Grace Slick - Dreams - 1980 (2002)

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Grace Slick - Dreams - 1980 (2002)

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Biography: Grace Slick is best known as the powerful-voiced female singer in Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, rock bands with which she performed in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. She was born to well-to-do parents and grew up in Palo Alto, CA. She became a model and married Jerry Slick. After seeing Jefferson Airplane perform in 1965, she, her husband, and her brother-in-law, Darby Slick, formed the Great Society. The group released a single, "Somebody to Love" (written by Darby Slick) on local North Beach Records in 1966, but broke up soon after. (Columbia Records later culled two albums from the group's live recordings.) Slick was asked to replace Jefferson Airplane singer Signe Anderson and joined the group in time for the recording of its second album, Surrealistic Pillow. She brought with her both "Somebody to Love" and her own composition, the bolero-paced "White Rabbit," with its references to drug-taking and Alice in Wonderland. Both songs were included on the album with her lead vocals. Both became Top Ten hits in 1967, as did the album, and Slick became the focal point of Jefferson Airplane, participating in seven more albums by the group – After Bathing at Baxter's (1967), Crown of Creation (1968), Bless Its Pointed Little Head (1969), Volunteers (1969), Bark (1971), Long John Silver (1972), and Thirty Seconds Over Winterland (1973). By 1971, with the formation of the group's own custom label, Grunt Records, various bandmembers began to make albums on their own, and Slick combined with guitarist Paul Kantner on Sunfighter (1971). Baron Von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun (1973) was credited to Kantner, Slick, and David Freiberg. 1974 saw the release of Slick's debut solo album, Manhole. With the departure of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, Jefferson Airplane had ceased to exist after 1972. Kantner and Slick reorganized the band under the name Jefferson Starship and released Dragon Fly in 1974. In 1975 came Red Octopus, which topped the charts and sold two million copies. Spitfire (1976) was also a million-seller, as was Earth (1978). Slick left the group and released two solo albums, Dreams (1980) and Welcome to the Wrecking Ball! (1981), then rejoined as a guest on Modern Times (1981) and participated fully on Winds of Change (1982) and Nuclear Furniture (1984). She also recorded a fourth solo album, Software (1984). Kantner's departure from the group led to a truncation of its name to Starship. Slick remained through the million-selling Knee Deep in the Hoopla (1985) and No Protection (1987), sharing lead vocals with Mickey Thomas on the number one hits "We Built This City" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now." She left the group in 1988. In 1989 she joined a reunion of Jefferson Airplane that resulted in a tour and a self-titled album. She retired from performing in the 1990s and wrote her autobiography, Somebody to Love?, published in 1998. In 1999 RCA released The Best of Grace Slick, a career-spanning compilation album. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

* Born: October 30, 1939, Chicago, IL
* Active: '60s, '70s, '80s
* Genres: Rock
* Instrument: Vocals
* Representative Albums: "The Best of Grace Slick", "Manhole", "The Best of Grace Slick"

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Grace Slick - Dreams - 1980 (2002)

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Product Description: DREAMS is the 1980 solo release from Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship. Tracks include "El Diablo," "Face To The Wind," and "Angel Of Night."

Less controversially titled than 1973's Manhole, Grace Slick's second solo album is an inconsistent, erratic, yet often compelling collection. Written in the aftermath of an extended Alcoholics Anonymous stay, Slick's self-penned tunes revisit themes of self-reflection and atonement. As a result, her lyrics are far less obtuse, more accessible than usual, even becoming downright obvious on "Do It the Hard Way." It's a letdown for someone accustomed to her more poetic and challenging musings on previous Jefferson Airplane/Starship records. Musically the album is far less focused, with the subpar up-tempo track "Angel of Night" foretelling the vapid arena rock that would comprise her next solo album, Welcome to the Wrecking Ball. There are, however, several strong moments, such as the flamenco-styled "El Diablo" and the strong guitar work of Scott Zito on the sweeping "Full Moon Man." Most curious of the bunch, though, are the album-opening title track and the Slick-authored "Seasons": both surge on mock-whimsical melodies straight out of a haunted Biergarten, a side of Slick rarely seen before or since. Also new to her repertoire is the addition of orchestration on some tracks, ably arranged on the remarkable closer "Garden of Man" by Ron Frangipane. While her voice is not up to par on this record (there's a distinct husk and gasp on the album-opening title track in particular), Dreams is a useful acquisition for Grace Slick completists and listeners engrossed by the life and personality of its creator. ~ Joseph McCombs

Asian exclusive reissue of the Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship vocalist's 1980 solo album. Nine tracks including, 'El Diablo', 'Face To The Wind' & 'Angel Of Night'.

