Jefferson's Tree of Liberty

I love Freedom :)

When Jefferson Airplane first formed, the idea was to be a folk-rock band. Pretty quickly, JA turned more psychedelic rock--BUT they always retained folk roots (see "Good Shepherd," for an obvious example). Jefferson Starship, of course, was a 70s-to-80's rock anthem band. Nothing wrong with that, and some of their songs are still superb. All this said, Jefferson's Tree of Life is not so much a return to folk-rock roots as a return to folk roots altogether. If you're looking for more JS or even JA, this collection is definitely NOT them. On the other hand, if you put the new JS here in its context and are willing to listen to Kantner, Slick, Balin, and folks do traditional, celtic, and old '60s folk, then Jefferson's Tree of Liberty ain't bad, but it is hard to not wish for more JA psychedelic interpretation. You also need to understand that most of the songs here were not composed by the JS members. There are a number of traditional folksongs, with a strong leaning toward celtic folk: " Follow the Drinking Gourd," "Santy Anno," "Rising of the Moon," "Frenario," Woody Guthrie's "Pleasures of Plenty," and "The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood" (lyrics by Richard Farina). There are also a number of folksongs from 60's folk masters: Phil Ochs' "I Ain't Marching Anymore," Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom," Richard Thompson's (Fairport Convention's) "Genesis Hall," John Lennon's "Imagine." And then there's Dino Valenti's (Quicksilver Messenger Service) "Cowboy on the Run," Huddie Ledbetter's "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine," and more. All this name dropping is purposeful: the new JS has collected work from a number of singer-songwriters in the folk vein. The problem here is probably the effort to keep to the theme. Given less thematic constraint, the new JS might have found even better material and found more creative ways of interpreting those songs. Still, Jefferson's Tree of Liberty is not at all bad. It just seems a little dated without being able to draw on much nostalgia from its listeners who want more of the old JA and JS.

THERE BACK BABY !!!! i saw them play last april and they rocked the house ! this album is the of there best ! and im tired of people saying ( oh well grace slick isent in the band any more ) well lets se e first of all she if f**king burnt out from all the drugs she was on (still love you gracy) not to mention shes 71 years old and isent in great shape ! great job jefferson starship rock on !!!

This is the "First" Jefferson Starship music CD I've been excited about in decades. I love that Paul has gone back to his roots. The Jefferson Airplane was my favorite band and early Starship was Ok but the commercial stuff drove me punk. Love the classic folk songs.. Cathy is a wonderful addition to the band. Also it's nice to hear Grace singing again. Folk music and Love songs from Marty have no age barriers.. I highly recommend buying this CD also check out the Weavers..

There's a lot of talk these days about the blend of voices on "Jefferson's Tree of Liberty," the new CD from Jefferson Starship. There's the angelic female quartet of Cathy, Darby, Diana, and, of course, Grace. There are the sweet sounds of Marty with his plaintive "Maybe For You" and David with his soaring "Cowboy on the Run". But the most surprising and commanding sound on the whole record is the newfound power of frontman Paul Kantner. Like the craggy and beautiful voices of Tom Waits and Shane MacGowan, Kantner reaches down into his soul and commands us to listen. His is not the voice of a young dreamer - it's the sound of a battle-scarred warrior for peace, full of wisdom and a reignited passion. He's saddled up, and with a mighty roar he commands us to listen, to follow him. The words are timeless - the message is clear - and Paul delivers it with a confidence that only comes with the experience of being a front man for more than four decades. Viva Kantner!

This album hearkens back to the folk music that got so many of the band's musician's started and has songs that relate well to the politics and state of the world today. The songs are all wonderfully written and performed, with the vocals that will bring goose bumps to your soul. Paul Kantner, David Freiberg, Marty Balin, Grace Slick, Cathy Richardson, Diana Mangano and Darby Gould all sing with power and beauty. I *love* this album.

@ Least U called it 'Folk' . Frankly I would LOVE 2 C the Return of the Rock JSTARSHIP w/ Mickey, Craig, David (who is on this album) , Pete & Grace! America Needs 2 Get A President that Rocks, no more Pansy music. Which this is.

good stuff

Back to the roots in a very big way with an accent on acoustic sounds. There are no fewer than 4 great female vocalists here and, if there were such things any more, at least 3 solid hit singles. This is one to get.