets depicting both given on the same day and last CD reproducing the sound check before the concert. Object that will delight fans of
Jefferson Starship could sicken others, as the mass of information contained within this mini-cabinet is huge and admittedly, much superfluous. CD repetition and balance are basically the internal workings of little interest. You see the roadies who prepare the scene before the concert ? "One two, one two, check check" and other magic formulas that are used to verify that sound is in place and that the instruments are tuned ? Well, there are two CD whole of these pieces started and not finished, hesitant, interrupted dialogue between musicians and the technology ("Hey Freddie, forgive me a little more guitar on my back, I hear nothing"). We will therefore these documents sound only for maniacs
Jefferson Starship to focus on CD 2 and 3, which depict two shows given the same day. The first is quite hovering and the second is much more rock, there is something for everyone. Jefferson Starship to pay the luxury to provide two radically different set lists from one show to another. The first part of the first show is essentially folk with covers of "Urban Spaceman" (Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band), "The eggplant That Ate Chicago" (Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band), "Mountains of the Moon " (Grateful Dead), "This land is your land" (Woody Guthrie), "Me & my uncle" (Grateful Dead) or "Billy the Kid" (Woody Guthrie). The group starts a "Crown of Creation" by Jefferson Airplane time before interpreting some songs from the latest album "Jefferson's tree of liberty" , and some other lesser known songs of
Jefferson Airplane ( "Lawman" , "Wooden ships " ) and songs from solo albums Paul Kantner and Grace Slick ( "Sunfighter" , 1971 , "Baron von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun" , 1973). The second show is more convincing, more consistent, with cream airplanien directory ( "Have you seen the saucers?" ,"Somebody to Love" , "White Rabbit" , "Volunteers" , we no longer) and masterful interpretations of covers of David Bowie ( "Space oddity" ),
Pink Floyd ( "Brain Damage" , "Eclipse") plus a beautiful "Dark Star" The
Grateful Dead.
Cathy Richardson seeps comfortable in slippers with Grace Slick singing close to the singer said original Jefferson Starship. The whole is surrounded by the magic and joy of playing musicians on stage and comes to regret not having seen the show in the desert, with the ghost of the little Martian Roswell aspect of science fictionnesque things. "Roswell UFO Festival 2009" is an excellent key to open the door to work consistently and legendary pair
Jefferson Airplane -
Jefferson Starship. The choice of the group have done everything, including repetitions, is a bit questionable, but there are two magnificent shows delight lovers of psychedelic rock, progressive and all those who dedicate a legitimate admiration for the nebula
Jefferson Airplane.
Review: LINK: Jefferson Starship review
A star-stuffed stop by Jefferson Starship at the Roswell UFO Festival offers new insight into the legends of Jefferson Airplane, the Dead and CSN, as well — along with a powerful reminder of that era’s deep sense of musical community.
Founding member Paul Kantner is joined here by longtime contributor David Freiberg and former Starship multi-instrumentalist Pete Sears, as well as special guests Tom Constanten, the Grateful Dead’s original keyboardist; and Barry Sless, a Phil Lesh sideman. (Cathy Richardson sits in for Airplane/Starship co-leader Grace Slick, now long retired.) Of course, this isn’t the first confluence of these legendary San Francisco bands: the first Jefferson Starship release, 1970′s Blows Against the Empire, featured Kantner, Freiberg (an alum of Quicksilver Messenger Service) and Slick along with the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann; and both David Crosby and Graham Nash from Crosby Stills and Nash. Members of all three bands would make key contributions on one another’s albums for years to come.
More recently, however, each of their legends have grown apart in the public consciousness, to the point where many have likely forgotten these long ago moments of shared music making, of a now-rare creative confederacy. It’s a spirit that runs powerfully through Tales from the Mothership, available for purchase here via Gonzo MultiMedia. This expansive new concert recording features two discs from Jefferson Starship’s June 3, 2009 performance at the UFO Festival in Roswell, New Mexico, plus a disc each devoted to rehearsals leading up to the show and the soundcheck.
Read on...
Review: JEFFERSON STARSHIP REVIEW
https://dmme.net/reviews/reviews51.html#jeffstar
On the verge of Independence Day and Woodstock's 40th anniversary, the veteran bunch go all spaced-out and cover all bases.
Donning the Martians robes for the UFO parade seemed like a logical step for a band who'd beamed cosmic music all over America for more than four decades, first in the 'PLANE clothes and then from the board of this interstellar vehicle. Yet the Paul Kantner-helmed crew took the idea a parsec further and invited their audience to an adventurous trip which this 4 CD set documents. It borders on overload with separate discs for rehearsals and a soundcheck aimed at completists but the taut test version of "All Fly Away", originating on the band's debut, "Dragon Fly", beats the concert one, and David Frieberg's lysergic run through "Space Oddity" may challenge their jazzy reading of "Dark Star" for expansiveness. And if the latter's appearance in the repertoire is justified by the presence of GRATEFUL DEAD's Tom Constanten, whose piano elegantly carries Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land", it's an addition of unexpected covers that makes it all so interesting.
The show may climax with the inescapable triplet of "Somebody To Love", "White Rabbit" and "Volunteers", yet it starts with BONZOS' "Urban Spaceman" and Norman Greenbaum's "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago" and gains seriousness along the way. There, "Hyperdrive", another early classic, hangs its heavy soul under the guidance of STARSHIP's old bassist Pete Sears who makes a welcome return together with their erstwhile singer Darby Gould. She brings down celestial glory of FLOYD's "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse" and does a fantastic Sandy Denny impression in "Genesis Hall", while her successor Cathy Richardson serves up a tremulous "I Can't Forgive You", that Phil Lesh's acolyte Barry Sless adorns with pedal steel, before Jack Traylor joins in the ringing folk ride with "Earth Mother". The most impressive piece on offer is "Wooden Ships" that Kantner reclaims from CS&N, with harmonies-filled oldies "Crown Of Creation" and "Lawman" falling not far behind. On the other side of the spectrum lies flat "Chimes Of Freedom" from the group's latest album, "Jefferson's Tree Of Liberty".
Much more effectively in the Roswell context work a coupling of "Have You Seen The Saucers" and "Have You Seen The Stars Tonight?" which brought the Mothership's captain the respect of Sci-Fi community back in 1970, whereas traditional "Follow The Drinking Gourd" helps to keep the balance between astronomy and dirt-digging. From this standpoint, "Tales" - very human, rather than alien(ating) - make a riveting spin.
****
****
|
...and check out the Gonzo Artist Page for Jefferson Starship you know it makes sense.
