Jefferson Airplane - At the Family Dog Ballroom, September, 1969
SKU
25-SNP-CD-293
Generally excellent sounding live document (vocals are a bit high in the mix, but that's about the only complaint) from the last period peak for one of the quintessential US psychedelic bands of the 1960s. Jack and Jorma and Spencer play terrific jams on the material and Grace, Marty and Jorma front their work and turn them into songs.
"This is the Volunteers/Woodstock era JA live album I hoped "Sweeping Up the Spotlight" would be. Marty Balin and Grace Slick give their best vocal performances to date on this disk--controlled, in-tune, and exciting. Kantner, too, is in very fine voice. Five songs, "We Can Be Together", "Good Shepherd", "The Farm", "Wooden Ships", and "Volunteers" were brand-new and unheard at the time of this performance and their freshness is apparent. The Airplane recorded studio versions of all five songs in the same month (September, 1969) for their upcoming album "Volunteers" so the arrangements are very similar but the performances are rawer and far more exciting. Grace Slick shines throughout, especially on "We Can Be Together" "Somebody to Love", "Wooden Ships" (VERY powerful), "The Farm" and "Volunteers"--I've never heard her singing this disciplined and explosively at the same time---it's an intoxicating combination. Balin's vocals complement hers very nicely...he too delivers a disciplined and expressive performance, a tough act to pull off. Spencer Dryden kickstarts a spirited rendition of "Somebody to Love" with Slick in peak form, Balin improvising brilliantly underneath her. Paul Kantner's rhythm guitar is very evident in the mix---delightfully so. His chord patterns are always interesting and often buried in the studio mixes---not so here. His singing is dead-on...a very good night for him indeed. "Crown of Creation" is exquisite...Balin and Slick again deliver standout vocal perfomances. The three-part harmony on the final bridge is to die for! Jack Casady's extended bass solo on "Ballad of You and Me" (which I first heard on "Spotlight") is on this recording as well (Thank God!)...by the way, "Pooneil" is a full 15 minutes in length on "Family Dog", the longest version I've ever heard of this standout song. Jorma is in fine form on "Ballad", "Crown of Creation" and on Hot Tuna's "Come Back Baby". He also delivers a very fine vocal on "Good Shepherd", better than on the studio version. His singing is so good here that I thought Paul was taking the lead vocal at times. Finally, the coup de grace, a 25-minute jam with Jerry Garcia and Jorma Kaukonen improvising brilliantly with an unknown conga player (possibly from Santana?). Whoever he is, he's great--unfortunately, the liner notes do not elucidate. The congas are not coming from Spencer Dryden as you can clearly hear him banging away on his drum kit thoughout; in fact, Dryden opens the jam with a fantastic drum solo(!). By the way, Dryden's great drumming is right out in front in the mix. Kudos to the mixers and/or soundboard technician on this recording--all of the instruments are clear, present and evenly balanced on each selection. All in all, a stunning release and not to be missed, by even the most casual JA fan."-Robert G. Daugherty