Jefferson Starship - Modern Times 1981 ak320
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Modern Times is a 1981 album by Jefferson Starship. Grace Slick appeared on this album after a three-year absence. She returned near the end of the recording sessions, providing background vocals on some tracks as well as lead vocals on the single "Stranger" as a duet with lead singer Mickey Thomas. Although not appearing in the band picture on the gatefold cover, she is listed on the back cover of the LP with the credit "Introducing Grace Slick" and her picture is on the lyric sleeve with the note "Grace Slick courtesy of Grace Slick." She joined the band officially for the 1981 tour. MTV debuted in 1981 and this was the first Jefferson Starship album to have promotional music videos. It was also the first album to feature a charting single on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, which had premiered earlier in the year. The single "Find Your Way Back" reached #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
The song "Stairway to Cleveland" was inspired by a harsh review that Rolling Stone had given the album Freedom at Point Zero, inspiring Paul to wrap lyrics around a phrase he had heard from Paul Warren: "Fuck you! We do what we want!"
And they did. But for me this was it. Soon they would drop the Jefferson and just were known as Starship and the music was all Pop and Bubblegum flavored. But this had some good rockin licks in it and some attitude.
Thank you, you did what you wanted.
Tracklist
No. Title Lyrics Music Length
1. "Find Your Way Back" Craig Chaquico Chaquico, Tom Borsdorf 4:15
2. "Stranger" Jeannette Sears Pete Sears 4:44
3. "Wild Eyes (Angel)" Paul Kantner Kantner 4:02
4. "Save Your Love" J. Sears P. Sears 5:58
Side two
No. Title Lyrics Music Length
1. "Modern Times" Kantner, Mickey Thomas Kantner 2:36
2. "Mary" J. Sears, Chaquico Chaquico 3:37
3. "Free" Thomas, Chaquico Chaquico 4:34
4. "Alien" J. Sears P. Sears 4:42
5. "Stairway To Cleveland (We Do What We Want)" Kantner, Paul Warren Kantner 3:58
Personnel
Craig Chaquico – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, synthesizer on "Find Your Way Back", "Mary", and "Free", steel drums on "Mary"
Aynsley Dunbar – drums, percussion, marimba on "Mary", synthesizer on "Free"
David Freiberg – vocals, bass on "Find Your Way Back", piano on "Stranger", synthesizer on "Stranger" and "Modern Times", organ on "Wild Eyes"
Paul Kantner – vocals, rhythm guitar, Oberheim 8-voice synthesizer on "Stairway to Cleveland"
Pete Sears – bass on all tracks except "Find Your Way Back", piano on "Find Your Way Back", "Wild Eyes", "Save Your Love", and "Alien" synthesizer on "Stranger", "Save Your Love", and "Alien", Moog on "Alien"
Mickey Thomas – lead vocals
Grace Slick – duet with Mickey Thomas on "Stranger", vocals on "Wild Eyes", "Alien", "Save Your Love" and "Stairway to Cleveland"
