Blows Against The Empire is a Conceptual Album by American Psychedelic-Rock Musicians Paul Kantner & Jefferson Starship. Jefferson Starship would only be formed 4 years after the release of this album, the name was chosen for a different array of reasons. Jefferson Airplane were on the verge of collapse, releasing only one single for the whole year of 1970, therefore Paul Kantner though it would be good to have a sort of rebirth of the Band in a different form.
The Personnel consists of members from the biggest acts of the moment, therefore forming a Starship, which also leads us to the last reason behind the name, the concept of the album features a Starship. The concept can be easily described as the story of the Hippie Counter-Culture. Attempting to escape from the repressive regime, a group of Revolutionaries steal a Starship and leave the Solar System in search of a new Place to settle and live in Peace and Love.
Blows Against The Empire has achieved almost legendary status over the years. It achieved gold status and was also nominated for a Science-Fiction award. The songs are delivered in the kind of improvised, jam-band rock n roll representative of the Bay Area bands of the day. Lyrically, the album celebrates countercultural idealism; it is set in a future where the counterculture is able to unite and decide their own fate far away from planet Earth. Written in 1970, Kantner describes in "Hijack" the construction of a starship beginning in 1980, which "ought to be ready by 1990."
This album celebrates late-sixties counter-culture, depicting people celebrating mind expansion and free love, "We'll ball in your parks, insane with the flash of living...calling for acid, cocaine and grass." They've had enough of the military, domestic and abroad, "You unleash the dogs of a grade-B movie star Governor's war [referring to Ronald Reagan]...so drop your fuckin' bombs, burn your demon babies, I will live again!" They condemn the divisive strictures of conservative society, and dream of finding a Utopia.
By Kantner's admission, the underlying premise of the narrative was derived in part from the works of science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein, particularly the novel Methuselah's Children. Kantner went so far as to write to Heinlein to obtain permission to use his ideas. Heinlein wrote back that over the years, many people had used his ideas but Paul was the first one to ask for permission, which he granted. Blows was the first rock album to ever be nominated for a Hugo Award [sci-fi and fantasy] in 1971 in the category of Best Dramatic Presentation.
The ideals of the 1960s Hippie generation are reflected here, its desires and anguishes. The album’s musical side is stellar, including a roster of top stars of the San Francisco-Haight Ashbury psychedelic era. It was created by Paul Kantner and Grace Slick, and includes artists from Crosby,Stills & Nash , Quicksilver Messenger Service, Grateful Dead and The Electric Flag. This album represents a forgottton piece of rock n roll and counter-culture history that is absolutely worthy of a listen.
Personnel:
- Paul Kantner – Lead-Vocals, Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Banjo, Bass.
- Grace Slick – Piano, Lead-Vocals.
- Jerry Garcia – Banjo, Pedal Steel Guitar, Vocals, Lead-Guitar.
- Bill Kreutzmann – Drums.
- Mickey Hart – Percussion, Lead-Vocals.
- Joey Covington – Drums, Lead-Vocals, Congas.
- Jack Casady – Bass.
- David Crosby – Lead and Back-Vocals, Guitar.
- Graham Nash – Congas, Back-Vocals.
- David Freiberg – Back-Vocals.
- Harvey Brooks – Bass.
- Peter Kaukonen – Lead-Guitar.
Tracklist:
Title – Writer(s) – Track Length
01. Mau Mau (amerikon) - Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, Joey Covington - 6:37
02. The Baby Tree - Rosalie Sorrels - 1:44
03. Let's Go Together - Kantner - 4:22
04. A Child Is Coming - Kantner, Slick, David Crosby - 6:18
05. Sunrise - Slick - 1:54
06. Hijack - Kantner, Slick, Marty Balin, Gary Blackman - 8:18
07. Home - Kantner, Phill Sawyer, Graham Nash - 0:37
08. Have You Seen The Stars Tonite - Kantner, Crosby - 3:43
09. Xm - Kantner, Sawyer, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart - 1:25
10. Starship - Kantner, Slick, Balin, Blackman - 7:05
Media Info:
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Channels: joint stereo
Samplerate: 44100
Encoder: LAME 3.98
MPEG-1 layer 3
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