Silver Spoon/Diana/Sunfighter/Titanic/Look At The Wood/When I Was A Boy I Watched The Wolves/Million/ China/ Earth Mother/Diana 2/Universal Copernican Mumbles/Holding Together
Sunfighter was a side project by Grace Slick and Paul Kantner, two leading members of Jefferson Airplane. In part it is a celebration of domestic life and the birth of their daughter featured on the cover. (US:89)
“This is so soft rock, that I almost thought it was Jefferson Starship at some points. The songs drag on for so long that you wish for the whole album to be soon over. They also repeat the same lyrics over and over again.”
“The album begins on an exceedingly militant note, with Grace extolling us to put down our forks and knives so that we can eat with our hands. After all, what's the use of bourgeois pretence when our ‘civilization’ is built upon imperialism and genocide? Next up is a brief hymn to a terrorist who blew herself up. Just when you think that you've stumbled upon the Weathermen's favourite album, things take a pastoral turn, with Paul and Grace spending most of the rest of the LP noting the charms of rural life and domesticity. For those who are familiar with the historical and political trajectory of the US counter culture, Sunfighter has a lot of period charm, but some clearly dated sentiments keeps it from classic status.”
“This is a fairly obscure album done in the late Jefferson Airplane period. The cover shows their daughter China being held up in the air. They bask in the glow of the birth of their daughter and it shows in the music. The songwriting is very strong although a little long winded lyrically. Vocally, Grace and Paul have never sounded better. Their harmonies at times soar and lift you up as you join in their celebration.”
As far as the really good stuff, I love the song China, an ode to Grace and Paul's new born daughter. It's sweet and moving for anyone who's experienced life with a new baby. I also like about everything else on side two. You can hear echoes of Kantner's great Blows Against The Empire album that came before this, and that's a very good thing. Trouble is, side one is just pretty boring.”
“When I was younger this was one of the first choices of music for acidheads and it definitely can be trippy with haunting melodies, thundering piano and great guitar. This is not ordinary rock, but it is great rock. It feels like Kantner and Slick put their hearts and souls into this one, perhaps because it was made in honour of their newborn daughter. You just don't see rock or pop musicians put this kind of thought and energy into anything anymore.”
No comments:
Post a Comment