Satureday Sounds - Blows Against the Empire - Jefferson Starship

This week's musical treat harkens back to 1970. I was then (and still am) a big fan of the Jefferson Airplane, but it was clear the group was splintering. That became blindingly obvious with the release of Blows Against the Empire billed as by Paul Kantner and the Jefferson Starship. It instantly became one of my favourite albums and has remained that way ever since. 

I've heard it called a solo album but that doesn't really fit considering that the musicians include members of the Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and other San Francisco musicians. It was the first (and maybe the only) album to be nominated for science fiction's Hugo Award, though sadly, it didn't win. 

File 770 just published a long article about the album, including quotes from an interview with Paul Kantner. That prompted me to give the album another listen, and I still think it's one of the peak moments of the San Francisco psychedelic era. If you're only familiar with the Jefferson Starship through their hits like "Miracles" or "Jane'' (or God forbid, "We Built This City"), this will be an eye opener. 

The version embedded below is the remastered release, which includes a few bonus tracks, none of which are essential.