Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Out of This World, May 9, 2002
By A Customer
This is the best and most underrated of all Jefferson Starship albums. Their first four (which are the only ones to include the classic Slick-Balin-Kantner trio)should be more revered than they are today, since these collections accomplished a neat sleight of hand by crossing from pop to a more idiosynchratic musical approach. "Earth" contains many fine moments. The hits "Count On Me" and "Runaway" are pleasant, lilting diversions, but the real goods are held in the songs by Grace Slick. Her cooing and growling on "Love Too Good" open the album with a funkiness not usually attributed to the Starship. "Take Your Time" is about as reflective and personal as Grace gets, and its theme of living life too fast is delivered with a wistful sigh. "Skateboard" is an outre roller that blasts its way out of the speakers, and Grace truly wails. Of course, the album's centerpiece is "Show Yourself", an almost British-rock howler that builds in intensity and musicianship from start to finish. Grace Slick sounds rejuvinated throughout "Earth", coming up with her most cohesive collection of songs in years. The closer, "All Night Long", is another Kantner-Starship anthem in the usual sci-fi tradition that sounds both exuberant and aggressive. The arrangements and approach of the Starship throughout "Earth" bring out the best in every performance. It's worth a visit.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
marks the end of an era, but with great song material, May 17, 2007
1978's "Earth" marks the end of an era for Jefferson Starship--both Marty Balin and Grace Slick would leave the band prior to the next album, 1979's "Freedom At Point Zero", which lead to a definite stylistic shift for the band.
It's sort of ironic then that "Earth" very much plays like solo albums from Slick and Balin on shuffle play. Paul Kantner's prescence is barely detectible apart from the album-closing "All Nite Long"--credited to the whole band and Jesse Barish, it rocks out quite nicely, and is an excellent demonstration of Kantner's characteristic long-and-winding anthemic style.
Sonically, the trademark mid-'70s Starship sound is in full force on "Earth", and with the song material being terrific, this ends up being an irresistible, vastly underrated album.
Balin had seemingly become more interested in finding top-flight material from other songwriters--particularly his friend Jesse Barish--than writing his own, something that would continue with his solo career in the '80s.
And Barish delivers the goods. The breezy, feel-good lite rocker "Crazy Feelin'" is well-crafted and top-tappingly catchy. The Top 10 hit "Count On Me" is a lovely, easy-going soft-rock ballad, although I think they went overboard with the amount of reverb on Balin's lead vocal--stripping some of that away would have added an appealing intimacy to the song.
Balin has two more lead vocal features, both of which are terrific. "Fire" is a hilarious, over-the-top hysterical rocker with Balin singing his head off, endlessly wailing the song's title. And the Top 20 hit "Runaway", written by Balin's former Bodacious D.F. bandmate Greg Dewey, is a dreamy, spine-tingling ballad punctuated by a couple of slightly rocked-up bridge sections where Balin adopts a weird, nasally vocal approach.
Grace Slick is in peak form here as well. She sings lead on 4 songs, two of which she co-wrote--"Take Your Time", co-written by keyboardist Pete Sears, is an awesomely tuneful introspective ballad with a brilliantly-nuanced Slick vocal. The rocking "Skateboard", co-written by lead guitarist Craig Chaquico, is an exciting rocker with a marvelous singalong chorus. The album-opening "Love Too Good" finds the Starship slipping into a seductive, extended funky groove and getting great mileage out of it. Slick also offers "Show Yourself", a raging, impassioned anthemic ballad that just can't be denied.
In the end, "Earth" really is NOT just a non-chalant rehash of previous albums as many seem to think--it's a must-have.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
After The Airplane Days, November 22, 2005
Some real great stuff here but must admit has the feel of a couple fillins but don't let that stop you from the others. Love To Good, Count On Me, Runaway are my top favs here and my young son digs the Skateboard song. Giving new life for old song.
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