Crusin'/Dance With The Dragon/Hot Water/St Charles/Song To The Sun/With Your Love/Switchblade/Big City/Love Lovely Love
Spitfire continued the commercial revival of the progressive rock band trading under the Jefferson banner. Although rather uneven if features the US No. 12 hit With Your Love. (US:3 UK:30)
“Spectacular early Jefferson Starship. Though they haven't quite solidified their identity as a hard rock meets AOR band they were well on their way with songs like the powerful epics St. Charles and Song To The Sun. Then there's the laid back Cruisin’, and the hard driving Dance With The Dragon. Spitfire isn't quite a masterpiece, but its close.”
“It smelled of formula. Suddenly Marty was the voice behind the hit singles, and those singles were AOR all the way. But to tell the truth, it didn't bother this listener all that much. Balin was and remains one of the most underrated and overlooked singers in rock. He could put the ballads over with aplomb and then turn around and have a ball with an uptempo fun track like Cruisin'. His vocal on the album's closer Love Lovely Love is among his best ever.”
“Spitfire was unfairly overlooked in its time, coming on the heels the mega-selling Red Octopus. In retrospect, it is a stronger, more unified effort and as close to a group sound as Jefferson Starship ever came. There are a few clunkers, and some unfocussed moments, but the strongest cuts are better than anything recorded by the latter-day Airplane.”
“Take some catchy guitar riffs, add some upbeat tempos, throw in a couple of pleasing ballads, a mystical song or two, put it all together and you have Jefferson Starship's Spitfire.”
“Having seen the Airplane live on several occasions, this studio friendly assemblage is stunning. St. Charles alone is worth the price of the album; everything else is a bonus. Song To The Sun is a classic; there is not a single song on that qualifies as filler, they are all good.”
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