Blows Against The Empire - JEFFERSON STARSHIP****

Mau Mau (Amerikon)The Baby Tree/Let's Go Together/A Child Is Coming/Sunrise/Hijack/Home/Have You Seen The Stars Tonight/XM/Starship

Blows Against The Empire was the first incarnation of the Jefferson Starship name, over three years before it was formerly adopted by the group. It comprises a loose jam session featuring many luminaries of the west coast music scene. (US:20 UK:12)

“This is a perfect example of how a bunch of psychedelic era musicians could show up, jam for a while, and have the end result come out as an excellent product. Let's Go Together features Grace Slick as a police siren in the middle of a tasty folk-rock ballad, and Have You Seen The Stars Tonight is one of rock's most eternal love songs.”

“A great slice of electric psych-folk-rock from a line-up that is more or less the same as on the first David Crosby LP. It shares the same kind of communal mood, yet the whole thing is less contemplative and moody in feel. There is a strong ‘party in the recording studio’ good time vibe here. Extremely enjoyable and juicy, I just cannot see why this shouldn't be regarded as a classic.”

“A unique hippie San Francisco take, with an all star cross section of the 1970 west coast music scene and influences, including some psychedelia and folk plus some sweet late 60s guitar distortion. Occasionally a bit messy and loose, like it's all being done in one take, but it's got some great moments.”

“An excellent album which I have been listening to steadily for a week, and it is really good. Beautiful sound, somewhere between the West Coast psych of the early 70s and Fairport Convention or similar of the same period. Don't be put off by the ‘Jefferson Starship’ in the artist name, this has very little to do with what followed.”

“This is one of my favourites from the early 70s. I love the whole concept of a bunch of hippies building a spaceship and going on to create some utopian paradise out in space. Beautiful music as well, some rock oriented tunes like the opener, but most of it is more psychedelic folk with acoustic guitars, piano etc. Members of the Dead and CSNY contribute making it a nice collaboration of the San Francisco scene.”

“The music is straight up acid-folk, misty and lost. Lots of acoustic guitars, rambling structures, and not many conventional lead vocals. Most of the singing is multiple voices joined in bleary-eyed harmony.”