Everybody burning with desire!

Lazarus had nothing on Jefferson Starship when they made a surprising return from the dead in 1979 with "Freedom at Point Zero". Ditching Marty Balin, Grace Slick and the jazzy/blues inspired tracks clocking in at over five minutes liberated the group to rock as it hadn't in ten years. New vocalist Mickey Thomas gave them a vehicle better suited for rock and up-tempo numbers that put Jefferson Starship back on the charts. 1981's "Modern Times" cemented the group's return to form and gave the band the chance to "introduce" Grace Slick to the lineup to a positive and very devastating effect. "Winds of Change" saw them come of video age and welcome a new audience as never before, but the songs weren't as consistently good as the past two recordings. The title track kicks things off with awesome guitar work from Kantner and Chaquico and Mickey Thomas and Grace Slick coolly starting things off before things rapidly heat up. Things boil to a crescendo with both harmonizing to devastating effect. Mickey actually gets more "face time" on the record including the stunning "Be My Lady" that showcases his phenomenal vocal range. Grace is mostly relegated to comic effect on "Out of Control" which is by turns hysterical and really, really out there. Mickey tries to return things to normal on "Can't Find Love" harmonizing with Grace, but the sequencing of the tracks is really throwing things off here. Still, the track is just wonderful. The last three tracks are OK turns for the band, but are pointing to filler to pad out the (then contemporary 45 minutes) for the record. Net-net the good here totally outweighs the bad and it's certainly a good thing this is available domestically as I don't know I'd spring for the Japanese version at that price.

Now before you think I'm some rocker dude let me correct you...I also LOVE "Earth" era Jefferson Starship and the 70's ballads that turned people's stomachs. I grew up the child of quasi-free love hippie-wannabees that love Jefferson Airplane and I freely admit Peter Wolf ruined the group circa "Knee Deep In the Hoopla" when Paul Kantner bailed (and rightfully so!). Grace Slick has rightfully sworn off any further reunions and tours and rightfully so. Rest on your wonderfully voiced laurels darling...you've earned it!

Fills missing part of Jefferson Airplane/Starship collection

I am one of the rare individuals who likes all incarnations of Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship. A few years ago, they put out a hits compilation that included songs from all three versions of the band. That CD is great, except it does not include one of my favorite songs from Jefferson Airplane, "Winds of Change". That song squeaked into the Top 40, reaching #38 in early 1983. I have scoured every Greatest Hits package issued over the years, and they always leave that song off. Finally, I found this CD used and decided to buy it just for that track. I love "Winds of Change" because it allows Grace to belt out some "White Rabbit" like theatrics to a distinctively early 80's rock beat. Besides "Winds of Change", I enjoyed many of the other songs included. This contains some great early 80's Jefferson Airplane rock. If you like their hard rockers of that era such as "Jane" and "Find Your Way Back", you will like this CD. Some of the other good tunes on this CD include "Quit Wasting Time", "Can't Find Love", and "It Came from the Jaws of the Dragon". Of course, "Be my Lady" was the other hit off of the album, reaching #28 in late '82. One sour note is "Out of Control", which is another Grace song. Now, I love Grace, but that song is pretty awful. Aside from that track, if you love Jefferson Airplane music, you will love this CD.

Jefferson Starship Didn't Lose It In The 80s

WINDS OF CHANGE proves to listeners who'd written them off after Grace Slick and Marty Balin left that the Jefferson Starship did NOT lose their guts in the 80s as some had claimed. Mickey Thomas is an excellent high-tenor vocalist with a lethal falsetto, and if the title song is not one of the great cautionary songs of all time, I don't know what is. There are other great cuts here, and anyone who thinks that RED OCTOPUS was a fluke should give this one a listen.