Jefferson Starship: Red Octopus (Remastered + Expanded) CD Track Listing

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Jefferson Starship Red Octopus (Remastered + Expanded) (1975)
Originally Released June 1975\nRemastered CD Released January 28, 1997\nDCC Gold CD Edition Released April 29, 1997\nRemastered + Expanded CD Edition Released September 13, 2005\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Technically speaking, Red Octopus was the first album credited to Jefferson Starship, though practically the same lineup made Dragon Fly, credited to Grace Slick/Paul Kantner/Jefferson Starship. The difference, however, was crucial: Marty Balin was once again a fully integrated band member, writing or co-writing five of the ten tracks. And there can be little doubt that it was Balin's irresistible ballad "Miracles," the biggest hit single in the Jefferson Whatever catalog, that propelled Red Octopus to the top of the charts, the only Jefferson album to chart that high and the best-selling album in their collective lives. This must have been sweet vindication for Balin, who founded Jefferson Airplane but then drifted away from the group as it veered away from his musical vision. Now, the collective was incorporating his taste without quite integrating it -- "Miracles," with its strings and sax solo by nonband member Irv Cox, was hardly a characteristic Airplane/Starship track. But then, neither exactly was Papa John Creach's showcase, "Git Fiddler," or bassist Pete Sears' instrumental "Sandalphon," which sounded like something from an early Procol Harum album. Slick has three strong songs, among them the second single "Play on Love." Like Dragon Fly, Red Octopus reflected a multiplicity of musical tastes; there were ten credited songwriters, seven of whom were in the band. If there is any consistency in this material, it is in subject matter (love songs). The album is more ballad-heavy and melodic than the Airplane albums, which made it more accessible to the broader audience it reached, though "Sweeter Than Honey" is as tough a rocker as the band ever played. [The 2005 reissue of Red Octopus contains four bonus tracks including the single version of "Miracles" and songs recorded live at Winterland in 1975.] -- William Ruhlmann\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nIf Only You'd Believe In Miracles, So Would I, June 3, 2006\nReviewer: J. H. Minde (Fort Lauderdale FL)\nIt fascinates this reviewer that the second release of Jefferson Airplane, SURREALISTIC PILLOW, was their greatest commercial success, just as RED OCTOPUS, the second release of Jefferson Starship was theirs. It was all downhill from there and here. \n\nRED OCTOPUS was a mainstay of the mid-1970s AOR playlist. Unlike the Airplane, whose politically-minded, drug-fueled, and musically daring discography made them a pure Counterculture band between 1966 and 1972, Jefferson Starship stayed largely within the bounds of convention on 1975's RED OCTOPUS. Virtually all the songs are pure love songs, and the vast majority of them will someday make the Vegas lounge jump with no problem at all. RED OCTOPUS is a musical departure from the band's usual formula. RED OCTOPUS showcases the talents of Craig Chaquico, Pete Sears, and Papa John Creach, each of whom contributes a unique signature that carries this album in the direction of Fusion Jazz. Even the rockers, such as "Fast Buck Freddie" have an agreeable AM slant, while Paul Kantner's obligatory Oriental/Sci-Fi contribution, "I Want To See Another World" is a three-part harmonized love song shared by Kantner, Grace Slick and Marty Balin. \n\nThirty years on, the incessant romancing on RED OCTOPUS sounds more than a little sappy, but it WAS the album for it's time and place, a lush, laid back, and well-crafted production, perfectly geared to the tiffany glass fern bar crowd. \n\nJefferson Starship could and would never replicate the success of RED OCTOPUS. On subsequent albums the band retreated into it's habitually overproduced electric anthem sound even where the largely RED OCTOPUS-like material didn't warrant it. It's no wonder they fell to the nadir of "We Built This City On Rock And Roll," a piece of utter pop trash that is painful to contrast with SURREALISTIC PILLOW's "Somebody To Love," the title track of CROWN OF CREATION, or even the signature RED OCTOPUS number, "Miracles." \n\nIn it's forty year lifespan this protean band perfectly mirrored the rise and fall of Rock. