Jefferson Airplane - Sweeping Up the Spotlight Live at Fillmore East 69
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Free Music Notes for Sweeping Up the Spotlight Live at Fillmore East 69
Free Music Review: Yes, they were that good
Hit: 5 Stars
I was born and raised in NYC and whenever the JA was at the Fillmore (Spring, August, and over Thanksgiving) I was there for both shows-- the early and late (the latter necessitating going back out after my parents went to bed)-- so I can say with certainty that I was at the performances that are on this disc.
Because of my experience at these shows, the JA was always THE band. Sometimes Mitch Mitchell of the JH Experience would sit in, often there was a free concert in the park on Sunday where the JA, the GD or Santana would blend together.
The creativity of the band, the depth and variety of its musicality, its emotional range, its intensity, its fearlesses (and sometimes they did crash!) and its passion all moved me greatly. And bass player Jack Casady , , , WOW.
The recorded output of the band, as brilliant as most of it is, never fully captured the Airplane live on a night when it was on-- not even "Bless its Pointed Little Head" fully got it-- not the best performance of Bear Melt or Rock Me Baby by a long shot and the other performances such as Its No Secret, 3/5ths of a Mile, Somebody to Love and Plastic Fantastic Lover are no where near the band's peak levels of creativity and intensity.
It is from this perspective that I say that this disc gets it TRUE.
This was the song of my youth (I'm now 54) and with this disc I touch the place in me that is always young.
That said, I teach martial arts for a living and I find that when I play this disc for a training session that my students often ask me "Who was that? That was really good, I want it get one, etc".
There is something here which resonates across time, , ,
The Adventure continues, , ,
Free Music Review: The Airplane at their most musically mature - stunning!
Hit: 5 Stars
When I first saw 'Sweeping Up the Spotlight' listed, I was a little sceptical. After all we had already had two official live albums from RCA as well as a whole host of other releases in the so called 'grey market'. To add to this, the tracklisting for 'Spotlight' looked overly familiar - and I was beginning to wonder whether there was actually ever a Balin era concert when they they didn't do 'The Other Side of This Life'. I really should have known better. The Airplane's capacity for innovation and reinvention is underpinned here by their trademark instrumental prowess and some wonderful three part harmonies. 'Pooneil'features a virtual masterclass in improvisation from Jack Casady as well as series of especially deranged and discordant 'Zappaesque' sound effects at the beginning. In fairness it should be pointed out that two of the twelve performances appeared a few years back on the expanded (Legacy)version of 'Volunteers'. But they sound far better here in the context of the whole concert - and we have a bonus in Balin's 'Dresses Too Short' - the only official version of this one we've heard before is the one from the Box Set - dating from Marty's one off performance with the band in 1972. The attractive booklet contains a short but reflective essay from Jorma Kaukonen. This concert represents the Airplane at their most musically mature. Woodstock and their five classic studio albums are behind them. And yet the purity of their music has yet to be compromised by the departure of Marty Balin and the arrival of later extraneous members. Even if you are not chronically addicted to the Airplane's music you will love this one.Free Music Review: back when musicians played rock n roll- good stuff
Hit: 5 Stars
To a lot of uninformed people, the Airplane was 'that' group that had the pop radio hits of Someone to Love and White Rabbit and Grace Slick. But the Airplane was so much heavier than that. They've always been overlooked and unrated in my book. Live, they could tear the place down. If you never saw them live you missed something special. Check out the DVD with them called A Night at the Family Dog 1970 (The Grateful Dead / Jefferson Airplane / Santana).
In the late 60's and early 70's Jack and Jorma were [and still are] probably the best American lead and bass guitarist in the business. Jack Casady was so far beyond a 'bass' player, he played a lead guitarist who played bass getting solo's! Don't forget that's Jack with Jimi Hendrix on Voodoo Child. And Jorma attacking his guitar...well just buy this CD and check it out yourself. Throw in Paul Kantner's rhythm guitar and great song writing, Spencer's jazz influenced drumming [which I appreciate more with every listening], and Grace and Marty trading vocal riffs, and y'all got a piece of RnR heaven. If you like psychedelic music, this is a must have. A time capsule of screaming guitars, great singers and cool tunes. They've been in my head for 40 + years and the music and era still holds up really well.
Free Music Review: "We were strong..."
Hit: 5 Stars
A wonderful, ESSENTIAL archive release with liner notes by...drum roll...JORMA! YES! First, let it be known that "Good Shepherd" and "Plastic Fantastic Lover" appeared on the expanded CD release of "Volunteers." However, that disc ALSO included "Somebody To Love," "Wooden Ships," and a different take of "Volunteers" from the November 28th & 29th concerts, all of which are NOT included on "Live 1969." Jorma states "The lineup on this disc is the classic one. Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, Marty Balin, Spencer Dryden, Jack Casady and myself were together in that year and we were strong." How true. When Spencer Dryden left (soon followed by Marty Balin), the heart of the band went with him. "Bark" and "Long John Silver" became "Hot Tuna plus Paul & Grace plus a bunch of other guys trying to fill the gaps." On this album, Jefferson Airplane was still DANGEROUS. They were like the "Skull & Roses" Grateful Dead, or the "Happy Trails" Quicksilver...a San Francisco band living up to every single word of press testifying to their greatness. If you're a fan, you already own the expanded version of "Volunteers." That means you know what awaits you here. It's another one of those rare times in which "5 stars" hardly seem like enough.Free Music Review: Possibly the best live Airplane available
Hit: 5 Stars
Having always been a huge fan of Bless It's Pointed Little Head, I've been disappointed again and again by other live Airplane releases. Thirty Seconds has its moments but, well, the Airplane was dying a slow death, and it's for that reason that I haven't bought Last Flight. Then there are the various Monterey releases, which are good but marred by off-key vocals, and then there was that truly awful Fillmore compilation a while ago. This one, though, has it all, with incredible versions of Good Shepherd, Pooneil, and Other Side. Yes, there's a bit of embarrassing stuff--Marty on "Dresses", though the jam behind him isn't bad (which, actually, is a preview of later Airplane, with Jorma and Jack jamming away, apparently oblivious to the lame material they're playing behind. Or perhaps they were all too aware, hence Jorma's "my body's getting tired from carrying others' loads"). In addition, 3/5 and Plastic Fantastic pale compared to the Pointed Little Head versions, and Jorma's blues tunes make me want to listen to Hot Tuna instead. Take those out, however, and you've go an album of around the same length as Bless Its Pointed Little Head (no, I haven't actually counted the minutes) and arguably as good or better.