Jefferson Starship – Freedom at Point Zero
Rock Candy Records
www.rockcandyrecords.com

Rating: B-

In 1979, Jefferson Starship was without the services of two of their most beloved members, Grace Slick and Marty Balin.  Most fans figured that without these two key figures in the band Jefferson Starship’s future was in peril. 

The band regrouped and added vocalist Mickey Thomas, hot shot guitarist Craig Chaquico and drummer Ansley Dunbar to the mix.  The result was a new, modern sounding Jefferson Starship, poised to create yet another chapter in the bands colorful history.

The song “Jane” was the hardest rocking song any Jefferson had ever released. Chaquico made his mark with huge powerful chords and an over the top, marvelous guitar solo.  The album also featured another great power anthem in “Rock Music.”  These two songs helped Jefferson Starship take the lead in the Album Oriented Rock world and reinvented the band taking them to an even wider audience than before.

The rest of the album is not as strong as the two aforementioned songs.  The title track and “Girl with the Hungry Eyes” are good tracks, but much of the rest sees the band languishing between their past sound appearing timid to totally jump on the “Jane” bandwagon.  Still, “Jane” is one hell of a song and makes the album a classic all by itself. 

By Jeb Wright