Starship - Starships Greatest Hits Ten Years and Change 19791991 (12 tracks) +Album Reviews

A great rock band gets an awfully lacking compilation

M. B. Link | USA | 10/18/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Starship's Greatest Hits (1991). The first official greatest hits compilation for Starship ranging from 1979-1991.Technically, the band Starship has actually existed since the late 60s, though they were a completely different band back then. From the late 60s to the mid 70s, they were known as Jefferson Airplane. From the mid 70s to the early 80s, they were Jefferson Starship. From 85 and onward, they were just Starship. This compilation picks an odd point to start with. They cover the years in Jefferson Starship starting from 1979 and proceeding all the way to the very last Starship album. I'm going to assume that they covered the time that lead singer Mickey Thomas was in the band.While this compilation does contain a lot of great music, it's lacking in quality quite a bit. As you'll soon find out, this greatest hits package is anything but perfect. Read below to find out why:(1979-1984) Jefferson Starship Tracks
Jane, Find Your Way Back, Stranger, No Way Out, and Laying It On The Line
comments: These are all great classic tracks, but why not just do a double disc compilation with one disc focusing on Jefferson Starship and the other focussing on Starship the pop rock band?(1985) KNEE DEEP IN THE HOOPLA
We Built This City, Sara
comments: They managed to include both hits, but 'WE BUILT THIS CITY' IS THE RADIO EDIT VERSION WITHOUT THE DJ AND THE INTRO! WHY?? The original version was perfect, so why did they have to shorten the song on a disc that already has tons of leftover album space to begin with? Also, where are some of the album's masterpiece tracks such as 'Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight' or 'Love Rusts'?(1987) NO PROTECTION
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, It's Not Over 'Til It's Over
comments: Likewise, both the hits are here, but it's missing many key token Starship tracks. WHERE ARE 'BEAT PATROL', 'GIRLS LIKE YOU', AND ESPECIALLY 'BABYLON' THE ALBUM'S MASTERPIECE TRACK?! Their exclusions brings this compilation's value way down.(1989) LOVE AMONG THE CANNIBALS
It's Not Enough
comments: This album REALLY got cheated off of great tracks. 'It's Not Enough' became a sleeper hit, but there were so many greater songs to be found on the album. I'm talking about the tracks 'The Burn', 'Trouble In Mind', 'I Didn't Mean To Stay All Night' and especially 'Wild Again'.(1990-1991) Bonus Tracks
Don't Lose Any Sleep, Good Heart
comments: If this lackluster compilation has any redeeming factors about it, it's that there are a couple of new unreleased tracks made right before Starship disbanded. 'Don't Lose Any Sleep' is fairly average, but 'Good Heart' is worthy of mention.Overall, this is a severely mediocre greatest hits package. It fails to even come close to filling up the disk's storage limit and the booklet is lacking in any useful information as well. Thankfully, there are a couple of alternatives to go with. If you like the earlier era consisting of Jefferson Starship's songs, then the only collection worth getting is the double disc best of compilation. It's more money, but it's better than shelling out cash for this sorry collection. If you like starship, then look for a single disc comp. called "The Best Of Starship" which contains some 20 tracks or so. The only catch is that it's rare to find it. Only buy the Greatest Hits compilation if you are on an extremely low budget and if you can find it used. RECOMMENDED TO AVOID."

More of A Bridge Than A Greatest Hits Album.

K. Fontenot | The Bayou State | 02/12/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jefferson Airplane was considered a really good rock outfit. They were a key part of the sex, drugs and rock n' roll of the 70's. Swiftly they began to change. From battles over the name of the band to member changes to style changes, the group seemed more like three or four bands than one. The musical styling changes prove that. Those changes can be heard throughout this album.

The earlier songs found here, especially "Jane," hearken back to the days when this band was built to rock. Songs like "No Way Out" revealed the changes to come as the band metamorphosed one more time into a pop/arena rock outfit. Of course, this change lead to their big hits of the 80's, such as "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" and "Sara," which are included here. The album also includes a couple of new tracks which are pretty good, "Good Heart" and "Don't Lose Any Sleep," which show a band embracing their new pop sound to perfection.

Of course, there are always songs that bring about controversy, and "We Built This City" is that song on this compilation. Much like Styx's "Mr. Roboto," this song is either loved or detested by all that hear it. I'm one of those schmucks who loves the song. It's been rated one of the cheesiest songs ever on a multitude of television shows and in magazines. It's also been called one of the best pop tunes ever. No matter which side of the fence you're on, it's here for you to sample.

