Record Reviews

CURVED AIR ~ LIVE ESOTERIC 2067 (Barcode: 5013929716728) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1974 Released: 2008 5th album by the excellent British Prog band Curved AirFind albums by this artist and the first live recording done by the group after it re-formed following the hiatus of the two preceding years when founding members Darryl WayFind albums by this artist (violin) and Francis MonkmanFind albums by this artist (guitar and keyboards) left to follow solo careers. The re-united group was fronted (as always) by the divine singer Sonja KristinaFind albums by this artist and included also the fourth founding member drummer Florian Pilkington-MiksaFind albums by this artist, with just one new member bassist Phil KohnFind albums by this artist. The material includes songs from the first three seminal albums the band recorded, but the energetic and virtuoso performances on these live dates make it even stronger that the original recordings. Kristina is particularly brilliant with her strongest and most expressive voice ever recorded and with energies equal to those of Janis JoplinFind albums by this artist and Grace SlickFind albums by this artist. In retrospect this is certainly one of the strongest live Prog albums ever recorded and certainly the best British female vocalist in that genre recorded live. Not to be missed!

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE ~ LIVE AT THE FILLMORE AUDITORIUM 10/15/66 LATE SHOW – SIGNE`S FAREWELL COLLECTORS` CHOICE LIVE 6004 (Barcode: 617742600421) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2010 This album presents previously unreleased live material recorded by the superb US Rock group Jefferson AirplaneFind albums by this artist. This specific show, recorded at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium in SF, presents for the first time a glimpse at the live concert played by the first lineup of the group, which included female vocalist Signe AndersonFind albums by this artist, before she was replaced by Grace SlickFind albums by this artist. In fact this is the very last show Signe played with the group. In retrospect this recording proves how great this band was in every respect and always eons ahead of their time. This is an absolute must to every Jefferson Airplane fan and a great document of the era. A must!

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE ~ LIVE AT THE FILLMORE AUDITORIUM 10/16/66 EARLY & LATE SHOWS – GRACE`S DEBUT COLLECTORS` CHOICE LIVE 6005 (Barcode: 617742600520) ~ USA ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2010 This album presents previously unreleased live material recorded by the superb US Rock group Jefferson AirplaneFind albums by this artist. This specific show, recorded at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium in SF, presents for the first time a glimpse at the live concert played by the second lineup of the group, which included female vocalist Grace SlickFind albums by this artist, after she replaced Signe AndersonFind albums by this artist. In fact this is the very first show Grace played with the group. In retrospect this recording proves how great this band was in every respect and always eons ahead of their time. This is an absolute must to every Jefferson Airplane fan and a great document of the era. A must!

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE ~ LIVE AT THE FILLMORE AUDITORIUM 11/25/66 & 11/27/66 – WE HAVE IGNITION COLLECTORS` CHOICE LIVE 6006 (Barcode: 617742600629) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2010 This album presents previously unreleased live material recorded by the superb US Rock group Jefferson AirplaneFind albums by this artist. This specific show, recorded at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium in SF, presents for the first time a glimpse at the live concert played by the second lineup of the group, which included female vocalist Grace SlickFind albums by this artist, right after she replaced Signe AndersonFind albums by this artist, now fully integrated into the band. In retrospect this recording proves how great this band was in every respect and always eons ahead of their time. This is an absolute must to every Jefferson Airplane fan and a great document of the era. A must!

CD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE ~ RETURN TO THE MATRIX 02/01/68 COLLECTORS` CHOICE LIVE 6008 (Barcode: 617742600827) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2010 This album presents previously unreleased live material recorded by the superb US Rock group Jefferson AirplaneFind albums by this artist. This specific show, recorded at the legendary Matrix Club in SF, originally owned by Marty BalinFind albums by this artist, presents for the first time a glimpse at the live concert played by the second lineup of the group, which included female vocalist Grace SlickFind albums by this artist, at their absolute creative peak. In retrospect this recording proves how great this band was in every respect and always eons ahead of their time. This is an absolute must to every Jefferson Airplane fan and a great document of the era. A must!

CD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

GRACE SLICK ~ MANHOLE ACADIA 8015 (Barcode: 805772801523) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1973 Released: 2005 1st album by US singer extraordinaire Grace SlickFind albums by this artist, one of America´s greatest female Rock stars of all times, who fronted the legendary Jefferson AirplaneFind albums by this artist and Jefferson StarshipFind albums by this artist bands for decades. She waited with the recording of her debut solo album for the demise of the original Jefferson Airplane and recorded it in the interim period between Airplane and Starship. Of course many of the Airplane members took part in the recording (reading like a who’s who of American Rock), but surprisingly the album is much more adventurous and "progressive" than any of the Airplane recordings. The title track is a 15+ minutes long suite, recorded with a symphony orchestra, which is described as "Theme from the Movie Manhole", but the movie is completely imaginary and never existed in fact. Slick simply realizes here her life-long fascination with cinematography and her wish to create a soundtrack for a movie, even if an imaginary one. She composed all but one of the tracks on the album, with several being co-composed with her Airplane (and life) buddies David FreibergFind albums by this artist and Paul KantnerFind albums by this artist. There is some incredible instrumental work present and of course her singing abilities were never better. Strangely this album remained unreleased on CD for almost three decades, hiding away one of the best moments of the Airplane family ever recorded. This new edition reveals a piece of musical history, which deserves to be appreciated and introduced to new generation of listeners, pointing the way to how music should be treated. This is a must to all Airplane fans and an invitation to those listeners, who never managed to get acquainted with that part of the American music scene.

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

GRACE SLICK & THE GREAT SOCIETY ~ COLLECTOR`S ITEM FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO SCENE FLOATING WORLD 6250 (Barcode: 805772620520) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1966 Released: 2013 This is a reissue of the only album by the short lived San Francisco band The Great SocietyFind albums by this artist, fronted by the charismatic singer / songwriter Grace SlickFind albums by this artist, which also included her husband drummer Jerry SlickFind albums by this artist, his brother lead guitarist Darby SlickFind albums by this artist, guitarist / vocalist David MinerFind albums by this artist and bassist / flautist / saxophonist Peter van GelderFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded live at the mythological San Francisco club “The Matrix” in 1966, and was released by ColumbiaFind albums on this label, first on two separate albums: “Conspicuous Only In Its AbsenceFind albums with this title” and “How It WasFind albums with this title” in 1968, following Grace Slick joining Jefferson AirplaneFind albums by this artist and that band’s phenomenal success. In 1971 Columbia reissued these two album as a 2LP album called “Collector`s ItemFind albums with this title”. The album includes early versions of two songs, that later became signature hits for Jefferson Airplane: “White Rabbit” and “Somebody To Love”. The music is an absolute classic example of the San Francisco Sound and early American Psychedelia, proposing a brilliant freshness and revolutionary approach to music, which lost completely nothing of its charm over time. Even the sound quality of the live concert has its undeniable charm and the long instrumental jam closing the album is an epitome of that period. Grace Slick was not only a sublime vocalist and great songwriter, but also a symbol of Liberalism and Social Rights struggle in the US, for which she often had to pay a personal price. I have not heard this music in ages, and listening to it now not only brings fond memories, but again emphasizes the feeling of despair over contemporary Popular music, which seems to be wondering in the desert in a true Biblical sense. Overall this is a delightful trip down memory lane…

Updated: 19/06/2021Posted: 18/06/2021

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend