Jefferson Starship - Across The Sea Of Suns

Year of Release: 2001
Label: Zebra Records
Catalog Number: ZD-44024-2
Format: CD
Total Time: 98:38:00

This two-hour-plus double-CD live set is the latest version of Jefferson Starship. Recorded in clubs and theaters from dates ranging from January 1999 to June of 2001, the sets consists of tracks from the Jefferson Airplane albums Surrealistic Pillow and Volunteers and the Jefferson Starship albums Dragon Fly and Red Octopus. More obscure songs from the bands' catalogs are included as well, including songs from Paul Kantner and Marty Balin's solo recordings.

Marty Balin is over sixty years old now; considering his age and the fact that he is a rock singer, he has held up quite well. He sounds a bit rough around the edges, but it comes as no surprise after all these years toiling as a front man with different versions of the Airplane and Starship. Paul Kanter is getting up there in age too, but still sings and plays well. Let me tell you, these old foxes are smart enough to surround themselves with some of the better younger talent available in the business today. Slick Aguilar (electric guitar, vocals), Prairie Prince (drums and percussion), Diana Mangano (vocals), Chris Smith (piano and synthesizer) and John Ferensic (organ) mix well with the wily veterans.

Slick Aguilar plays some smokin' guitar to give the older material from the bands' catalog that necessary '60s psychedelic rock sound and Diana Mangano sounds like a Grace Slick clone. Speaking of the lovely Ms. Slick, she provides some insightful and colorful (as usual) commentary about several of the tracks. She sure has a way with words. I read her biography a few years ago and found it fascinating.

It is nice to see that Kanter and Balin have kept the ship afloat after all these years and are still playing live to audiences that appreciate all of the great music they have recorded from the '60s and beyond. I certainly enjoyed listening to both CDs. This is all music I have always enjoyed hearing. I also had the opportunity to hear tracks that I had never heard before, so even after all these years there was something new for me to enjoy.

This two CD set was cleverly packaged to keep the longtime fans satisfied with some oddities and it is all played well enough to garner some interest from younger fans that may have never been exposed to their music before.

Tracklisting:
Disc One: Caroline (5:21) / She Has Funny Cars (5:09) / When The Earth Moves Again (4:11) / Good Shepard (5:42) / Today (2:47) / Dcba-25 (2:41) / Eskimo Blue Day (6:54) / How Do You Feel (3:37) / Miracles (7:09) / Have You Seen the Stars Tonight? (7:37) / Embryonic Journey/Starship (6:16)

Disc Two: There Will Be Love (4:51) / Hearts (9:11) / Hey Frederick (5:56) / When I Was A Boy I Watched The Wolves (5:08) / Hyperdrive (7:06) / You're Bringing Me Down (2:35) / The Ballad Of You And Me And Pooneil (10:24) / Mexico/Wooden Ships (8:46) / Somebody to Love/Volunteers (9:21) / Bonus Tracks: You're My Best Friend (2:51) / JPP McStep Blues (3:05)

Musicians:
Paul Kanter - 12-string guitar, vocals
Marty Balin - vocals, acoustic guitar & percussion
Slick Aguilar - electric guitar, vocals
Prairie Prince - drums and percussion
Diana Mangano - vocals
Chris Smith - piano and synthesizer
John Ferensic - organ

Discography:
Jefferson Airplane - Takes Off (1966/2002*/2003*)
Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (1967/2001/2003*)
Jefferson Airplane - After Bathing At Baxter's (1967/2003*)
Jefferson Airplane - Crown Of Creation (1968/2003*)
Jefferson Airplane - Bless Its Pointed Little Head (1969)
Jefferson Airplane - Volunteers (1969)
Jefferson Airplane - The Worst Of Jefferson Airplane (1970)
Jefferson Airplane - Bark (1971)
Jefferson Airplane - Long John Silver (1972)
Jefferson Airplane - Thirty Seconds Over Winterland (1973)
Jefferson Airplane - Early Flight (1974)
Jefferson Starship - Dragon Fly (1974)
Jefferson Starship - Red Octopus (1975)
Jefferson Starship - Spitfire (1976)
Jefferson Airplane - Flight Log (1966-1976) (1977)
Jefferson Starship - Earth (1978)
Jefferson Starship - Freedom At Point Zero (1979)
Jefferson Starship - Gold (1979)
Jefferson Airplane - The Best of Jefferson Airplane (1980)
Jefferson Starship - Modern Times (1981)
Jefferson Airplane - Radio Special, Vol. 19 (1982)
Jefferson Starship - Winds Of Change (1982)
Jefferson Airplane - Rock Galaxy (1983)
Jefferson Starship - Nuclear Furniture (1984)
Starship - Knee Deep In The Hoopla (1985)
Jefferson Airplane - 2400 Fulton Street: An Anthology (1987)
Starship - No Protection (1987)
Jefferson Airplane - Collection (1988)
Jefferson Airplane - Jefferson Airplane (1989)
Starship - Love Among The Cannibals (1989)
Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit & Other Hits (1990)
Starship - Starship's Greatest Hits: Ten Years Of Change (1991)
Jefferson Airplane - Jefferson Airplane Loves You (1992)
Jefferson Starship - A Retrospective (1993)
Jefferson Starship - At Their Best (1993)
Starship - The Best Of Starship (1993)
Jefferson Airplane - Live At The Monterey Festival (1995)
Jefferson Starship - Virgin Sky (1995)
Jefferson Starship - Collection (1995)
Jefferson Starship - Deep Space (1995)
Jefferson Airplane - Journey: The Best of Jefferson Airplane (1996)
Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow/Volunteers (1996)
Jefferson Airplane - Feed Your Head: Live 1967-1969 (1996)
Jefferson Starship - Miracles (1997)
Starship - We Built This City: Greatest Hits (1997)
Jefferson Airplane - Live At The Fillmore East (1998)
Jefferson Airplane - Hits (1998)
Jefferson Airplane - The Best of Jefferson Airplane (1999)
Jefferson Starship - Greatest Hits: Live At The Fillmore (1999)
Jefferson Starship - Windows Of Heaven (1999)
Jefferson Airplane - Love Songs (2000)
Jefferson Airplane - VH-1 Behind the Music: The Jefferson? (2000)
Jefferson Airplane - Somebody to Love (2000)
Jefferson Starship - Extended Versions: The Encore Collection (2000)
Jefferson Airplane - Live in Monterey (2001)
Jefferson Airplane - The Roar of Jefferson Airplane (2001)
Jefferson Airplane - Best Of Jefferson Airplane (2001)
Jefferson Airplane - Ignition (2001)
Jefferson Starship - Across The Sea Of Suns (2001)
Jefferson Airplane - Greatest Hits (2002)
Jefferson Starship - Deeper Space/Extra Virgin Sky (2002)
Jefferson Starship - Then & Now (2002)
Jefferson Airplane - Platinum & Gold Collection (2003)
Jefferson Starship - Platinum & Gold Collection (2003)
Starship - Greatest Hits (2003)
Starship - Starship Greatest Hits (2003)

Jefferson Starship - The Definitive Concert (1983/2002) (VID/DVD)

Genre: Rock

Origin US

Added: July 7th 2003
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck
Score:
Artist website: www.jeffersonstarshipf.com
Hits: 2532
Language: english