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Jefferson Starship - Red Octopus Audio CD

A fair review of the Jefferson Starship "Red Octopus" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Jefferson Starship reviews here, or go back to the Jefferson Starship tabs.

Jefferson Starship Band: Jefferson Starship
Title: Red Octopus
Rating:
Release Date: 1997-01-28
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Fast Buck Freddie 2: Miracles 3: Git Fiddler [Instrumental] 4: Al Garimasu (There Is Love) 5: Sweeter Than Honey 6: Play on Love 7: Tumblin' 8: I Want to See Another World 9: Sandalphon [Instrumental] 10: There Will Be Love

one of the greatest albums ever
Apparently, Starship PO'd a lot of Airplane fans. Wow! I can't believe anyone gave this a less than glowing review.

Miracles is one of the best R&R/Pop songs ever recorded, and it's not really a magnitude above the rest of the material on this album. It fits right in! That's how good this album is.

The "Jeffersons" were not exactly consistent but when they were hot, they were red hot. This is one of the few classic-rock-era albums that I must listen to every few months without fail.

Also, Sandalphon ranks among the great progessive rock tunes.

This was one great band at what might have been their most potent stage. No, it's not rebellious and punkish. If you consider that a negative, listen to this album again when you grow up.


RED OCTOPUS - Best Jefferson (Whatever) Album Ever Made
It was their finest moment. All you have to do is read through the other reviews to see what a Great album this is. I have one thing to add to all the reviews. Only one or two of the reviews written make any mention of the stellar, THERE WILL BE LOVE. The finest moment of this finest moment album by Jefferson (Whatever?). What's with these legal battles. Jefferson, Creedence and Yes (ABWH) to name a few anyway?.


Jefferson Starship's best-selling album!
MIRACLES was Jefferson Starship's greatest hit(one of 1975's top hits). This album and its song MIRACLES by Marty Balin both were at least nominated for a Grammy. I don't care for the edited single version,though. I prefer the eight-minute album version. The album version also appears on 2000's LOVE SONGS. The single version appeared on GOLD,a compilation released in 1979. Other hits include FAST BUCK FREDDIE,where Grace Slick takes the lead vocal. GIT FIDDLER features the fiddling of the late Papa John Creach who was,at the time of recording RED OCTOPUS,a JS member. AI GARIMASU(There is Love),composed by Slick,has her taking the lead vocal again. I like TUMBLIN' also. That sounds like MIRACLES(lead vocal by Balin). PLAY ON LOVE also has a lead vocal by Slick. That song,with AI GARIMASU,also appears on LOVE SONGS. All the other songs are good.


The best starship
That, however, is not saying a whole lot. Red Octopus pound for pound is the best JS album released during the Marty Balin era. Each side assaults your mind and ears at the beginning with Grace Slick and her banal lyrics set to Craig Chaquico and Pete Sears music respectivly. If you can get past that you can find some pretty good songs here. Marty Balin's "Miracles" is easily the best song the JS ever cut, and "Sweeter than Honey" actually has guitarist Craig Chaquico playing a decent riff. "Al Garimasu" is once again Grace Slick destyroying good vinyl with another set of crappy lyrics only this time we get her three chord music to go along with her simple-minded lyrics. skip it. David Freiberg's tune"Tumblin" gets better the more you listen and and Pete Sears imstrumental "Sandalphon" shows a bit of a different side to JS. Pauls Kantner's "I want to see another world" and "There will be love" are poor examples of familiar Airplane tunes (maybe its just me but all of Paul's songs sound the same)and attempt to end the album on a positive note, but rather makes the listener wanting the last song to hurry up and end, already. This may be the JS best work, but it barely rises above a mediocrity that always haunted the band dispite their commercial success.


People come and people go...all in all, a fine album
It always fascinates me when someone thinks they know what's better for the band than the band itself. I have to laugh when I read one review that says "as good as the Starship ever got" when quite literally they were just getting started, and then another review says "horrible sellout" when the fact is, the Airplane was history by the band's choice, it was time for something new where they were concerned. I enjoyed the Airplane's stuff but there comes a time when a band decides to either change or split when they aren't happy with the direction of things. I say this knowing some people will ask how I can possibly like all three incarnations of this group of people. They did what they wanted, and when they felt like changing things. . . they did. I used to HATE the song "Miracles", but after all these years, it still holds up nicely. . . and on the other side of the coin, "Find Your Way Back" from some four or five years later has always been a favorite of mine too. Too bad if you can't find anything you like from that period. I always looked at it as keeping an open mind, and if the band was happy with it, then that's why it's out there. If you liked this album, so did I. But calling any band a sellout for trying something different than what you personally were comfortable hearing from them. . . then shame on you for thinking you're in charge of their musical direction!.


You can see a complete list of all Jefferson Starship discography, or go back to the Jefferson Starship tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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