Lost/Forgotten Album #242

[Jon]

For what is maybe quite possibly the last album in the series, we probably end with the 1981 release from Grace Slick, 1981's "Welcome To The Wrecking Ball!".

1981 was also the year that Jefferson Starship released "Modern Times" which featured Grace Slick, who had left the group after 1978's "Earth". It was a big thing that she was back in Jefferson Starship, or so the people on the radio said. I guess I agreed since I ran out and picked up "Modern Times" even though back then I wasn't really aware that Grace Slick was such an icon.

Shortly after I found this album and really didn't know what to expect. I really didn't expect it to rock as hard as it does. Guess I should have figured it out with the album cover and title, but I was young and didn't really understand much. I mean, she does look a little bit crazy on the cover, not that there's anything wrong with that. 

I lost the album and it's been 30 years or so since I've been able to hunt down a copy and now all it right in the world. Also, for those wondering, this album came out a few months before "Modern Times". Don't know if that makes a difference or is important, but it's a true factoid. The album reached #48 in the States.

As usual, we'll visit the review from allmusic.com:

"The three essential elements of her Dreams album from the year before reprise their roles here, producer Ron Frangipane, engineer Ed Sprigg, and guitarist Scott Zito writing all the music on Wrecking Ball. Slick creates only lyrics to four of the ten titles, so this is really a Scott Zito album with Grace Slick as the vocalist. Where on the previous disc, Dreams, the singer composed five of the ten totally without a collaborator, that album is closer to what the fans expect from "White Rabbit"'s author. Dreams, Manhole, and Software have more of her personality in the grooves. The first track, "Wrecking Ball," explodes off the disc, a complement to the photos on the cover and inside the gatefold. It is heavy stuff, crunching along and is one of the better tracks here. You won't find a member of Pablo Cruise crashing this party, as Steve Price did on the previous outing. Maybe the disc didn't sell enough for Sonny & Cher to file a lawsuit because "No More Heroes" is the exact melody to the verse of "Bang Bang," you can even sing along "I was five and he was six/we rode on horses made of sticks," though Grace Slick sounds like she's fronting Genesis vocally while the band dwells on hard rock. It's an intriguing progression going from solo album to solo album to see what mood Slick was in what year. Software in 1984, produced by Ron Nevison, featuring Slick's songwriting collaborations with producer Peter Wolf, is far more interesting."

Welcome To The Wrecking Ball!

1. Wrecking Ball
2. Mistreater
3. Shot In The Dark
4. Round & Round
5. Shooting Star
6. Just A Little Love
7. Sea Of Love
8. Lines
9. Right Kind
10. No More Heroes

Availability: BGO has recently released a remastered version of this album which also includes the followup, "Software", and it can be yours for around $15.

 

[Scott]

I think Jefferson Starships "Earth" is their best...  Maybe I will post that as next weeks album of the week... maybe....

[Jon]

Make sure I haven't listened to it recently.

[RJhog (Admin)]

So.....this is a true "lost" album?

If it is anything at all like Modern Times, I'll like it.

[Jon]

I guess it is. Never really thought about it.

You ARE good for something.

[Scott]

Slick had quite a celebrated career and she's still a very unique female singer.  Always seems to be forgotten in the discussion of rock best female vocals.  Criminal!  Have I ever mentioned how much I love the Balin/Kantner/Slick edition of Jefferson Starship?  "Earth" being their best output but followed very closely by Red Octopus and Spitfire.  If you're not familiar, shame on you, now go fix that!!

Much like Martha Davis of the The Motels, she had a sexy phase, but didn't really age well.  Good thing we have a pictorial history!

The production and sound of the album have a lot in common in with the JS Modern Times release.  The Boss will like this I think.

I do like her quirky ways and music.  There is a very New Wave feel to this.  Probably would be much easier to hear it if it were actually 1980, but my keen ear gets it!  I also the rock and roll on the disc.  Much better than expected.  I may revisit this especially since there's A BGO remaster.

Fine series sir (expect for the cookie monster post)...

[RJhog (Admin)]

First off, I see by the review posted she didn't do much writing here.  Is that a good or bad thing?  I don't know.

The first track has some interesting guitar work by Zito.  All throughout the song too, not just with the solo.  Didn't really hear anything in that track that screamed Modern Times, but Mistreater does a better job of getting me there.  I could really hear Mickey Thomas' vocals helping this track out, not that it's bad like it is.  

The next two tracks really just lost me.  Shooting Star is better.  I guess this would be considered a ballad.  I features some nice guitar playing for the outro.  That part could have been a bit longer.  That's tree straight songs that feature a song title made more famous by other artists (I see five song titles total that do the same).  Does that mean anything. Probably not.

Riff sounds familiar on Just A Little Love.  Sea Of Love, meh.  Lines is kind of interesting.  With the reggae style, I could see this being a Police or even a Rick Springfield song.  But it's not, it's Grace Slick.  

Finally, the last track does touch on that Modern Times sound.  Again, it would sound better with Micky Thomas, but this is a pretty good song.  I like Zito's work again.

Overall, not a bad album at all, but not anything I would need in my library.  I'll just stick with Modern Times.

[Scott]

So... what you're saying is I should post Jefferson Starships "Earth" as my next AOTW?

[RJhog (Admin)]

Sure, if you want.

[Scott]

Jon sounded more excited about it...  hmmm...