In closing, all you can really say about this album is that it gives you a taste of what once was Jefferson Airplane, what became Jefferson Starship, and what eventually went down in flames groupwise as Starship. All of the songs on this album are keepers, but there's nothing especially groundbreaking here. Just keep in mind that Starship is the pop version of Jefferson Airplane, and you won't be let down."

3 #1 hits, here for your listening pleasure

Lee G. Gilman | Charlotte, NC, USA | 05/25/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Say what you will about them, but Starship has 3 Number One hits. Starship established themselves as one of the best performers of pop ballads of the mid-late 80's, with #1 hits Sara and Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now. Both are among my favorite pop ballads, and the song Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now has actually prompted me to see the movie Mannequin which features this song. And you can't forget about We Built This City , their first #1 hit in 1985. The Jefferson Starship-era songs are OK, but not my cup of tea. I much prefer the pop sound of Starship, which is on the second half of this CD."

Fantastic album that made a fan out of me.

Matt Coker | Davis, CA, USA | 01/08/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" was the only song I knew when I bought the album. After only I few listens, there wasn't a single song on the album that I didn't enjoy. Its an exceptional collection, tweleve fantastic songs and no loose ends. The album opens with five Jefferson Starship songs from the period of 1979-1984. "Jane" (from FREEDOM AT POINT ZERO) is an excellent rocks song, with fantastic bocal effects. "Find Your Way Back" and "Stranger" from 1981's MODERN TIMES are equally intriging. "Find Your Way Back" is as incredible rock song as "Jane", with outstanding guitar work. "Stranger" has fantastic production, with great production and masterful vocals from Mickey Thomas and Grace Slick. "No Way Out" is a terrific love song, a lot different than the preceeding three songs, but not any less marvelous. "Layin' It On The Line" is the last of the Jefferson Straship songs, and both this and "No Way Out" came from the great record NUCLEAR FURNITURE. "Don't Lose Any Sleep" recorded in 1990, features only Mickey Thomas and Craig Chaquico, but its still an outstanding song. The second half of the record starts of all systems go, with three consecutive #1 hits. "We Built This City" is as enjoyable after 5000 times as it is the first. Exceptional keyboard arrangements and wonderful vocals keep the song fresh and eager. "Sara" is a gorgeous ballad, magnificently perfomed. These two #1s from the 1985 release KNEE DEEP IN THE HOOPLA are both worthy of their chart status. My favorite song is still "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now", which is as fanscinating today as it was when I heard the song in a movie. The song is four minutes and twenty-nine seconds of perfection. "It's Not Over (Till It'S Over)" is a great song. These two songs from 1987's NO PROTECTION album, the last record to feature Grace Slick. "It's Not Enough" from 1989's LOVE AMONG THE CANNIBALS (Starship's last new album), isn't any less spectacular than the preceeding songs. "It's Not Enough" is a fantastic rock songs, with magnificent perfomances. The last song is "Good Heart" which brings the CD to a masterful close. I don't know where "Key To The City" is, I've never heard of the song. If you're looking for an outstanding album, you can't miss with GREATEST HITS (TEN YEARS AND CHANGE), 52 minutes of pure entertainment."

This is a good, over-the-top '80s rock album!

Preston L. Moreaux | North Carolina | 05/30/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I liked this Starship album compiling their hits between the name changes of Jefferson Starship and Starship. I loved Jane when it came out in 1979 and the other songs from '84 to '90 are full-blown over-the-top rockers! They were like a milder Van Halen under the newer name with the excess and bombast. The pre-'84-85 songs don't grab me as much as the others. Some of the songs actually sound good in Atlanta--the skyline of that city matches very well to the songs and landscapes. We Built This City still rocks, I still like the calm to blasting vibes of No Way Out, Sara still has that mysterious feel to it, It's Not Over still is charging, and I still like the Mike Shipley sound of It's Not Enough. Paul Kantner and Mickey Thomas were good as the lead singers, but no one mentioned Marty Balin? To me, he was also another strong lead singer in that band when he was in it. Through a lot of conflicts over the group name, this album justifies their success in the '80s. Surprising that most of the songs average in the 4 1/2 minute range."

Search - Starship :: Starship's Greatest Hits (Ten Years and Change 1979-1991)

CD Details

Similarly Requested CDs

Member CD Reviews

CD Reviews