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Grace Slick - Dreams - 1980 (2002)

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Review: Grace Slick likely did not care about critical opinion at this point in her career. She had already been the object of much rock scribe scorn for using orchestration on MANHOLE in '73. By the time this, her second solo album, was released in '80, her obstinate decision to continue with this trend was even more likely to rankle the critical establishment. This was, after all, the New Wave era, and while Grace may have shared a certain kind of rebelious 'tude with, say, Chrissie Hynde or Debbie Harry–to say nothing of a kind of spiritual kinship with out-and-out punks–she liked her own musical settings layered and lavish. (Well, for now anyway: this one WAS followed by the harder rocking WELCOME TO WRECKING BALL a year or so later). DREAMS is more cohesive–and much more of a true solo record–than MANHOLE, which was a real love-it or hate-it affair. The earlier record consisted of a Grace Slick magnum opus (the more-or-less title track) and a few other songs she penned, but it closed with "Epic #73" a song that she technically co-wrote with Paul Kantner and David Freiberg, but was in fact a primarily another Kantner-esque epic. And she was totally absent on another track, "It's Only Music." I have my theories as to why Grace opted for this kind of strategy. Primarily, I think, she really didn't want to do a solo record and was being pressured by the record company. Largely absenting herself from two of the tracks was perhaps her way of thumbing her nose at the "suits." Unfortunately for her, many fans thought they were being slighted too (I wasn't one…I loved MANHOLE, but I understand where some of the naysayers among the fanbase are coming from). But DREAMS was a different animal. Recorded after her official (first) departure from Jefferson Starship, it really did not involve the particpation of many members of the "Airplane family." Her main collaborator here is producer Ron Frangipane. Grace was always a collaborative artist, and, cut loose from her bandmates, she was lucky to find a sympathetic artistic collaborator in Frangipane. Also appearing for the first time on a Slick project was guitarist and songwriter Scott Zito, who would go on to work with Grace on her next project, the harder rocking WRECKING BALL. He contributes a couple of songs, both of which are thematically and musically appropriate to the overall feel of the album, the Flemenco flavored "El Diablo" and "Angel of Night" (a bit to close to Kansas' "Dust In the Wind" for comfort, but an OK track overall). So we see thatm, as with MANHOLE, not every song included on the album is a Grace Slick composition. BUT pretty every one sounds like it could be, and that's the main thing. The album is interestingly sequenced so that only last six tracks are Grace Slick originals, but the opening tracks flow so well with the mood of the album that you have to read the credits closely to realize that. The album really DOES seem unified. Unlike even the best Airplane or Starship records, DREAMS is not a "variety show." It's all Grace, and it's all good. By the time we get to (what was originally) Side 2, we find Grace in a rare confessional mode. Her stint in rehab behind her, we find a less cryptic, more sober (in every sense of the word) songwriter. Her "Do It the Hard Way" is as focused and direct a song as Grace ever penned. That song, and the similarly themed "Let It Go" are anthems of sobriety and spiritual renewal. "Full Moon Man" is that rarity, a Grace Slick love song, and while it's not a Balin type ballad, it has an appeal all its own. And speaking of atypical Grace Slick songs, the closer "Garden of Man" is certainly that. Even at the height of the Haight, no one in his right mind would have imagined that the sarcastic Slick would pen a song with an overtly hippie title–and message–like that. But it works. Her double track vocals weave in and out through the song's coda (one that unself-consciously echoes the earlier "Full Moon Man") singing about love that "goes on forever." The Grace Slick of 10 years previous might have sung similar words perhaps, but only as a back up singer on a Marty or Paul song. By 1980, Grace was willing to embrace something of the spirit of the Sixties in a way she hadn't personally been able to do before. Of course, she wasn't just mouthing "love and peace" platitudes. It went deeper than that–it really was a metaphor for her own sense of renewal and rebirth. It's pretty clear from reading reviews posted here that this is THE definitive Grace Slick solo project for many fans. It serves as proof that Grace could do great work apart from her old bandmates. The other albums had their intersting moments, and fans would certainly welcome having them re-issued on CD, but DREAMS really is Grace at her amazing best. ~ Amazon Customer

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Grace Slick - Dreams - 1980 (2002)

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Grace Slick - Dreams - 1980 (2002)

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