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| Jefferson Starship - The Definitive Concert |
 Released: 1983/2002 Label: Lightyear Cat. No.: 75135 Total Time: 51:00 | |
Reviewed by: Keith Muzikman Hannleck, August 2003 This lineup of Jefferson Starship was my personal favorite. They pumped out successive albums filled with the kind of high-energy rock that I always loved to listen to. The combination of the old guard Jefferson Airplane members, ex-spouses Grace Slick and Paul Kanter, was a good mix with the influx of younger blood (at the time) of lead singer Mickey Thomas and rapid-fire guitar man Craig Chaquico, whom helped the airplane transform into a starship. Thomas was the voice of the huge ‘70s hit “Fooled Around And Fell In Love.” He was the perfect compliment to the queen of rock ‘n’ roll Ms. Slick. Their one-two punch was one of the most successful vocal acts of the ‘80s. The Definitive Concert was recorded in Vancouver, Canada in 1983, right at the peak of the band’s powers as a live attraction. A strange dude named Shortwave Mike added some color to the show on a few short time outs in between numbers, kind of like commercial breaks. The character is always trying to avoid the copyright police and then ends up getting caught selling the concert through his space station/satellite to music fans as he floats high above the globe. It is a corny spoof on the music biz. Grace is in excellent form on this night and as animated as ever, singing songs like “Black Widow” as if they were about her specifically. What impressed me the most was how tight the band was and how they flawlessly duplicated each individual track just as they played them in the studio. Chaquico, who has recorded some amazing acoustic instrumentals over the years, looks like the typical hair band arena rock gunslinger. Sweating profusely, he gets every ounce of sound out of his guitar. He played effortlessly on this night, as I am sure he did on many others. I feel he was one of the most underrated guitar players of his day. Slick sounded the best when she did the classic Jefferson Airplane song “White Rabbit.” It was chill time, prompting an instant throwback to the Haight-Ashbury era. The talents of Thomas get the spotlight on his signature song “Jane.” He had quite the range and could pull in those high notes with ease, much like his Bay area counterpart Steve Perry. That particular song was the best rocker of that era for the band. The title of this DVD is apt and it lives up to its name. While not a visually enthralling video, it rocks just the same. There are no interviews or bonus features, just great live music, which makes it a must have for any Airplane/Starship fan. Rating: 4/5 More about The Definitive Concert: Track Listing: Winds Of Change / Ride The Tiger / Stranger / Black Widow / Find Your Way Back / Somebody To Love / Be My Lady / Girl With The Hungry Eyes / Out Of Control / White Rabbit / Jane / Stairway To Cleveland Musicians: Contact: Website: www.jeffersonstarshipsf.com Discography Jefferson Airplane:
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