Disco de Jefferson Airplane: “Sweeping up the Spotlight: Live at the Fillmore Ea”

A wonderful, ESSENTIAL archive release with liner notes by...drum roll...JORMA! YES! First, let it be known that "Good Shepherd" and "Plastic Fantastic Lover" appeared on the expanded CD release of "Volunteers." However, that disc ALSO included "Somebody To Love," "Wooden Ships," and a different take of "Volunteers" from the November 28th & 29th concerts, all of which are NOT included on "Live 1969." Jorma states "The lineup on this disc is the classic one. Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, Marty Balin, Spencer Dryden, Jack Casady and myself were together in that year and we were strong." How true. When Spencer Dryden left (soon followed by Marty Balin), the heart of the band went with him. "Bark" and "Long John Silver" became "Hot Tuna plus Paul & Grace plus a bunch of other guys trying to fill the gaps." On this album, Jefferson Airplane was still DANGEROUS. They were like the "Skull & Roses" Grateful Dead, or the "Happy Trails" Quicksilver...a San Francisco band living up to every single word of press testifying to their greatness. If you're a fan, you already own the expanded version of "Volunteers." That means you know what awaits you here. It's another one of those rare times in which "5 stars" hardly seem like enough.

Since Bless Its Pointed Little Head, which, as far as I am concerned, is the best live album EVER, I've been waiting for another live album from Jefferson Airplane. And, until now, it has been hit and miss - mostly misses. 20 Seconds over Winterland - hmmm - well, it was the end afterall (and I'm still waiting to get Last Flight, the expanded show - so my thoughts on that album are still out) The few live "extras" placed on expanded CD versions of classic Jefferson Airplance are only a tease. 1999's Live at the Filmore East was good - but had a rather murky sound. I kept thinking I was listening to the show behind a wall. This release is what I've been waiting for!!! Son of Bless Its Pointed Little Head. I got the CD on Friday, today is Monday - I haven't stopped listening to it all weekend and I'm playing it now at work. There is no let down - great sound, great show, great CD. Dangerous?!? Try Thermonuclear!

Hi Airplane people:

Those looking for another CD to build the Airplane collection will be very pleased with the "Sweeping Up The Spotlight" release. A couple of minor things should have been taken care of. The liner notes are way too short and there is no mention if the songs come from November 28th or 29th of 69.

Some of the tracks have different arrangements such as 3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds."

The sound quality is very strong. Hopefully sales will be good so the opportunity will exist for another one from the vaults to see the light of day.

Time to take off. Be well always,

Craig Fenton

Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

When I first saw 'Sweeping Up the Spotlight' listed, I was a little sceptical. After all we had already had two official live albums from RCA as well as a whole host of other releases in the so called 'grey market'. To add to this, the tracklisting for 'Spotlight' looked overly familiar - and I was beginning to wonder whether there was actually ever a Balin era concert when they they didn't do 'The Other Side of This Life'. I really should have known better. The Airplane's capacity for innovation and reinvention is underpinned here by their trademark instrumental prowess and some wonderful three part harmonies. 'Pooneil'features a virtual masterclass in improvisation from Jack Casady as well as series of especially deranged and discordant 'Zappaesque' sound effects at the beginning. In fairness it should be pointed out that two of the twelve performances appeared a few years back on the expanded (Legacy)version of 'Volunteers'. But they sound far better here in the context of the whole concert - and we have a bonus in Balin's 'Dresses Too Short' - the only official version of this one we've heard before is the one from the Box Set - dating from Marty's one off performance with the band in 1972. The attractive booklet contains a short but reflective essay from Jorma Kaukonen. This concert represents the Airplane at their most musically mature. Woodstock and their five classic studio albums are behind them. And yet the purity of their music has yet to be compromised by the departure of Marty Balin and the arrival of later extraneous members. Even if you are not chronically addicted to the Airplane's music you will love this one.

Having always been a huge fan of Bless It's Pointed Little Head, I've been disappointed again and again by other live Airplane releases. Thirty Seconds has its moments but, well, the Airplane was dying a slow death, and it's for that reason that I haven't bought Last Flight. Then there are the various Monterey releases, which are good but marred by off-key vocals, and then there was that truly awful Fillmore compilation a while ago. This one, though, has it all, with incredible versions of Good Shepherd, Pooneil, and Other Side. Yes, there's a bit of embarrassing stuff--Marty on "Dresses", though the jam behind him isn't bad (which, actually, is a preview of later Airplane, with Jorma and Jack jamming away, apparently oblivious to the lame material they're playing behind. Or perhaps they were all too aware, hence Jorma's "my body's getting tired from carrying others' loads"). In addition, 3/5 and Plastic Fantastic pale compared to the Pointed Little Head versions, and Jorma's blues tunes make me want to listen to Hot Tuna instead. Take those out, however, and you've go an album of around the same length as Bless Its Pointed Little Head (no, I haven't actually counted the minutes) and arguably as good or better.