The release of "Freedom At Point Zero" proved to the world that for Jefferson Starship, there was life after Grace Slick. So, the question asked back then was "Is there life after Jefferson Starship for Grace Slick?" At first, the answer to that question looked negative as she battled with the booze in 1978 and 79. Fortunately, she overcame that battle and in 1980, released the album "Dreams," which proved to me that Grace Slick could survive without the Starship.
In making "Dreams," it has been said that Grace wanted to be as far removed from her links with Jefferson Starship as possible. For one, she recorded the album in New York and only used East Coast musicians in order to sever her links with the West Coast, from where she came from. Furthermore, none of the then current or previous members of Jefferson Starship appear on the album. Therefore, it was evident that she wanted a totally clean break and with "Dreams," I can say that it definitely worked for her, even if the charts didn't agree.
Recently, I came across a Grace Slick Greatest Hits compilation and was bewildered that there were no songs from "Dreams" on it. This is one hell of a fine album and shows that Grace's voice is suited to many genres. First, there's the title track which gives the album a very theatrical introduction and sets a welcome feel to the rest of it. Next, there's the Spanish influence in the track "El Diablo" that has some rather impressive acoustic guitar on it. "Face to the Wind" is the first song leaning towards harder rock and has an impressive guitar solo and that leads to my favourite track on the album, "Angel of the Night." This song is a total rock and I particularly love the lead guitar in the intro. I can still envision a heavy metal band covering this song, it would be ace. "Seasons," while not a brilliant song, amuses me and should I ever return to full time teaching, would not hesitate to use it in a school assembly. The remaining tracks are more of a psychedelic/progressive sound that keep the album going. "Do It the Hard Way" and "Let It Go" definitely stand out. So, my question is: "How come this album has been ignored?"
Track Listing:
1. Dreams
2. El Diablo
3. Face To The Wind
4. Angel Of The Night
5. Seasons
6. Do It The Hard Way
7. Full Moon Man
8. Let It Go
9. Garden Of Man
- Grace Slick
Note: Many musicians were used in different songs on the album, I will only name the main contributors.
Grace Slick- vocals, piano
Scott Zito- lead and acoustic guitars
Sol Ditroia- rhythm guitar
George Wadinius- guitars
Neil Jason- bass
Alan Schwartzberg- drums
Jim Malin- percussion
Frank Owens/Joe D'Elia- piano
Geoff Farr/Edward Walsh- synthesisers
This was the album that brought Grace back into the rock world and proved that she could make it on her own. Even if she did return to Jefferson Starship a year later. If you're feeling nostalgic for great albums that haven't been considered classic, then go and have a listen to "Dreams." I'm sure afterwards, you might feel the same way I do about it.
Next post: Bob Seager- Against the Wind
To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren/html
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