At a Glance:
In spring 1981, Jefferson Starship presented with a new sound, which significantly differed from their seventies hits like "Red Octopus" and "Dragonfly". "Modern Times" offers appealing polyphonic melodies, the typical group singing, some chart hits, danceable rhythms, heavy drums, powerful bass lines.
Even for today's modern studio technology claims: shimmering artizielle keyboard and synthesizer carpets. Because of differences to the song credits the work for a long time was not commercially. In her native San Francisco, one would say, "Modern Times is a hidden gem" ...
In More Detail:
Title and design in harmony: the artificially-computer-like cover, this sexless space phenomenon with the trains a infantilized Grace Slick? in the context of computer graphics. Still quite a few years ago the Commodore-wave, then you knew computers only from television and cinema.
Grace Slick was the first time since 1978, there again, she appeared at the end of the studio sessions in Los Angelas on. Apparently former quarrels were forgotten, the band had once fired by a Germany-Gig (Loreley, Hamburg) for former unreliability. In Modern Times integrating her voice perfectly with the soft lead vocals of Mickey Thomas and waived solo attitudes. The voices of the two sound sound so similar that sometimes you have to guess who is singing in the mix.
"Find Your Way Back" - was the most successful single release and errechte # 3 on the US charts. One of the best Starship title ever. The feminine singing of Mickey Thomas (Background Grace Slick) alternates with 2 overlapping melodies and a heavy heavy riff. The title was first used in MTV as a video, then again.
"Stranger" was another successful radio decoupling, here Grace denies the lead vocals.
"Wild Eyes" - one of the strongest tracks on the album. The song is reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane and the sixties. The talent of the group is to accommodate several polyphonic melodies in a single song eh superb.
"Save Your Love" stands out with a catchy melody-line, Lead vocal Mickey Thomas.
"Modern Times": Paul Kantner typical composition such as "Blow against the empire" in a modern sound. Supposedly have barked in the background a dog.
"Mary" is a revision of a title of their previous album "Jane". Not exactly the best track, Mary has witty puns (to marry Mary ...) and galactic synthesizer parts.
"Free" rocks with a guitar riff and thunderous drums almost as a heavy metal band.
"Alien" here you could tell in the title that you have arrived in the future. The bass line is so fat-pulsating and coupled to the synthesizer ... that would even suit a modern techno-disco ... Alien has 3 overlapping melodies polyphonic: guitar, lead vocals (Grace Slick) and (especially nice is again) the polyphonic group singing in the song-center.
"Stairway to Cleveland" is a raging, crazy and unusual track. Rarely so a faster song was recorded, comes to mind only "Sheer Heart Attack" by a Queen.
Stairway sounds like ne of the chain let go off the Les Humphries Singers at the Hard Rock trip with provocative outlaw poetry.
Instrumentation:
Craig Chaquico Synthesizer, Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm)
Aynsley Dunbar Percussion, Drums, Marimba
David Freiberg organ, Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Paul Kantner Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals, Oberheim 8
Pete Sears Synthesizer, Bass, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals
Grace Slick vocals
Mickey Thomas Vocals
>> If you like the eighties, to Modern Times should buy, maybe even the similar sounding "Nuclear Furniture". Too bad that no bonus tracks were on it. Therefore, a star less (39 minutes). For completion of the Jefferson ouevres "Modern Times" is always mandatory.