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nStarship In '75, January 27, 2006\nReviewer: Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA)\nThe Jefferson Starship enjoyed their first and only number one album with Red Octopus. While this album doesn't have the rebellious bite of their Airplane recordings, it is a pleasing collection of songs. "Miracles" is probably the band's best song and Marty Balin has never sounded smoother with Grace Slick providing powerful backup and "There Will Be Love" contains a classic Balin-Kanter-Slick vocal interplay. The album has some good rockers such as Slick's "Fast Buck Freddie" & "Play On Love" and the scorching "Sweeter Than Honey" which contains fiery fiddle playing from Papa John Creach. Red Octopus is often overlooked, especially stacked up against Airplane recordings, but is it is a superb collection of rock songs by a veteran rock group that never sounded tighter or more well-oiled in their career. The newly remastered version greatly improves on the sound and the four live tracks are welcome bonus.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSpotty but Oddly Essential, April 11, 2005\nReviewer: Anthony J. Leuzzi (Rochester, NY United States)\nIn many ways, Jefferson Starship's "Red Octopus" is the quintessential 70s record: the once pioneering, folk-driven prophets of flower power now indulge a variety of post-hippie, west-coast rock styles as they attempt to forge, with uneven success, a radio-friendly sound. There is, needless to say, some very strong material here. Grace Slick, for example, can't do wrong: her vocals on the lively opener, "Fast Buck Freddie" are inspired, as is her commitment to her self-penned balled "Ai Garamasu." "Play on Love" is a bit dated now, but her rich, clear alto soars over the mid-tempo schmultz with confidence. \n\nMarty Balin's "Miracles" would prove the band's most enduring hit throughout the decade. And oh, what a hit. Easy-listening readio stations still play it (albeit in truncated form). But at this stage in his career, Balin clearly sacraficed vision for popularity. "Miracles," along with "Sweeter than Honey," are generic in every sense of the word. But generic sells. \n\nElsewhere, Octopus is spotty at best. Popa John Creach's "Get Fiddler" is more pleasant than interesting; and Frieberg's "Tumblin," though pretty, gets nowhere near the impact of the Airplane's "Today." The instrumental "Sandolphin" is forgettable. So, we are left with Kanter's earnest and lively "I Want to See Another World." \n\nDespite its manifold flaws, "Red Octopus" occasionally works very well and its high-points ensure that it will endure as a document of arena-based rock in the middle of the "Me" decade.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe best starship, October 13, 2004\nReviewer: Scott Rogers (Ga.) (Gainesville, Ga United States)\nRed Octopus pound for pound is the best JS album released during the Marty Balin era. That, however, is not saying a whole lot. Each side assaults your mind and ears at the beginning with Grace Slick and her banal lyrics set to Craig Chaquico and Pete Sears music respectivly. If you can get past that you can find some pretty good songs here. Marty Balin's "Miracles" is easily the best song the JS ever cut, and "Sweeter than Honey" actually has guitarist Craig Chaquico playing a decent riff. "Al Garimasu" is once again Grace Slick destyroying good vinyl with another set of crappy lyrics only this time we get her three chord music to go along with her simple-minded lyrics. skip it. David Freiberg's tune"Tumblin" gets better the more you listen and and Pete Sears imstrumental "Sandalphon" shows a bit of a different side to JS. Pauls Kantner's "I want to see another world" and "There will be love" are poor examples of familiar Airplane tunes (maybe its just me but all of Paul's songs sound the same)and attempt to end the album on a positive note, but rather makes the listener wanting the last song to hurry up and end, already. This may be the JS best work, but it barely rises above a mediocrity that always haunted the band dispite their commercial success.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe Album That Made Me Write Off Jefferson Starship!!!, May 13, 2004\nReviewer: Norman C. Hunter "capandjudy" (Huntington, WV)\nMan, I loved Jefferson Airplane. While "Dragon Fly" retained some of that spirit, Red Octopus was such a horrible sell out that I just wanted to puke. Need I say more? I really hated to see Paul Kantner get caught up this embarrassment. Luckily, he did exit some albums later.