Search - Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Starship :: Jefferson Airplane/ Jefferson Starship/ Starship - Greatest Hits

They built this city in green sun, on blue earth.

David Chirko | Sudbury, Ontario Canada | 01/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My intrigue for (what was originally) the Jefferson Airplane goes back to the late 60s. "Somebody To Love" was the song and "Surrealistic Pillow" was the album that galvanized me. The Airplane and its subsequent incarnations, which flew under the Jefferson Starship (even, temporarily, "Starship Jefferson") and Starship banners, and which experienced a somewhat constant change in personnel to go with their ever growing and maturing, creative direction, always had something--or someone--magical to offer its devotees. The tirelessly intricate, even ornately mindblowing, bleeding intensity from the lead guitar finessing of Jorma Kaukonen and later Craig Chaquico was a hallmark of their sound. (Both were savagely underrated and therefore often absent from pundits' lists of greatest ever guitarists.) Jack Casady was a masterful, but never pretentious, bass player--along the line of a Chris Hillman. He was later replaced by ex-Quicksilver Messenger Service great, David Freiberg. The scintillating vocals of founder Marty Balin and Grace Slick, especially on ballads was, to say the very least, achingly romantic and profoundly sensuous. The former was also a stellar songwriter, in the same league as Gene Clark, Justin Hayward and Michael Brown. The latter, a former fashion ingenue, was dextrous with many instruments and proficient at composing, too. Yes, when the "San Franciscan Valkyrie" and the boys melded, even though the harmonies were arranged, at times, deliberately apart, it was crooning or roaring reaching a new dimension in rock. Later on, Mickey Thomas, who possessed marvelous, anthem-rock like pipes, would be the one to pour out, so profusely, his boyish hurts over the mic. Then there was the late Papa John Creach's demonic and soulful fiddling, tantalizing us like a rock Paganini. Certainly no one forgets Canadian born Skip Spence, the iconoclastic and ephemeral first drummer and later founder of the seminal group, Moby Grape. His replacement, Spencer Dryden, would later find notoriety with former Byrds bassist Skip Battin in Jerry Garcia & company's New Riders Of The Purple Sage. However, it was John Barbata, earlier with the Turtles and later with CSN, who I admired most banging on the skins, with his flamboyant twirling. Not to forget well travelled drummer Aynsley Dunbar, who did stints with fellow 'Friscans Journey, as well as Frank Zappa, with and without the Mothers of Invention. One of the doyens, Paul Kantner (who not long ago attempted to revive, again, the Jefferson Airplane), and many other luminaries flying with the Airship (an omnibus term I will call all developments of the group) had unique talents.Their oeuvre encapsulated elements that were diverse, if not, as far as mind-expansion was concerned, divine, though nothing was ever too sacred--whether theological or political--to assail or desecrate. This was because they took it upon themselves to expose the debased and fallen "Empire"--anything they found hypocritical in the establishment or society at large--by announcing this through the "Revolution," of their music. Sound effects often reflected their themes, to complement dazzling light shows at their concerts. They were, after all, psychedelic and conquered the audiences at the Fillmore, Monterey, Woodstock, Altamont and elsewhere with their sound. Space travel, mixed with doses of Orientalia, jazzed up with hallucinogenic blues, through synthesizers--whatever--maintained an ever evolving and pleasing concoction. Strangely enough, the Airship, like their legendary California cousins, the Byrds, started out as folk-rockers. But what of this "Greatest Hits" collection? Like so many other artists from the 60s, 70s and 80s, the work of the Airship has been obsessively repackaged by avaricious record company executives. So, what compilation does the discerning ear sagaciously select? Well, I bought most of their original, early albums and some of the latter-day releases, as well as curios by offshoots of the Mother Ship, from the late 60s to the mid 70s and decided on the compilation route in the late 80s. However, none of the single or double vinyl albums, single CDs or CD box sets covered all periods of the group extensively. With a prodigious band like the Airship it just was not feasible to include everyone's favourite number. Please keep in mind that many of the latter day Airship albums, after the world smash "Red Octopus," were not so consistent. (The same fate befell the Moodies after "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour.") And I always thought that the cynosure, Grace Slick, played a lesser role in the twilight years of the Ship. Any anthology dedicated to the Airship should therefore pay heed to these factors. In any event, the works in this "Greatest Hits" package were either hits, sides from singles or choice album cuts, chronologically culled from their three (appropriately leaning less heavily on the second, and less still on the third--as they progressively got more commercial) eras. The first seventeen tracks are by the Jefferson Airplane, 1966-1972; the next twelve tracks by the Jefferson Starship, 1975-1984; and the last six tracks are by the Starship, 1985-1989. The pieces I personally relished the most from all of the aforementioned line-ups are, respectively: "Comin' Back To Me," "Good Shepherd," "Caroline," "Miracles," "We Built This City" and "Sara." This CD is worth its price for these songs alone because they all possess memorable hooks. The sometimes arcane, but provocative doggerel is there too. What masterpieces by the Airship are missing from this CD? There are just too many to enumerate, but I would say the song I revere more than any other by them, is the most chillingly exquisite stentorian Gracie has ever vocalized: David Crosby's "Triad" (which the Byrds refused to release at the time, believing it to be too racy, remember?)All in all, this is a must have for not just the uninitiated, but the grateful aficionados, as well. The Jefferson Airplane/Starship is the quintessential band to soar out of San Francisco (my apologies to Chocolate Watch Band fans and Deadheads). Get this treasure trove, "Greatest Hits," now because they built this city "in green sun, on blue earth.""