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nIt ain't the Airplane but it ain't bad!!!, October 1, 2001\nReviewer: Gregory B. Callahan (Modena, NY United States)\nI just got this on CD...after not listening to it for how many years?? Unlike some of the previous reviewers, I find that it DOES hold up. I remember, as a fan, how great it seemed to have Marty Balin back in the fold after a nearly five year absence (he did do a guest vocal on the previous release, Dragon Fly, but now he was doing official full-time duty--although actually I understand he refused to sign on in any legal sense).\nBut 1975 was NOT 1968, and it would have been foolish to expect After Bathing at Baxter's Redux. Yes, the Starship enterprise was already leaning a little toward the commercial side, but I believe them when they say it was not as conscious a decision as all that. It was just hard to be edgy in the mid-70s. As Grace put it once, "You can't write songs about Gerald Ford bumping his head."\n\nBut Paul Kantner was still in there pitching, trying his level best to keep the spirit together with "I Want to See Another World" (and no, there's no truth to the rumor that he wrote that after an argument with Grace about which soap opera to watch). Marty's white soulman routine was still pretty fresh, and no one (yet) was accusing him of becoming a lounge lizard. And Grace's three efforts ("Play on Love," "Fast Buck Freddie" and "Ai Garimasu") show her singing with renewed energy and commitment. \n\nYes, it was to become a little formulaic with the next several releases, but if you listen carefully, you'll always detect tension between the commercial side and the anarchic side. No group with Kantner and Slick in it could be totally packaged. Their contributions were just increasingly downplayed over the years. \n\nFor that reason, I'd recommend the original releases over the several repackagings whenever available. The Airplane and Starship embodied lots of contradictions. You only get a sense of that when you listen to the entirety of their oeuvre.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nFaded Lustre, August 9, 2000\nReviewer: Compton Roberts (Hamilton, Ontario, CANADA)\nAlthough "Red Octopus" was one of the biggest-selling albums of the seventies, and certainly of the whole Airplane/Starship canon, it really has lost much of its lustre. Yes, it was the smoothest production-sound to date, but the album has little, if any, bite. The songs, as implied by the title, are all about LOVE. As sonically-pleasing as it is to have Marty Balin's yearning tenor back in the mix, it is also his influence on the group's direction which caused a critical nosedive. The love songs are generally uninspired both lyrically and musically. It all has a slick, corporate gloss, although not like the appalling "Earth" album. Needless to say, the most enduring moments belong to Balin: his mega-hit "Miracles" is still sexy with its Al Green-style groove and lyric; "Tumblin'" has quite a lovely melody, with a lyric by Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter; and the final "There Will Be Love" has terrific vocals by Balin, Kantner and Slick and gives an impression of what the Airplane might have sounded like in the seventies. Grace Slick's "Fast Buck Freddie" and "Play On Love" are her best attempts at radio-friendly songwriting and are enjoyable tracks. The rest of the album is sophomoric and dull. Two out-of-place instrumentals impede the momentum of the record. The new band may have more musical "chops" than the Airplane, but it lacks the creativity of the Kaukonen, Casady and Dryden triple threat. Not a bad album, but it hasn't aged well. Still, there are some worthwhile pleasures for connoisseurs of mellow 1970s rock and Airplane/Starship fanatics.\n\nHalf.com Details\nProducer: Jefferson Starship, Larry Cox \n\nAlbum Notes\nJefferson Starship: Marty Balin, Grace Slick (vocals); Paul Kantner (guitar); Craig Chaquico (guitar); Papa John Creach (violin); David Freiberg, Pete Sears (keyboards, bass); John Barbata (drums, percussion).\n\nAdditional personnel: Irv Cox (saxophone); Bobbye Hall (percussion).\n\nRecorded at Wally Heider's, San Francisco, California in February 1975. \nIncludes liner notes by David Cohen.\nAll tracks have been digitally remastered.\n30th Anniversary Edition, contains bonus tracks.
This rock cd contains 15 tracks and runs 62min 36sec.
Freedb: c30eaa0f
Buy: from Amazon.com

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